Henry Harris kills [?] Isham, 1858

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[December 6, 1861] -

To His Excellency 

B. Magoffin 

Gov. of Kentucky,

Your Petitioner Robert. C. Harris would most respectfully State to your Excellency, that about the last of August 1858 he went a Security on the Bail Bond of Henry Harris in the Garrard Circuit Court who was charged with the Killing of a man by the name of Isham in that County.

Said Henry Harris was poor and without friends, and it being the opinion of many good citizens there that he was innocent, the Killing being done in a drunken melee about dark, and one of the party engaged in it left the Same night, and has not to my Knowledge been in the State Since. Henry was very drunk at the time the Killing took place, and he declared to me if he done the deed it was wholly without his Knowledge, never having had one word of difficulty with the man Killed, nor had at the time not So much as a pen Knife — The Killing was proven to be done with a large Knife.

Under these Circumstances and to give Henry a chance to obtain his witnesses I entered his Security on his Bail Bond, and he would have Stood his trial certain had he not been pursuaded by his lawyers not to do So. As Soon as I ascertained that he was gone, I used every effort to find out his whereabouts, but could not get any clue as to where he was at, until last winter when I was told by a very responsible gentleman that it was Supposed that he went Some where near the line of Mexico. The Bail Bond was for Fifteen Hundred dollars, and I have Settled 30 per Cent with the Commonwealths Attorney, and I pray your Excellency that in view of the premises and Circumstances that you release me from Said Bond.

I refer your Excellency to the papers filed with your Secretary of State at the time you granted me a Respite, which I think will fully bear me out in the above Statement of facts; and in duty will ever pray &c

R C Harris

Sworn to before me by R. C. Harris December 6th 1861

H. H. Hughes Clk M C C

Mr Harris, the within Petitioner is a Hotel Keeper of the "Harris House" at Lebanon — He formerly lived at Somerset. I have known him over 20 years. He is an industrious public spirited good citizen from my knowledge of him I would give full credit to his sworn statement.

A. J. James

Garrard Cir. Ct 

$1500 } Recogn 

Robt. C Harris 

Remission Issd

Apr. 23d. 1862   [1]



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[1] Robert C. Harris to Beriah Magoffin,  6 December 1861,  Office of the Governor, Beriah Magoffin: Governor's Official Correspondence File, Petitions for Pardons and Remissions, 1859-1862,  MG22-195 to MG22-196,  Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives,  Frankfort,  KY.  Accessed via the Civil War Governors of Kentucky Digital Documentary Edition: Early Access, discovery.civilwargovernors.org/document/KYR-0001-020-1567, (accessed July 17, 2017).