To his Excellency Beriah McGoffin Governor the Commonwealth of Kentucky, Your Petitioner John Bales Perkins, commonly known by the name of Bales Perkins, would most respectfully represent to your Excellency, that he is a poor young man, making an honest living by the cultivation of the soil- having a widowed mother and several small children, dependant on him for support- that he has in times past, occasionally gambled in a small way with some of his associates and companions, but he has some time since seen the folly of it, and entirely forsaken the practice- and never intends hereafter to indulge in a habit so pernicious to youth- Last summer your petitioner was engaged in a game of cards with two of his associates Franklin Black and Jas H. Morris but on that occasion had nothing at stake, and nothing on that occasion was either won or lost- but it so happened that at the Circuit Court thereafter shortly held in Green County, your petitioner was presented to the Grand Jury, and a true bill found against him- by what authority, or upon what testimony your petitioner knows not- In the month of May just past, Your petitioner was served with process requiring his attendance at this the present June term of the Green Circuit Court- and on the 4th day of said term as your petitioner understood the officer- to say- Your petitioner attended punctually on the day, he understood himself to be summoned, together with witnesses, to show his inocence of the charge of Gaming made against him- but was greatly surprised to find, that a jury had been empanneled to assess the fine, and your petitioner not having appeared and plead, a fine of fifty dollars was assed against him, without the introduction of testimony on either side- Your petitioner being young and inexperienced, and without competent