From George Washington to William Rawle, 13 March 1793
To William Rawle
[Philadelphia, 13 March 1793]
Whereas it appears to me, from the representation of several respectable persons, and from sundry affidavits, that William Kerr and Alexander Beer, who were lately indicted in the circuit-court of the United States, holden in the town of York, in the state of Pennsylvania, for a riot, were innocent of the offence, with which they stand charged;1 and they may be exposed to great trouble and expence in defending themselves, unless the indictment be discontinued: I have therefore thought fit, to instruct, and I do hereby instruct you, forthwith to enter a nolle prosequi on the indictment aforesaid: and for so doing let this be filed, as your warrant. Given under my hand this 13t[h] day of March2 in the year of our lord 1793.
G. W——n
Df, in Edmund Randolph’s writing, DNA: RG 59, Miscellaneous Letters; LB, DLC:GW.
1. This letter to Rawle, the U.S. attorney for Pennsylvania, concerns the indictments of Pennsylvania residents William Kerr and Alexander Beer (Berr) during the U.S. circuit court session held at York, Pa., on 11 Oct. 1792 (GW to Randolph, 1 Oct. 1792, and note 1).
2. On the draft manuscript Randolph originally wrote “May”; realizing his mistake, he wrote “March” above the line.