Kaufman Kramer to James F. Robinson

KYR-0001-029-0070.xml

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Accession Number

KYR-0001-029-0070

Document Genre

Petition

Repository

Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives

Collection

Office of the Governor, James F. Robinson: Governor's Official Correspondence File, Petitions for Pardons, Remissions, and Respites, 1862-1863

Item Location

R3-114 to R3-115

Place of Creation

Jefferson County, Kentucky

Date of Creation

n.d.

Dates Mentioned

1862-10-23

1862-10-24

1863-01-27

1863-01-28

Kaufman Kramer to James F. Robinson, n.d., Office of the Governor, James F. Robinson: Governor's Official Correspondence File, Petitions for Pardons, Remissions, and Respites, 1862-1863, R3-114 to R3-115, Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives, Frankfort, KY. Accessed via the Civil War Governors of Kentucky Digital Documentary Edition, discovery.civilwargovernors.org/document/KYR-0001-029-0070, (accessed April 25, 2024).

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To His Excellency,
The Governor of Kentucky:

Your petitioner, Kauffman Kramer, respectfully states that, being indicted in the Jefferson Circuit Court for larceny, he was tried on said indictment on the 23^rd Oct. 1862, found guilty and his term of imprisonment in the Penetentiary fixed at 18 months.

Your petitioner states that it is true the matters proved on the trial were such as to induce the belief that he was guilty and to justify the verdict of the Jury, but, in truth, your petitioner had no felonious intent.

He had been trading in buying up old silver, & with this view had previously been to the house where the offence was shown to have been committed & had been told to call again -- this your petitioner did, on the day of the alleged commission of the offense, & on entering the room found no one in it, -- he had been in the room but a moment & was looking at some spoons & took them in his hand when the lady of the house ^entered from the adjoining room &^ called out to him in a loud voice charging him with attempting to steal -- Your petitioner at once laid down the spoons & a gentleman of the house entered from the adjoining room.

Your petitioner having just been charged with attempt to steal, though innocent, felt that
that he might be chastised by the gentleman who had just entered, &, to save himself from personal injury, ran away. He was pursued at once and arrested. Your petitioner took nothing from the premises. He states that he is an old man, now in the 69^th year of his age & has a wife and child & grand children resident in Louisville, Ky.

In tender consideration of the premises, and for the sake also of your petitioner's wife who is quite infirm and far advanced in life, being in the 74^th year of her age and for the sake of his married daughter & his grand children, your petitioner humbly appeals to you for Executive Clemency and prays that you may pardon him.

He begs to make this appeal to you not only as the chief Magistrate of the State but as a husband & father. The remnant of your petitioner's days is but few & his health but moderate, and he hopes, through your mercy, to be permitted to spend the balance of his life with ^his^ wife & children & that they may be spared the mortification of having the husband & father committed to confinement in the penetentiary.

He humbly prays & he ever will &^c
[Kaufman Kramer]

The Undersigned were Jurors in the case against Kauffman Kramer; and, in view of the Circumstances which have come to our Knowledge since the trial, we recommend him to Executive Clemency and join with him in his prayer. Oct 254^th 1862.

Thos H Crawford Foreman
Wm J Cornell
T G Brown
J. C. McDonald
Lew: A. Civill.
M. Billings
A. A. Harvey
J. A. Benseman
Jas W Graham
R Whitney
Thomas Meek

The undersigned atto for the City of Louisville (the Comlths atto in this District not being in the city & not a resident thereof) states that he prosecuted Kaufman Kreamer, in the city court of Louisville, for the offense stated in the foregoing petition & that the foregoing petition substantially sets forth the facts proved.

W, G, Reasor
City atto,

The Foregoing Petition sets forth substantialy (according to my present recollection) the proof which was made before me at the Examinng Trial, Kramer is an old man & has an aged & helpless wife, a Daughter respectably married & a worthy clever
< over >
Lady with several children. In view of the circumstances & that the Jurors have united with the Petitioner (with the Exception of one who is absent) in his prayer for a Pardon I also unite with them.

Geo. W. Johnston. Judge
City Court Louisville Kenty.

Jefferson Circuit Court

I was present during the trial of the above named Kaufman Kramer on the charges set forth in the above ~~unclear~~ petition. The circumstances of the felony charged and the subsequent arrest are substantially set forth in the petition. The jury who convicted him, with the exception of Wm Hardin have signed the petition, M^r Hardin resides in the County 12 miles from the City

Attest Soe Chambers Deputy clerk

Jefferson Cir Cit

I have had much doubt of the propriety of Executive interference in this case. Yet they are greatly relieved by facts from reliable gentlemen all of which with the strength of the Petition & age of the petitioner [...] me to pardon him. [Then] pardon accordingly by 27 Jany 63

J F Robinson

K. Kramer
Pardon Iss^d
Jany 28. 1863

Pettn ans
Koffman Kramer
for Pardon

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