Petition

Sopha Knor to Beriah Magoffin

1861-07-29

Date of Creation
July 29, 1861
Document Genre
Petition
Repository
Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives
Collection
Office of the Governor, Beriah Magoffin: Governor's Official Correspondence File, Petitions for Pardons and Remissions, 1859-1862
Box / Folder
MG22-150 to MG22-154
CWGK Accession Number
KYR-0001-020-1543
Rights
This image and its transcription are freely available to the public. Images appear courtesy of Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives. Transcriptions and annotations were created by Kentucky Historical Society staff, volunteers, and interns. When referencing this document, please use our preferred citation.; The use of transcriptions, images, or annotations from this collection beyond the exceptions provided for in the Fair Use and Educational Use clauses of the U.S. Copyright Law may violate federal law. Permission to publish or reproduce any material on CWGK is required.
FTP Identifier
32209951
People
Ford, A.
Roberts, A. G.
Patton, A. J.
Loveless, Alexander
Fryer, Alfred J.
Jaynes, Amos
Magoffin, Beriah
Duncan, Charles
Fogle, David
Roberts, Edmund A. W.
Knight, Edward W.
Arnold, Elias
Williams, Elias S.
Gifford, Elisha N.
[Lemter], F.
Coppage, Francis E.
Rawlings, George J.
Knorr, George
Ballinger, George W.
Egelston, George W.
Jameson, George William
Fitzpatrick, Hardin A.
Dills, Henry Clay
Crofford, J. M.
Clayton, James
Browning, James F.
Hudnall, James I.
Murphy, James
Burnes, John
Keith, John D.
Delaney, John
Doan, John
Freeman, John
Ott, John
Jacobs, John S.
McKenney, John S.
Egelston, Jonathan S.
Gulick, Joseph
Sreeter, Joseph
Ott, Kelian
Hidesman, M.
Delaney, Michael C.
Doan, Milton
Lockhart, Moses
Colvin, Nimrod
Parker, O.
Shanks, Obediah M.
Forsyth, Peter L.
Browning, Riley Harrison
Wilson, Samuel A.
Ford, Shadrach
Knorr, Sophia Sheele
Casey, Thomas
Moore, Thomas Edwin
Egelston, W.
Wood, Walter B.
Chiles, William
Gulick, William
Casey, William H.
Fisk, William R.
Newell, William S.
Lovelace, Willis
Places
Campbell County, Kentucky
Missouri
Newport, Kentucky
Pendleton County, Kentucky
Organizations
Campbell Circuit Court
Commonwealth of Kentucky
Dates
--10
1861-07-29
1861-11-14
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Citation

Sopha Knor to Beriah Magoffin, 1861-07-29, Office of the Governor, Beriah Magoffin: Governor's Official Correspondence File, Petitions for Pardons and Remissions, 1859-1862, Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives. Accessed via the Civil War Governors of Kentucky Digital Documentary Edition, https://discovery.civilwargovernors.org/document/KYR-0001-020-1543 (February 6, 2026).

[Page 1]

To his Excellency B MagoffinGovenor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

Your Petitioner Sop[...]ha Knor. states that her husband George. Knor, was tried at the oct term of the Campbell Circuit court, on a charge for the killing one M Hidesman, and was found guilty of manslaughter, & Sentenced to confinement in the kentucky Penetentiary for ten years. although Sent to prison, for ten years. she feals that the case of the Said George. presents Strong Equitable reasons in his behalf. but at law they were of but little avail the facts are as follows, To wit, her husband had moved from the County of Pendleton. abut one year before the killing aforsd to Campbell County. & settled in the city of Newport. that he was, a man of Small means, pecuniary. but through his Industry he was anabled to Suport his familey, which consisted of himself your Petitioner and one Child. they had always. bor. a good name & character. Boath himself & wife. that the said george had business in the State of Missuri. & left his wife with the said M. Hidesman. who was, his Brotherinlaw to Stay until his Return, believing that the said Hidesman. would gard and protect his wife. your Petitioner, he was absent, Some months. & when he Returned, he was astonished to hear Reports, aganst the character of his said wife,

[Page 2]

& upan investigation of the said Report. he found, that the whole of it had orginated with the said Hidesman. & that he through mallice had Started the Sla[...]nder. because he could not carry out a hellish wish of his own. that while her said Husband was. gone. the Said Hidesman attempted to cause your Petitioner to violate her marriage vow.. that she Indignantly left his house. & Refused to return. & the said Hidesman. then started the Slanderious Report. either in fear of her husband, or through mallice. determined to Ruin her because She would not consent to his hellish wish. & that after her husband had Returned, & was. living in his own. house with his familey in peace. the said Hidesman come to his house. & came in after he had So Shamfully betrayed the trust confided to him. when the prisioner civiley Requested him to leave his house, but he Refused so to do, but began to abuse the Said George & Your Petitioner. when George Stabed him, with a Pockett knife. which caused his death. no person being present. Save your Petitioner who was not a legal witness, & that the Said Hidesman made Some dying declarations, which threw the Blame on George. which were to the effect that George stabed him. before he ordered him to leave but the said Hidesman. did not tell the truth

[Page 3]

when making Said saidtatements. for your Petitioner Distinctly he[...]ard George tell him. to leave and he Refusedplyed that he would not go until he felt like it. or words to that effect. through the advice of friends, who have known her & the prisioner for a number of years. She makes. an appeal to Your Excellency, hoping that YourClemency you will give the case of the Said George A Carfull & impatial hearing. & that you will find Some merrit for the Interposition of the Executive Clemency. in this case from which you can pardan him. knowing you are a married man. & that you would protect the Reputation of your familey. or of feemail virtue in any body. your Petitioner induced to make this appeal to you. as, the govenor of the State who views all the whole case not by the tecinacal rules. of law. but by Rules, of Equity & mercy.

