The distress’d curcumstance of Mary Lewelling Whife of the Poor unhappy John Lewelling now under the sentence of death in Edenton Gaol induces me to write your Excelly. I am so unhappy to have nothing to plead in his behalf but Mercy which as it is a darling attribute of the deity hope it will prevail. This much I can say that when he had an opportunity to escape out of Edenton Gaol he did not