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State of Maine.
To Josiah W. Seaver, Esquire, Sheriff of our County of York.
[to the left is a circle with "Seal." inside it and "Nathan Cutler” written under it]
Greeting:
Whereas James Murphy late resident of Kennebunk Port, in our County of York Mariner, at the term of our Supreme Judicial Court, which a commenced at York, within and for our said County of York, on the last tuesday of April, being the twenty eighth day of said month, in the year of our Lord, one thousand eight hundred and twenty nine; was convicted of the crime of Wilful [Wilfull] Murder; and by our said Court was sentenced to suffer the pains and penalty of Death: Whereupon our Warrant issued on the thirtieth day of June, in this present year of our Lord, one thousand eight hundred and twenty nine; Commanding you our said Sheriff, to execute the sentence aforesaid; upon him the said James Murphy, on Friday the fourth day of December next: And whereas he the aforesaid James Murphy, has supplicated Us for mercy, and it being our pleasure to extend him our Clemency.
We, of our special grace and favor, do hereby direct and Command you to suspend and delay the execution of the sentence aforesaid, until Friday the fifteenth day of January next; and require that you on that day, between the hours of eleven of the Clock in the forenoon, and two of the Clock in the afternoon of the same day at some suitable place therefor in the town of York, within our said County of York, execute the sentence aforesaid of our said Court, on hi the said James Murphy by causing him to be hanged by the neck until he be dead; for which this shall be your sufficient Warrant: Hereof fail not at your peril; and make due return of this writ with your doings, into our Secretary of States Office, within twenty days after you shall executed the same
Witness Nathan Cutler, Esquire President of our Senate, exercising the Office of Governor, with the advice and consent of our council, and our Seal hereunto affixed, at Portland, this twenty ninth day of October, in the year of our Lord, one thousand eight hundred and twenty nine, and in the fifty fourth year of the Independence of the United States of America.
By the President of the Senate, exercising the Office of Governor, with the advice and consent of the Council
Edward Russell Secretary of State