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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 commenced at York, within and for said County of York on the last Tuesday of April, being the twenty eight 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 of the same year, Commanding you to execute the sentence aforesaid upon said James Murphy, on Friday the fourth day of December last. And the said James Murphy having supplicated Us for Mercy, our Warrant issued on the twenty ninth day of October of the same year, Commanding you to suspend and delay the execution of said sentence until Friday the fifteenth day of January current. And whereas the said James Murphy, has again supplicated us that his life may be spared, and for a communication of his punishment of death to imprisonment and confinement to hard labor during his natural life.

Now therefore, considering that some alleviating circumstances attended the crime of which he was convicted, and upon full consideration of all the premises: We do hereby Pardon the said James Murphy, on condition, that he be imprisoned and confined to hard labor in the State Prison, during his natural life; and we do hereby direct and command you, to cause the said James Murphy, to be delivered to the Warden of our State Prison, and we do also hereby command the said Warden forthwith to remove the said James Murphy from our Gaol in York in said County of York to the State Prison aforesaid, at Thomaston in the County of Lincoln; and that he be there punished by imprisonment and confinement to hard labor during his natural life, conformably to the provisions of law.

Witness Nathan Cutler, President of our Senate and exercising the Office of Governor, with the advice and consent of our Council, and our Seal hereunto affixed at Portland, the fifth day of January in the year of our Lord, one thousand eight hundred and thirty; 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.

Edward Russell, Secretary of State.