{"product_id":"president-rutherford-b-hayes-signed-pardon-of-whiskey-smuggler-psa-auto","title":"President Rutherford B. Hayes Signed Pardon of Whiskey Smuggler! PSA Auto","description":"\u003cp data-start=\"43\" data-end=\"236\" class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchorContainer\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"43\" data-end=\"53\"\u003eTitle:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr data-start=\"53\" data-end=\"56\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"56\" data-end=\"236\"\u003ePresident Rutherford B. Hayes Signed Presidential Pardon Warrant for Convicted \"Blockade Whisky\" Smuggler J. M. Osborn – December 29, 1879 – PSA Letter of Authenticity #AR05361\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchor\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp data-start=\"238\" data-end=\"697\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"238\" data-end=\"254\"\u003eDescription:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr data-start=\"254\" data-end=\"257\"\u003eA rare and historically significant \u003cstrong data-start=\"293\" data-end=\"338\"\u003epresidential pardon warrant authorization\u003c\/strong\u003e personally signed by \u003cstrong data-start=\"360\" data-end=\"393\"\u003ePresident Rutherford B. Hayes\u003c\/strong\u003e, dated \u003cstrong data-start=\"401\" data-end=\"434\"\u003eWashington, December 29, 1879\u003c\/strong\u003e. This official executive document directed the Secretary of State to affix the \u003cstrong data-start=\"514\" data-end=\"549\"\u003eGreat Seal of the United States\u003c\/strong\u003e to a presidential warrant granting clemency to \u003cstrong data-start=\"597\" data-end=\"613\"\u003eJ. M. Osborn\u003c\/strong\u003e, thereby completing one of the President's most important constitutional functions.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp data-start=\"699\" data-end=\"726\"\u003eThe document reads in part:\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cblockquote data-start=\"728\" data-end=\"962\"\u003e\u003cp data-start=\"730\" data-end=\"962\"\u003e\u003cem data-start=\"730\" data-end=\"962\"\u003e\"I hereby authorize and direct the Secretary of State to cause the Seal of the United States to be affixed to a warrant for the pardon of J. M. Osborn, dated this day, and signed by me; and for so doing this shall be his warrant.\"\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\u003cp data-start=\"964\" data-end=\"1391\"\u003ePresident Hayes has personally signed the document \u003cstrong data-start=\"1015\" data-end=\"1032\"\u003e\"R. B. Hayes\"\u003c\/strong\u003e in pencil at its conclusion. As noted by PSA Authentication, all remaining manuscript text is in the hand of a government clerk, making Hayes' authentic presidential signature the document's central feature. The manuscript remains in very good condition with expected folds and light age wear consistent with official nineteenth-century government documents.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp data-start=\"1393\" data-end=\"1940\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"1393\" data-end=\"1416\"\u003eHistorical Context:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr data-start=\"1416\" data-end=\"1419\"\u003eRutherford B. Hayes (1822-1893) served as the \u003cstrong data-start=\"1465\" data-end=\"1504\"\u003e19th President of the United States\u003c\/strong\u003e from 1877 to 1881. The Constitution grants the President the exclusive authority to issue pardons for federal offenses, and official pardon warrants such as this formed an essential part of that executive process. Before a pardon became legally effective, the President authorized the Secretary of State to affix the Great Seal of the United States, making documents of this nature tangible evidence of presidential clemency in action.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp data-start=\"1942\" data-end=\"2262\"\u003eThe historical significance of this document was substantially enhanced through original research conducted by our team at \u003cstrong data-start=\"2065\" data-end=\"2098\"\u003eHistorical Autographs Gallery\u003c\/strong\u003e. While examining the \u003cstrong data-start=\"2120\" data-end=\"2151\"\u003eAtlanta Weekly Constitution\u003c\/strong\u003e of \u003cstrong data-start=\"2155\" data-end=\"2176\"\u003eDecember 23, 1879\u003c\/strong\u003e, we identified the recipient and uncovered the circumstances surrounding this pardon.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp data-start=\"2264\" data-end=\"2863\"\u003eAccording to the newspaper's account, \u003cstrong data-start=\"2302\" data-end=\"2341\"\u003eJ. M. Osborne (also spelled Osborn)\u003c\/strong\u003e had been convicted in the United States District Court in Atlanta, Georgia, for violating federal internal revenue laws by removing illicit \u003cstrong data-start=\"2482\" data-end=\"2504\"\u003e\"blockade whisky.\"\u003c\/strong\u003e He was sentenced to \u003cstrong data-start=\"2525\" data-end=\"2591\"\u003etwo years' imprisonment at the Albany Penitentiary in New York\u003c\/strong\u003e. The article further reports that \u003cstrong data-start=\"2626\" data-end=\"2653\"\u003eCongressman Emory Speer\u003c\/strong\u003e successfully petitioned President Hayes for executive clemency, resulting in a \u003cstrong data-start=\"2733\" data-end=\"2761\"\u003efull presidential pardon\u003c\/strong\u003e that remitted the remaining \u003cstrong data-start=\"2790\" data-end=\"2806\"\u003eeight months\u003c\/strong\u003e of Osborne's sentence and secured his immediate release.