McMinn_Letter_208_48902

To Joseph M^cMinn Esqr Governor in and over the State of Tennessee

September Term 1817

We the undersigned represent to your Excellen cy that at the present Term of the circuit Court for the County of Sullivan County acertain Thomas James who was indicted for forging and passing counterfeiting two certain change Tickets purporting to be on John Keller of & James White of [Arlington?] Virginia was tried and convicted - There was no evidence that the defendant had forged said Tickets, but John Keller being sworn stated that said Tickets one for 25 cents and one for one Dollar was never Issued by him or his [firm?] It was also proved by James Hicks that the defendant in November ^last passed to him the 25 cent Ticket and a few days

after passing said Ticket on learning the same was not good called on said Hicks and told him he had got the same from a certain [K?] and wanted to take it up and put good money in its place but was shortly after arrested before the ticket was redeemed There was other evidence going to show, that the defen dant has other tickets which he said he had obtained in the same way There was also Testimony of one [illegible] to show that said James rec.^d tickets from one [Rowe Kisnor?] in payment of a Debt which they owed him, & that the tickets produced in trial looked like the money in Tickets which they passed to said Thomas James, it also appeared in Eviden ce. s.^d James always [illegible] had sustained the character of an honest man, the Jury however found him Guilty as charged in the indictment of the Court ordering him to be imprisioned till 24^th Oct^r. next, to pay a fine of twenty dollars & to receive

ten Lashes on his bare back, & [t?] kept in custody till fines & [corts?] were paid Your petitioners therefore pray your Excellency may remit the Corporal punishment and the imprisonment yet to come & your petitioners will pray &c

Sullivan County 24 Sep^r 1817

[illegible] [? Longacre] James Kerr Abraham M^cClellan Robert Alison [Francis ?] [illegbile] [John A Dicken?] Jacob R. Snapp W^m H. Dulaney James Phagan Abraham Gregg [Rich^d ?]

[illegbile] Ge^o Burkhart Matthew Rhea [George Reyes?] P. Parsons W^m C ODell [J Gash?] George Wilham James Larkey Joseph Scott John Blair Tho^s. Shelby [James Burkhanmen?]

1817

From the Circumstances which have been stated to the undersigned by men of high standing in Sullivan County I think that the case of James is one in which the Executive may with propriety interfere: Untill [sic] this mans actions be supported a good character both here & in Virginia and I am inclined to the belief be was drawn into the Commission of the present crime by two artful villains who made their Escape

[? Scott] the Judge who presided at the Trial