Petition Concerning Jacob Hoffman1Jump to section
To the Honorable Augustus C French Governor of the State of Illinois.
The undersigned would respectfully represent, that at the April Term of the McLean county circuit court one Jacob Hoffman was indicted for the crime of Forgery. That to said indictment said Hoffman plead guilty, and was by the court sentenced to the Penitentiary for the term of one year. That they believe that this is the first offence of which said Hoffman has been guilty. They would further state that he has been confined in the Jail for the county of McLean for about five months. That he is yet quite a young man, and connected with a large and respectable, though poor family who [reside?] in Fulton county Illinois. That the Father of said Hoffman is an old, and infirm [man?] and that he and his family, have depended for subsistance to a considerable extent, upon the labour of said Jacob Hoffman.
That in consideration of the premises they would humbly petition your Honor that the punishment may be remitted, and said Hoffman set at liberty, and as in duty bound your petitioners would ever pray &c
Annotation
[1] DS, I-Ar. Lincoln was merely one of the signers, nearly two hundred, of this petition.