Sopha Knor

Sworn to before me by Sopha Knor this 29th day of July 1861,

A G Roberts N P C C

[Page 4]

Campbell Cir. Ct
Sopha Knor
vs } Pet—
Commonwealth


Geo. Knor
10. Yr Penty
manslaughter
Pardon Issd Nov 14. 1861

[Page 5]

We the undersigned citizens of the County of Pendleton & State of Kentucky State that we are well acquainted with the Petitioner Sopha Knor & her husband George Knor that they had lived for a number of years in this County & at all times Boar a good character & the Said George has allways been Regarded aS a peacible Quiete & good citizen not inclined to git into difficultys & from our knolledge of the parties & of the killings of the man Hidesman we Join in the prayer of the Petitioner for the pardon of Said Knor —

C. Duncan
M Lockhart
Jas. I. Hudnall
M Mullins
Geo W Jameson
A G Roberts
Nimrod Colvin
John, S, Jacoby
Thos Casey
A, J, Patton
Robt H Reed
G M Parker
[O Parker]
Walter F. Jeffrey
Jas. Clayton

Moses Summers.
Wm H Casey
Q W O Clark
H Bullock
H Browning
F R Wiatt
D. N. Williams
Jas A Watson
Wm Thompson
O N Shanks
T E Moore Clerk, C. C
Harvey Smith J. P,
J Smith Riley
J F Blackburn
Robert McKinley
W. A. Petit

[Page 6]

F B McKenney
C R Iliff
F,, Lemter
J, W, W, DeCoursely
E Marshal
M C Kirkwood
L Day
W,, W,, King
Jas W McKenny
John T Wyatt
H B Gifford
William Gifford
G J Rawlings
Alonzo Kitt
L, C. Abernathy
W J Turner
F W Forsyth
M Shepherd

N. B. Colvin
R. Stowers
F S Mkenny
John Chouning
John H Bennett
Thos. Collopy
Jerrie Shehan
B, F, Hume
J S, Coleman
B L Forsyth
B Whitson
J, W, Chany
J H Blackburn
J Freeman
Jas Murphy
C, W Keith
W R Fisk
Frank E Coppage
James, M, Tratson
Wm H, Lawson
J, J Pettit
James Johnson
J, H, Barbour
D[r] D Harrison
S M Karrick
Robert, McCracken
W. F Coppage
H. Clay Dills

[Page 7]

Alonzo Cookendorfer
J, S, Bishop
F G Read
David Hardman
J Minor Colvin
Thos, L, Garrard
E. S. Williams
Peter L Forsyth
J, M, Crofford
W, P, Addames
John D Keith
David fogel
Wm C, Reeder
John Delaney

E. A. W. Roberts
H, A, Fitzpatrick
P C Coyle
Henry Gordon
W, C, Rule

[Page 9]

Sopha Knor
[...]We the undersigned citizens of the County [...]of Pendleton & State of Kentucky State that we are well acquainted with the Petitioner Sopha Knor and her husband George Knor that they had lived for a number of years in this County & at all times Boar a good character & the Said George has always been Regarded as a peacible Quitt & good citizen not inclined to git into difficulies & from our knolledge of the parties & of the killing of the man Hidesman we Joine in the prayer of the Petitioner for the Parden of the Said Knor

Willis Lovelace
L, H, Sanders
John Burnes
W Chiles
G Ballenger
H, Frakes
Amos Jayne
Alen — Jayne
W R Porter
A J Arnold
T M Arnold
[O, R,] Arnold
[...] J, shiveley
m, c. delaney

John [Pace]
William murrell
Edward Donohoe
John M Pace
John shireley
J,. Callen
James, H Payne
Joseph Sreeter
Harison Perry
T Marion Perry

[weiner] perry
Lewis Perry
James Doan
Milton Doan
Jno Doan

[Page 10]

Absalom Perry
W G Cram
J M Blackburn
G. W, Turner
A, Riley Esq
J, D, Polly
Thomas Wiggins
Casper Gleickmann
H Shels

H Courtney
W Craddock
J Thet
J Spell
N Spell
John Stoll
Lewis Lovelace
Joseph Gulick
H: Summers
K. Ott
John Ott
G Stemler
A D Blackburn
J, [M], Summers
Wilson, Wadsworth
David Ambler
John Ambler
J. S. Wadsworth
G H Nonemaker
N, Lovelace
A barry g[...]
Peter [...]foard
Alex Lovless
A Ford
S. A. Wilson
S. Ford