Petition to Mississippi Governor Adelbert Ames; April 18, 1874

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Petition to Mississippi Governor Adelbert Ames; April 18, 1874

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People

Albright, George Washington, 1846-1944 Ames, Adelbert, 1835-1933 Barrett, Fred Falconer, Howard Featherston, Winfield Scott, 1819-1891 Gill, A. G.Harvin, T. M Jeffries, Gordon Jeffries, Henry Peal, Alfred Rogers, A. A.Watson, R. L.Wilkins, Champ Wilkins, M. F.Wilkins, Sarah Williams, Ralph

Events

Crime Crime--Incest Criminal Procedure Criminal Procedure--Arraignment Criminal Procedure--Pardon Finances Finances--Debt relief

Organizations

Courts and Judicial Systems Courts and Judicial Systems--Circuit Courts Mississippi--Executive Department Mississippi--Judicial Districts Mississippi--Judicial Districts. 25th District Mississippi--Legislature

Occupations

Judges Judges. Justices of the Peace Secretaries

Places

Mississippi--Hinds County. Jackson Mississippi--Marshall County

Social Identifiers

African Americans Fugitives from Justice Impoverished People Imprisoned People's Families

Page 1

[note] 4/18/74 [/note]

To His Excellency The Hon Adelbert Ames
Governor of the State of Mississippi—

Your petitioned Citizens of the County of Marshall in said Sate respectfully Show;

That some time in the Month of [gap] 1873 in said county one Champ Wilkins ^colored^ was arraigned before the Hon Howard Falconer an Acting Justice of the Peace in and for said County charged with, the crime of incest. And was bound over for his appearance at the next term of the Circuit Court of said County in a bond for the sum of Two Hundred dollars: Which bond he gave with his two brothers Henry Jeffries and Gordon Jeffries securities thereon—And petitioners further show unto your Excellency that in order to save them harmless upon their said bond he the said Champ Wilkins made and execu-ted his certain deed of Trust for their benefit, conveying therein all and every species of property of which he was possessed, consisting of his growing crop one Mare and two cows, and subsequently fled the country, leaving his wife and five small and helpless chil-dren entirely unprovided for; That his said wife and children went forward and without fee or reward finished the cultivation and gath=ering of the crop, fed by the charity of the neighbors and if the penalty attached for the non-appear-ance of the accused is to be paid by the said securities, it will leave his wife and little children without a morsel of food to relieve their hunger, and will be in truth inflicting

Page 2

bitter punishment upon the innocent and friendless. They therefore pray Your Excellency to remit the penalty attached to the bond as aforesaid, So that the property of the accused may be turned over to them and they not be made to suffer for, ~~it may be~~ the crime of another, especially so since from the amount of the bond those must have been grave doubts in the mind of the Court as to the guilt of the Accused—

And as in duty bound &cc

Sarah Wilkins
By M. F. Willins

We fully concur in the above request. We believe the statements are true with reference to the facts set forth. And an act of humanity to the family of Champ Wilkins, we think that the penalty of the bond should be set aside.

W. S. Featherston.
R L. Watson—
T M Harvin—
G,W,Albright Senator 25^th Dest—
A. G. Gill Rep, Marshall Co.
A, A, Rogers,, ,, ,,
R Williams ^,, ,, ,,
A Peal ,, ,, ,,

Page 3

[unclear]fer to Genl—
[unclear]ve I the powers to
[unclear]it forfeiture

A. A.

Remit forfeiture

A. Ames

[unclear]at next
[unclear]sion of Legislature

A A

ril 14^— 74
ackson Miss.

Page 4

Williams Champ

EXECUTIVE OFFICE,
STATE OF MISSISSIPPI.

~~From~~ Petition
Address [gap]
Dated [gap]
Received [gap]
Answered [gap]

SUBJECT:

Application for Remittance of Forfeiture in the case of Champ Wilkins.

Marshall Co '73

Pardoned April 18"/₇₄

ADELBERT AMES,
Governor.

FRED. BARRETT,
Private Secretary.