Petition of R. O. Warinner and Others to Thomas Ford, [September 15-20, 1845]1
To His Excellency Thomas Ford Governer of the State of IllinoisThe undersigned would respectfully represent, that at the last term of the McLean circuit court held in the month of September, AD 1845, a person to said court unknown, was indicted,
plead guilty to the charge, and was by said Court sentenced to the Penitentiary for the term of one year– for the crime of Larceny. That said person was apprehended
about five month previous to the sitting of said court, during all which time, he
has been confined in the Jail for the County of McLean– That during his said confinement he has in all respects behaved and conducted himself
as one worthy of a better fate– That he has at all times acknowledged the taking of
the watch with which he has been charged, and upon which he has been sentenced– That
he was destitut of money at the time he took, the watch, and we have been told, that he tried repeatedly
on the road to obtain employment, as a labouring hand, but was not successful in getting work–2
We would therefore humbly represent suggest that in consideration of the punishment which he has already received, together
with his conduct, destitution & youth, that in our opinions he is a fit object for
executive clemency–
We therefore petition your excellency, that he may be reprieved, and as in duty bound
your Petitioners will evy[every] pray.
| Names | Names.
<Page 2>
|
| R. O. Warinner | W. C. Hobbs fore man of Grand Jury, which found the Bill–3 |
| Will. T. Major | |
| Zachariah Lawrence | |
| Stephen Radcliff | James Allin |
| M. H. Hawks | |
| James Stevens | A. J. Merriman |
| I. P. Conant | |
| M. W. Packard | James Miller |
| Wm H. Allin | James T Walton |
| D B Robinson | |
| J. W. Billings | J. H. Harlan |
| W H Temple | |
| J. E. Parke | J. E McClure |
| J. W. Ewing | B. F. Hains– |
| O. Curtis | |
| J. L. Wolcott | Isaac Baker |
| Abraham Brokaw | Ephraim Platte |
| J. N. Ward | L Ferre |
| Geo. Dietrich | G Ferre |
| Josiah Hor | L Bunn |
| A Johnstone | John Dietrich |
| L E Rucker | Abraham Buckls |
| Jas. S. Bay | Wm G. Thompson |
| S A Adams | John Dawson4 |
| Thomas Orendorff | Thomas Fell |
| G. D. McElhiney | J. R. Fell |
| H. Furguson | |
| Jas. T. Gildersleeve Clk. Ct. Ct.[Clerk Circuit Court] | A. Lincoln |
| John T. Stuart | |
| A Gridley | |
| Jesse W. Fell | |
| Hiram Furgeson |
<Page 3>
[ endorsement
]
09/24/1845
09/24/1845
In this case, the deft.[defendant] pleading guilty, I did not hear the evidence, and know nothing personally about the
facts of the case– The appearance of the prisoner was in his favor– The forgoing petition
is signed by the principal citizens of Bloomington, who, I presume are cognizant of the circumstances detailed, & state them truly–
Sept. 24th 1845–S. H. Treat.[ endorsement
]
The statement set forth in the written petition by the citizens of Bloomington and
vicinity, is believed by the undersigned to be correct; and the individual referred
to in the petition being imprisoned during several months previous to his sentence
the punishment already received would appear to be sufficient, and the prisoners case
one which recommends itself him to the sympathies of the humane and the favorable consideration of the executive
to remit the remainder of his sentence.
Jno Moore<Page 4>
[ docketing
]
pet[Petition] for pardon for person Unknown
1This petition was written by an unknown author. Abraham Lincoln signed his own name
only. The McLean County Circuit Court met in Bloomington from September 15 to 20,
1845.
“An Act to Change the Time of Holding Courts in the County of Shelby, and For Other
Purposes,” 21 February 1845, Laws of Illinois (1845), 47-49.
2In 1900, a courthouse fire in Bloomington Illinois, the seat of the McLean County
Circuit Court, destroyed all of the legal records that would have provided details
about this larceny case. It is unknown whether Governor Thomas Ford commuted the sentence
of this individual.
Table of County Courthouses Searched, Martha L. Benner and Cullom Davis et al., eds.,
The Law Practice of Abraham Lincoln: Complete Documentary Edition, 2d edition (Springfield: Illinois Historic Preservation Agency, 2009), http://www.lawpracticeofabrahamlincoln.org/Reference.aspx?ref=Background%20html%20files/index%20for%20background-document%20collection.html.
3It was not uncommon for grand jurors who indicted people and for petit jurors who
convicted them to support petitions for pardon. There were numerous examples of it
in Abraham Lincoln’s law practice.
For complete list, search “pardon” under Document Type, Martha L. Benner and Cullom
Davis et al., eds., The Law Practice of Abraham Lincoln: Complete Documentary Edition, http://www.lawpracticeofabrahamlincoln.org; Petition of Alexander Fisher and Others to Thomas Carlin.
4In the 1850 federal census, there were two men by the name of John Dawson living in
McLean County, Illinois. One lived in Mackinaw (with Armina Dawson), and the other lived in Bloomington (with Caroline Dawson);
and both were born in Ohio. A John Dawson served as a juror in two cases in which Lincoln was a lawyer.
U.S. Census Office, Seventh Census of the United States (1850), McLean County, IL,
17, 62; Fleming v. Rogers & Crothers, Martha L. Benner and Cullom Davis et al., eds., The Law Practice of Abraham Lincoln: Complete Documentary Edition, 2d edition (Springfield: Illinois Historic Preservation Agency, 2009), http://www.lawpracticeofabrahamlincoln.org/Details.aspx?case=136710; Stern & Friedman v. Sawyer, Martha L. Benner and Cullom Davis et al., eds., The Law Practice of Abraham Lincoln: Complete Documentary Edition, http://www.lawpracticeofabrahamlincoln.org/Details.aspx?case=136811.
Handwritten Document Signed, 4 page(s), Illinois State Archives (Springfield, IL).