Early Governors' Papers

To Samuel Houston Govenor in and for the State of Tennessee -

The petition of the undersign-ed Citizens of the County of Greene, & State aforesaid humbly represent to your Excellency - That a certain John Becks and William R Head were convicted for offering to pass and concealing counter-feit & [rased?] Bank Notes, at the Circuit Court held at the Court House in Greeneville, County aforesaid, on the first Monday of September [space] & were sentenced (to receive on the Monday following & which has been inflic -ted thirty Nine lashes each on their backs), and three Months imprisonment - the imprisonment to commence from the time of pronouncing said sentence -

We your petitioners believing that the object of punishment for Crimes being to reform the Offender and deter Others by the example of punishment & considering the length of time ^being five months which the aforesaid persons are kept in close confinement previous to said trial together with the manner of their Confinement, having been Chained to the Dungeon Floor during the whole of the aforesaid period, & having also taken into consideration the number of lashes they have recv^d as aforesaid - & believing that the punishment they have already recv^d as aforesaid will answer the

To The Hon^l Samuel Houston governor of the State of Tennessee

We the undersigned petitioners would represent that at the last session of the Circuit Court for Wilson County James Aclins a Citizen of the County aforsaid Was indicted and convicted for Negro Stealing Under the act of assembly of 1779 [ch?] and carrying away other Negroes the property of Thomas P Holman to the County of Wilson Williamson & State of Tennessee aforsaid and for the [crowd?] aforsa^id it was adjudged & decreed that the said Ja^s Aclins be hanged the first Saturday after the fourth Monday in June next between the hours of 1 & 3 Oclock The Punishment annexed to the offence by the act aforsad The humanity & compassion of your petitioners arroused in the behalf of the sd Aclins but being aware that this woud afford but a feeble Ground to call upon your excellency for your humaneity interposition Your Petitioners would show that there is a good reason to believe from the proof deposed before the Court & Jury at the trial to raise the belief that one Noah Walker a man of bad moral character, Who had a good colour of title took sd Negroes did first deliver the said negroes to the sd Nelms to carry off and sell, To this point there was strong circumstantial evidence, to raise a belief of that fact, but it was Conclusively proven and in fact confessed by the said Aclins that he did sell the said negroes to one John Becks in the County aforsaid & made a Bill of sale in the name of the said Noah Walker and the defendant was unable to prove the agency of the said Walker in delivering the said negroes to the said Aclins Your petitioners will Conclude