Petition of John Peacock, with Jefferson’s Order, 27 April 1805
Petition of John Peacock,
with Jefferson’s Order
The Petition of John Peacock most respectfully Represents.
That at the circuit Court for the county of Washington in the district of Columbia, at December Term 1804, Your Petitioner was convicted of Larceny, & by the said Court was sentenced, to suffer corporal punishment, & to pay one hundred dollars fine, with costs of Court & Prison fees—
That your Petitioner, in pursuance of said Sentence, received his punishment the same day it was ordered; & has given up a horse, (the only property he possessed) in part payment for his fine & the fees of Court—and that for the balance thereof he has since been confined in the Prison of said County, where he had been before confined, for nearly four months.
That your Petitioner is utterly unable to pay the balance of his fine &c—that he has a family in this city, distressed by his separation from them, And
Therefore prays your Excellency will be pleased to remit the said balance of fine & fees,—restore him to his family,—the pursuits of honest industry, for his own & his family’s support & promises that his future life shall evince his attachment to the laws & government of his Country—
And as in duty bound your Petitioner will ever Pray &c—
John Peacock
Washington City
27th. April 1805
We the Jurors who were charged with John Peacock’s Case, believe what he has stated in his Petition to the President of the United States, to be literally true; & we cheerfully join in the Prayer of it, with a hope it may be granted—
Robt. Tilley
Clotworthy Stephenson
Charles Jones
William Worthington Jur.
John Bridges.
Jonathan Monroe
Thos. Sanders
Isaac Dawes
Mathw. Delany
Quintin Bain
John Krouse
Robert Browne
Henry Ingle
We the Subscribers inhabitants of this City & its vicinity, from what we know from information, believe that John Peacock has resided for near thirty years in the State of Maryland, & that he is by no means an abandoned Character; but on the contrary, the general tenor of his life has been, (with only an exception or two) sober, moral & industrious—and therefore hope the Prayer of his Petition will be granted—
The Horse mentioned by Peacock was never in the possession of the Marshal or any of his Deputies; but was put into the custody, of one Sutton by the magistrate who committed him.
Daniel C. Brent
M. D.C.
A Colt taken from John Peacock at the time of his commitment was taken charge of by Robert Sutton, what he did with him I do not know
Corns. Coningham
May 16. 1805
The Undersigned Judges of the Circuit Court of the District of Columbia, being satisfied that the within petitioner is unable to pay his fine and fees, and that he has suffer’d the corporal part of the Judgment, in addition to a long confinement in prison, respectfully recommend to the President of the United States a compliance with the prayer of the petition.
W Kilty
W. Cranch.
August 9th. 1805.
I have reason to beleive that the Petitioner is a proper object of mercy—
Wr: Jones Jr. U.S.
Atty Dist: Cola.
[Order by TJ:]
Let a pardon issue
Th: Jefferson
Aug. 16. 05.
RC (DNA: RG 59, GPR); in a clerk’s hand, signed by Peacock; at head of text: “To the President of the U. States”; attestation of jurors in an unidentified hand, signed by all; attestation of city inhabitants in an unidentified hand, unsigned; Daniel Carroll Brent’s testimony written at foot of Peacock’s petition; Cornelius Coningham’s testimony written at foot of jurors’ attestation; recommendation of the judges in William Cranch’s hand, signed by Cranch and William Kilty.
TJ’s pardon, dated 12 Aug., remitted Peacock’s fine and costs and discharged him from any further proceedings (FC in Lb in same).