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To his Excellency Albert Ames

Gov of the state of Miss the undersigned your petitioners (Citizens of DeSoto County Most Respectfully Represent at the March term 1875 of our Circuit Court, Lewis Goodwin a citizen of De Soto County Miss being Charge with—grand Larceny submitted his case to the to the court and was, by the Hon. E. S. Fisher Judge our our Circuit Court sentenced) to State penitentiary for term of five years from the 1^st day of March 1875—the said Louie-Goodwin is Seventy five years of age and has age wife dependent upon him alone for support—his connection with the Stolen Cotton was alone in its having been found upon his wagon on the way to market he being in the hafbit of hauling for the public was employed by the parties who Stole the Cotton to Carry it to Market and the evidence heard before the the Court in extermination clear^ly Showed that that he had been assured that the title to the Cotton was good—now in view of his greatt age the fact Of his