Petition to Mississippi Governor Adelbert Ames; March 7, 1875

Ignorance that he was violating the Law and the premises generally considered we believed his ^to be a^ Case eminently Demanding ^the^execute Clemency and therefore pray that your Excellencywould extend the said Louis Goodwin an, mmedi ate full and complete pardon for the offense of Which he Stands Committed

Peter M^cKay^his X mark^ R. M. Holderby J A Jackson David Hanafort A ^x^ Boten Henry ^x^ Branch Manel ^x^ Lan^s Stephen ^x^ Write Joseph ^x^ haries Johni Linzed?

To his Excellency Alderbert Ames Gov of the State of Miss. The un-dersigned your petitioners (Citizens of De Soto County) would respectfully Represent that^at^the March term 1875 of our Circuit Court, Lewis Goodin-in A Citizen of De Soto County Miss being Charged with grand Larceny Submited his case to the Court and was, by the Hon. E. S. Fisher Judge of our Circuit Court. Senten a d to the State Penitentiary for a term of five years from the 1^st day of March 1875

The Said Lewis Goodwin is Seventy five years of age And has and aged 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 bhe being in the habit of hauling for the Public was employ'd by the parties who Stold the Cotton to Carry it to Market=And the evidence heard before the Court in extenuation Clearly Showed that he had been as-Sured that the title to the Cotton was good—now in view of his great age—the fact of his ignorance that he was violating the Law and the premises generally consider

We believe this to be a Case imenently-ly demanding the Executive Clenien-cy and there fore pray that your Excellency would extend to the Said Leuis Goodwin—an im-Mediate full and Complete pardon for the offence of which he stands Convicted—

J, Jr, Bratt Chy Clk J. J. Evans shff Jno. H. Powell Coroner & Ranger H W Nelson, J.P. 5^th District DeSoto Co

I have known Louis Goodin for many years & know that he is a hard working, and generally considered an honest man and I hope he may receive Executive clemency

M Campbell Sen 27^h Dist Albert D. Thompson Assessor of Tax^es, DeSoto Co Jno. H. Cox Dept Shrf Andrew Girt J P Dist V J. H. Johnson Representative J W Farmer J.P. Second Dis Thomas M^cCain Representative

Petition for the pardon of Lewis Goodwin.

[seal]

Nesbit Miss March 25^h 1875

Gov Ames

D,,r Sir

I made a Special Trip to Jackson last week in behalf of Lewis Goodin an Old Colored Man of This Neighborhood And I feel Confident that if I had Met you I Could have so represented the Merits of Uncle Lewis Case As to have Convinced you of the propriety of his pardon—fortified as I was by a petition Signed by every officer in De,Soto County except one Representative Mr Mackey? And the Circuit Clerk—the latter I know is anxious to sign it but I have not been able to see him he being represented in Court by a Dept—as to the former I did not approach him with the petition, he Seemed to be in a Sour Mood and having heard him remark that he believed that 99 out of every hundred Negros would Steal, I thought it useless you See—informed me that his orders were to refer all petitions for pardon to the judge and District Atty—while as a rule