<title type="main">Louisa J. Gray to James F. Robinson

To His Excellency, The Governor of Kentucky:

Your petitioner, Louisa Gray, begs leave to apply for your Excellency's Clemency in behalf of her younger brother, John Gray, who is now confined in the Jefferson County Jail, and has been since the 13th day of May last. The cause of his said imprisonment, as she is informed & believes, is on account of an assault alledged to have been committed by him and three others, viz: Jefferson Rogers, Lowdy Howard and George Ridgway, upon a man named Casper Kromer. For this her said brother & the rest were indicted in the Jefferson Circuit Court on the 7th day of May last & were tried on the 13th of said month, &, by verdict of the Jury, were fined $200 each and two year's imprisonment in the County Jail, where, as before stated, her said brother has ever since been.

In regard to the payment of the $200, your petitioner states that her said brother will be wholly unable to pay it unless an opportunity be given him to Earn the money; for he is poor, has no property & is dependent on his daily labor for support.

Your petitioner, being ignorant of the circumstances connected with the charge for which her said brother is now being punished, cannot say whether the punishment is merited. She supposes, however, that all the parties did wrong, and should be punished to some Extent; yet she believes that her brother has already received punishment Enough.

He has already suffered nearly four month's imprisonment. When committed he was in good health, but is now much wasted away and quite ill with fever. and has been for some three or four weeks.

Your petitioner believes and greatly fears that if longer confined, his life will be Endangered; and, if released now, it will be sometime before he can regain his health. She therefore humbly and Earnestly prays your Excellency to grant him a pardon from further confinement ^& remit the fine^. In doing so, she may be permitted to suggest that longer confinement will work no good to the Commonwealth, but on the contrary is a daily Expense.

She Earnestly hopes your Excellency will give this, her petition, a merciful consideration -- she feels assured that whatever may be your determination in the premises, your Excellency will Excuse your petitioner for presenting her prayer, when she says, as she now does, that the prisoner is her younger ^brother^ the only one she has in Kentucky, that he is an orphan, his father having died while her said brother was an infant, and his Mother, when he was about 13 years of age; and on her death bed, mother left him in charge of your petitioner, with the dying request that your petitioner would watch over him; this she has always done to the best of her ability; and now implores your Excellency's mercy.

Sept 8th 1862. Louisa J Gray

On the 7th day of May, 1862, an indictment for a misdemeanor, (assault & battery on Casper Kromer) was returned by the Grand Jury in Jefferson Circuit Court against Jeff. Rogers, John Gray, Lowdy Howard and George Ridgway; and on the 13th of same month the matters of said indictment ^were tried^ & the Jury returned a verdict against Each of said parties fixing the fine at $200 each and two years imprisonment in the County jail, and said parties were thereupon taken in Custody.

James P. Chambers clk

It is true, as stated in the foregoing petition, that John Gray has been confined in the County Jail since the 13 May 1862, and is now in ill health.

W K. Thomas J J C Sept 8. 1862.

We have read the foregoing petition, which contains truly a statement of the offense for which John Gray was indicted & for which he is now imprisoned, and inasmuch as he has, therefor, already been confined near four Months, we recommend him to Executive Clemency.

Sep 8. 1862.

E S Crag Atto for Comwth 7th District

I am satisfied that a pardon should be granted to Gray and all the parties convicted except Rogers.

P. B. Muir Judge Jef Cir Ct

Jefferson Cir Ct

Respite for one year from this date 7 Sept 1862 J F Robinson

$200. & 1 yr. Confinement John Gray IssdSept 8. 1862