Early Governors' Papers

Your Petitioners of the County of Smith and State of Tenness ee beg leave to represent to his excellency Joseph M^cMinn Governor in and for said State, that one Ellis Beasley of the county aforesaid at the March term of Smith circuit court was found guilty of stabbing one Thomas Corley and by the sentence of the court is to be imprisoned seven days and pay a fine of fifty dollars; that said Beasley is a very respectable young man and was never before accused of any offence against the laws of the State; that it appeared from the testimony that said Corley endeavoured just before he was stabbed to prevail on said Beasley to fight him, which Beasley declined; that the Prosecutor immediately after the sentence aforesaid was passed stated to the court that he did not wish the said Beasley imprisoned; but he was answered by the court that the imprisonment was part of the punishment prescribed by this act of assembly and of said Beasley wished to get rid of that part of the sentence, application must be made to your Excellency - The promises consider ed, may it please your Excellency to interfere by your reprieve and prevent said Beasley from being imprisoned as aforesaid - April 1.^st 1819

Robt [H?] Adams* * I put my name to this pe tition for no reason but that the person injured said in open court he was satisfied, and did not wish imprison^t to be inflicted. I put my name for his [illegible] Nath W Williams E. P. Hughes J. [Reecks?] T. Watson G. Elgin

John H. Bowen Jn.^o [Woverton?] P. Wright. hearing [pett?] W. Goodall [illegbile] [John?] Bell W^m Haynes William Thompson Josiah Howell