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Peter M. Hoffman

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Peter M. Hoffman
Hoffman circa 1904
Cook County Sheriff
In office
December 1922 – December 26, 1926
Preceded byCharles W. Peters
Succeeded byCharles E. Graydon
Cook County Coroner
In office
December 1904 – December 1922
Preceded byJohn E. Traeger
Succeeded byOscar Wolff
Member of the Cook County Board of Commissioners from Suburban Cook County
In office
December 1898 – December 1904
Personal details
BornDes Plaines, Illinois
DiedJuly 30, 1948 (aged 85)
Evanston, Illinois
Political partyRepublican
Residence(s)Des Plaines, Illinois

Peter M. Hoffman was an American politician who served as Cook County Sheriff, Cook County Coroner, and as a member of the Cook County Board of Commissioners. His political career ended after a corruption scandal arose during his term as Cook County Sherriff. He was a member of the Republican Party.

Early life

Hoffman was born in Des Plaines, Illinois, where he would continue to live during his adulthood.[1][2]

Career

Hoffman worked as a grocer and a railroad clerk.[3] He was the chief clerk of the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad.[2]

He served as president of the Village of Desplaines Board of Trustees.[1]

Cook County Commissioner

Elected in 1898, and reelected in both 1900 and 1902, Hoffman served as a Republican member of the Cook County Board of Commissioners, elected from suburban Cook County.[2][4][5][6]

Cook County Coroner

In 1904, Hoffman was elected Cook County Coroner as a Republican, and was reelected in 1908, 1912, 1916, and 1920.[6][7][8][9][10][11]

As coroner, he established the county's first "chemical laboratory", and appointed experienced pathologists and chemists.[12] He was aggressive at prosecuting certain types of homicide, centering his political image on fighting to guard the innocent.[12] Hoffman would even resort to stacking inquest juries in order to increase the likelihood of particular suspects being charged with homicide.[12]

In the aftermath of the Eastland disaster, Hoffman convened a jury within hours to help to determine accountability for the deaths.[13] He also secured the Second Regiment Armory to use a central morgue for the victims of the disaster.[13]

He resigned the office of Cook County coroner in 1922 to assume the position of Cook County sheriff.[14]

Cook County Sheriff

In 1922, Hoffman was elected Cook County sheriff, having run on a "reform" platform.[6] He pledged to "clean up" the administration of the Cook County Jail.[6]

Hoffman retained Wesley Westbrook as the warden of Cook County Jail. Westbrook had been hired by his predecessor, Charles W. Peters.[6]

A major scandal arose when it came out that Hoffman had been giving special privileged to Valley Gang prohibition gangsters Terry Druggan and Frankie Lake while they were prisoners at Cook County Jail.[2][6] Relating to this, Hoffman and his jail warden, Westbrook, were charged with contempt of court by James H. Wilkerson, and Hoffman spent 30 days in jail and was fined $2,500 while Westbrook spent four months in jail.[2][15] After several appeals attempts failed, Hoffman spent prison time while in office as Sheriff.[2]

In 1925, after the scandal involving the favoritism to mobsters in the Cook County Jail had already broke, Hoffman appointed George H. Weideling as the new warden of the jail. Weideling would resign after eight months after Judge John P. McGoorty, in his investigation of the jail's conditions, opined that, despite Weideling being honest, there was a "deplorable lack of morale and a breakdown of discipline in the institution".[16]

Hoffman remained in office after his term would have normally expired in early December 1926 due to the fact that his elected successor, Patrick J. Carr, died before he could take office (the law stated that a sheriff served until his successor qualified to take office). Hoffman would resign in late December 1926, effective on December 26.[17]

Post-political career

Hoffman worked on the construction service of the Forest Preserve District of Cook County, a job he left in 1932.[2] Before retiring in his later years, he ran an automobile sales agency.[2]

Death

Hoffman died July 30, 1948, at Saint Francis Hospital of Evanston in Evanston, Illinois. at the age of 85[2]

References

  1. ^ a b "FEAR FINISH IN "MUD SLINGING"". Newspapers.com. Chicago Tribune. 2 Nov 1904. Retrieved 9 August 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i "PETER HOFFMAN, EX-CORONER AND SHERIFF, DIES". Newspapers.com. Chicago Tribune. 31 Jul 1948. Retrieved 9 August 2021.
  3. ^ "Visible Proofs: Forensic Views of the Body: Galleries: Cases: Coroner vs. medical examiner". www.nlm.nih.gov. Retrieved 9 August 2021.
  4. ^ "COOK M'KINLEY'S BY 17,835 VOTES". Newspapers.com. Chicago Tribune. 8 Nov 1900. Retrieved 9 August 2021.
  5. ^ "BARRETT'S VICTORY ALONE LEFT TO CHEER DEMOCRATS". Newspapers.com. The Inter Ocean (Chicago). 6 Nov 1902. Retrieved 9 August 2021.
  6. ^ a b c d e f "Organized Crime & Political Corruption". www.ipsn.org. Archived from the original on 14 May 201. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; 14 May 2011 suggested (help)
  7. ^ "OFFICIAL FIGURES ON GENERAL ELECTION IN COOK COUNTY: TOTAL VOTE OF STATE ON PRESIDENT AND OTHER OFFICERS". Newspapers.com. Chicago Tribune. 27 Nov 1904. Retrieved 9 August 2021.
  8. ^ "STEVENSON'S County PLURALITY IS 1,397". Newspapers.com. The Inter Ocean (Chicago). 5 Nov 1908. Retrieved 9 August 2021.
  9. ^ "BARTZEN BEATED; M'CORMICK WINS BY 12,940 VOTES". Newspapers.com. The Inter Ocean (Chicago). 7 Nov 1912. Retrieved 9 August 2021.
  10. ^ "EIGHT COUNTY OFFICIALS GO ON THE JOB TODAY". Newspapers.com. The Day Book (Chicago). 4 Dec 1916. Retrieved 9 August 2021.
  11. ^ "COUNTY G.O.P. SLATE ROMPS IN 200,000 VICTOR". Newspapers.com. Chicago Tribune. 3 Nov 1920. Retrieved 9 August 2021.
  12. ^ a b c ""It is his first offense. We might as well let him go": homicide and criminal justice in Chicago, 1875-1920. - Free Online Library". www.thefreelibrary.com. Retrieved 9 August 2021.
  13. ^ a b "Eastland Disaster - Aftermath - Cook Co. Coroner's Office". www.eastlanddisaster.org. Retrieved 9 August 2021.
  14. ^ Brown, Parke (5 Dec 1922). "RAISE PROTEST AGAINST WOLFF AS NEW CORONER". Newspapers.com. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 9 August 2021.
  15. ^ "TO ASK COOLIDGE TO PARDON WESTBROOK". Newspapers.com. Journal Gazette (Mattoon, Illinois). International News Service. 11 May 1926. Retrieved 9 August 2021.
  16. ^ "TRAEGER FOR SHERIFF". Newspapers.com. Chicago Tribune. 23 Oct 1928. Retrieved 11 August 2021.
  17. ^ Evans, Arthur (22 Dec 1926). "COUNTY BOARD TO FILL POST; ZIMMER IN LINE". Newspapers.com. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
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