1

To his Excellency Samuel Houston Esqr Gov &c &c

Your petitioners respresent to Your Excellency that a certain
James Nelms, lately been convicted in the Wilson Circuit
Court for the crime of feloniously seducing away the
Slaves of a M^r Holman with an intention as is
Charged of appropiating them to his own use said
Nelms was sentanced by said court to be hung from
which Judgment he appealed to the Supreme
Court which Court after the case upon advisement
for three months were reluctantly compelled to
Affirm the judgment but such were circum
stances in mitigation appearing upon the
face of the record (imperfect as it was) that
said court in delivering their opinion as your
petitioners are informed recommended an
Application to your Excellency for a pardon
believing it a case well warranting the
interferance of Executive Clemency your
petitioners (or a number of them) are informed
that that said Nelms in the transaction for
which he has been condemned was made
the dupe of a disiving & bad man, by the
name of Walker, the negroes charged to
have been stolen by said Nelms were
once the property of Walker but were
sold upon attachment against him-
he alledged the attachment were illegally
[?] against him- He alledged the [aut?]
and still claimed the property- and no
doubt was entitled by the court from
affidavits appearing upon the record-
that said Walker by representing to Nelms
that the property was his, induced Nelms
to carry them off - probably under a
promise to divide their value, or some