Petition from the Citizens of Rankin County, Mississippi, to Mississippi Governor John M. Stone; April 1879

State of Mississippi Rankin Co

[Written in pencil] 4/79

To his Excellency J M Stone Governor of the State of Mississippi

Your petitioners citizens of this County & State would respectfully represent unto your excellency that at the Febuary 1878 term of the circuit court of Said county, one J. R. Fortenberry was convicted of man Slaughter & Sentenced to the State prison for Six years Said case was appealed to & affirmed by the high court at the Spring term 1879 Said Fortenberry is now a convict in the State penitentiary.

Your petitioners would further represent that from all the cir-cumstances Surrounding this case Fortenbery may have been guilty according to the Strict letter of the law yet we believe that upon examination of all the facts connected with the killing your excellency will be Satisfied that it was a act that few mortal men if any could have resisted

And that under all the facts & circumstance it is a fit & proper case for the intirporsition of execuitive clemency.

hopin & believing that your excellency will take the Same [Illegible] of the case that we do As in duty bound your petioners will ever pray, & C,

S C Ragen Willis Wilson T Warhlmer r. M. Craig W. A. Mulholland H W Lee Geo N. Langford R H Reeves R D McRae W. S. Cooper T A Kelley C H Langford J. M Perrick Jas. A. Speer D H Brown W H Prine R. W. Wilson J. R. Lawrence R. C. Childres

T. G. Majure Luke [Illegible] James M [Illegible] W H Thompson James Sharp W. T. Johnson. H D Smith Juror in the case Robt. H. Dallas.

Names Bryant may John Watts W B Mitchum J H Petty John Jenkins W. W. Goforth J E Jones J M Jones D. S. Crook B T Peagler C M Rhods A. G. Crooks H M. Till J C Shaly E K Jones A F Kersh S L Murry H. W. Mashborn J M. Brasfield A. H. Hawthorne W. S. Cooper J. A. Waters J. M. Evans B. A. Gray T P. ?onion D. J. Lepel W E Barrow E E Barrow Horace Kine W S Baker

L H. Brasfield W. T Wilson M. P. Cooper. P F Ragen G. B,, Clark Joe Streater

Tom Sarrett Tom ?arrett James Baker MD T. J. Collum H. Walsh Cold R. Williamson Cold Barry Reders J. L. Steveson Col Jardon Keley Col Frank Lewis Col Jacob Sherrers Col Wiley Boyd Col Victor Adams [Illegible paper folded J. T. Shivers J. R. Baker J. T. Collom Colored Alen Lot Cold Thomas Smith Cold Sezer Smith Mrs Nancy Baker Cold Grun Grandberg R. W Cherry B. F. Ferguson Mrs. M. J. Ferguson Mrs Sary Berrey Mrs. L. J. Stevenson Mrs. T. A. Collum J. B. Davis R. J. Pitman S R [Illegible] [Illegible paper torn]

B. P. Cawthon G. J. Pevy G. McKay Ez. Stuart ??? ? C. Stewart Mrs. Malissa Collom Joseph Brown Bill A. James John Watts Mrs Sallie Watts Mrs M. J. Collom Mrs. A. F. Kersh. Mrs. M.A. Kersh [Illegible paper folded] A. B. Boykin Z. T. Sims Mrs M. F. Sims E. H. Hanes James Hanes Chas Q McRae J D Comfort J E Abernathy A ? J L. ??? J J Abernathy Sal Altman Miss Blanton Stewart Mrs Marry Stewart T B Smith Adam Kersh J Parker Nat Polk [Illegible page torn]

Said Fortenberry is now a convict in the State penitentiary. Your petitioners would further [Illegible page folded] that have all the

F. P. Bethune S . Si??? ? Bowni??y W_m B. Hill W. A. Mulhollan Thomas Mulhollan J. P. Maxey Mrs J.P. Maxey