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp data-start=\"2865\" data-end=\"3270\"\u003eBecause of this research, the document can now be directly linked to a specific federal criminal case, a successful congressional appeal for mercy, and a contemporary newspaper account documenting the pardon. Rather than representing an anonymous executive authorization, it tells the complete story of a convicted \"blockade whisky\" offender whose sentence was cut short through presidential intervention.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp data-start=\"3272\" data-end=\"3437\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"3272\" data-end=\"3307\"\u003eAuthentication \u0026amp; Encapsulation:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr data-start=\"3307\" data-end=\"3310\"\u003eThe document is accompanied by a \u003cstrong data-start=\"3343\" data-end=\"3373\"\u003ePSA Letter of Authenticity\u003c\/strong\u003e, confirming the authenticity of Rutherford B. Hayes' signature.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul data-start=\"3439\" data-end=\"3921\"\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"1hk1bs9\" data-start=\"3439\" data-end=\"3478\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong data-start=\"3441\" data-end=\"3470\"\u003ePSA Certification Number:\u003c\/strong\u003e AR05361\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"1xqcdgo\" data-start=\"3479\" data-end=\"3553\"\u003ePSA notes: \u003cem data-start=\"3492\" data-end=\"3553\"\u003e\"Please note, all other handwriting is in an unknown hand.\"\u003c\/em\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"1ezqjm7\" data-start=\"3554\" data-end=\"3592\"\u003ePersonally signed \u003cstrong data-start=\"3574\" data-end=\"3592\"\u003e\"R. B. Hayes.\"\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"1rzsamg\" data-start=\"3593\" data-end=\"3699\"\u003eIncludes the original PSA Letter of Authenticity with matching certification number and reference image.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"1qkolcf\" data-start=\"3700\" data-end=\"3921\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong data-start=\"3702\" data-end=\"3744\"\u003eAdditional Documentation \u0026amp; Provenance:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cem data-start=\"3745\" data-end=\"3921\"\u003eAt buyer's request, Historical Autographs Gallery will include an additional \"Historical Autographs Gallery Certificate\" signed by our company founder Luke Pascal at no cost.\u003c\/em\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp data-start=\"3923\" data-end=\"4683\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"3923\" data-end=\"3942\"\u003eClosing Appeal:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr data-start=\"3942\" data-end=\"3945\"\u003eSigned presidential pardon warrants are among the most desirable executive documents available to collectors because they embody one of the President's most consequential constitutional powers. This example is especially compelling, as original research by \u003cstrong data-start=\"4202\" data-end=\"4235\"\u003eHistorical Autographs Gallery\u003c\/strong\u003e has identified both the recipient and the crime, revealing the fascinating story of a convicted \u003cstrong data-start=\"4332\" data-end=\"4353\"\u003e\"blockade whisky\"\u003c\/strong\u003e violator whose release was secured through the efforts of Congressman Emory Speer and the clemency of President Rutherford B. Hayes. Accompanied by a full PSA Letter of Authenticity, this exceptional manuscript is a museum-worthy artifact of presidential history, federal law enforcement, and nineteenth-century American justice.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp data-start=\"4685\" data-end=\"5117\" data-is-last-node=\"\" data-is-only-node=\"\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"4685\" data-end=\"4705\"\u003eShipping Notice:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr data-start=\"4705\" data-end=\"4708\"\u003e\u003cem data-start=\"4708\" data-end=\"5117\" data-is-last-node=\"\"\u003eFor insurance purposes, items sold over $600 may require signature confirmation upon delivery. Higher-value items, likely over $1,500, are shipped via FedEx 2-Day with Direct Signature Confirmation. FedEx provides the most flexibility when requiring a signature, allowing you to make special delivery requests directly through their tracking system. This ensures both security and convenience for the buyer.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"H.A.G.","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47844302094499,"sku":"EB-168506605062","price":1195.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0672\/7509\/6227\/files\/57_2cbbc9d7-ab8e-4706-aefe-baee7ecef1f9.jpg?v=1783351229","url":"https:\/\/historicalautographsgallery.com\/products\/president-rutherford-b-hayes-signed-pardon-of-whiskey-smuggler-psa-auto","provider":"H.A.G.","version":"1.0","type":"link"}