2

Overton is a poor man and has a Young Family
that his industry is constantly required to supply
the necessary wants of his family-

Your Petitioners further state that at the September
Term 1817 of Smith Circuit Court the Defendant
Overton was tried and found guilty. and the court
therefore proceeded to Judgment, and did adjudge
that the said Defendant be fined in the Sum
of fifty Dollars and made liable for the whole
of the cost amounting to the further sum
of fifty or sixty Dollars; and further the said
Court did adjudge that the said Defendant
be imprisoned for the term of ten days- And
although the court did proceed to give the afore
said Judgment. Yet it is clearly our opinions
the court did not wish ^to inforce [sic] the said Judg-
ment, to the extent as delivered, and did ac=
cordingly defer the imprisonment untill [sic] the com
mencement of our next March Term 1818. [there?]
evidently displaying a desperation that this
might be an application made to your ex
cellency that the said Defendant might be
released from the said imprisonment-
Your Petitioners state that it is the wish of
a large majority of the people in this county
who are acquainted with the transaction that
the said Defendant may be released from
the said imprisonment, commencing from the
first day of our next March Term- Your