A posthumous pardon
Dublin Core
Title
A posthumous pardon
Subject
Official pardon of three conductors
Description
Illinois Governor Pat Quinn pardoned Richard Eells of Quincy and Julius and Samuel Willard of Jacksonville, who in 1843 were convicted of aiding fugitive slaves.
Creator
TriStates Public Radio
Source
https://www.tspr.org/post/western-illinois-men-pardoned-work-underground-railroad
Publisher
TriStates Public Radio
Date
December 31, 2014
Contributor
TriStates Public Radio, Illinois Office of the Governor, Friends of Dr. Richard Eells House
Rights
no rights asserted
Format
jpeg photograph
Language
English
Type
text, image
Identifier
WIUGRR #2
Coverage
Illinois, United States
Text Item Type Metadata
Text
Western Illinois Men Pardoned for Work on Underground Railroad
By SEAN CRAWFORD • DEC 31, 2014
Illinois' Governor has posthumously pardoned three men for their work with the Underground Railroad.
The men all lived in west central Illinois and were convicted more than 170 years ago based on laws that prohibited helping runaway slaves. Those laws remained in place even after Illinois abolished slavery in 1824.
The Richard Eells House in Quincy
CREDIT THE FRIENDS OF DR. RICHARD EELLS HOUSE
Dr. Richard Eells was from Quincy. He agreed to help a fugitive slave get to an Underground Railroad site but the slave was caught and Eells arrested. He was convicted and fined, but remained a leader in the abolitionist movement and helped hundreds of other enslaved African Americans escape to freedom.
Governor Pat Quinn also pardoned Julius Willard and his son Samuel. They helped a woman reach the Underground Railroad from their Jacksonville home. The Willard's were also convicted and fined.
By SEAN CRAWFORD • DEC 31, 2014
Illinois' Governor has posthumously pardoned three men for their work with the Underground Railroad.
The men all lived in west central Illinois and were convicted more than 170 years ago based on laws that prohibited helping runaway slaves. Those laws remained in place even after Illinois abolished slavery in 1824.
The Richard Eells House in Quincy
CREDIT THE FRIENDS OF DR. RICHARD EELLS HOUSE
Dr. Richard Eells was from Quincy. He agreed to help a fugitive slave get to an Underground Railroad site but the slave was caught and Eells arrested. He was convicted and fined, but remained a leader in the abolitionist movement and helped hundreds of other enslaved African Americans escape to freedom.
Governor Pat Quinn also pardoned Julius Willard and his son Samuel. They helped a woman reach the Underground Railroad from their Jacksonville home. The Willard's were also convicted and fined.
Original Format
text, photo
Files
Citation
TriStates Public Radio, “A posthumous pardon,” Traces of Western Illinois' Underground Railroad, accessed October 7, 2026, https://timroberts.org/wiugrr/items/show/2.