President R. B. Hayes Signed Pardon - April 1, 1878 - Billy The Kid Interest
Item History & Price
R. B. Hayes signed this presidential pardon for Earl S. Rathbun in 1878.
Partially printed warrantsigned "R. B. Hayes" as President in dark brown ink. With pencil notation and paper seal near upper left corner. 1 page, 7¾x6½. Washington, April 1, 1878. Interestingly, this is the same day as the ambush and killing of ...Sheriff Brady by Billy the Kid: "Billy the Kid was in Lincoln Countywith other outlaws laying low from the law. He worked at various ranches andwas working at the Tunstall (on Chisum’s team) ranch when an 18 man posse, instructed by Murphy set out to deliver legal papers to Tunstall. There wastrouble, (Murphy knew there would be) when the posse overtook Tunstall and hismen, which included Billy the Kid. Tunstall’s men headed for cover, butTunstall was too late, he was shot and killed. His partner McSween avenged thekilling by sending his posse, which included the Kid, to arrest Murphy’s men.After a shootout, they apprehended two men and rode to Chisum’s ranch, wherethey spent the night. They locked their two prisoners in one of the bedrooms.After they left the next day, the Kid and his men killed their prisoners andleft their bodies beside the road. Sheepherders found and buried the men... This posse, now referred to as the Regulators, consisted of Dick Brewer, Billy the Kid, Charlie Bowdre, Tom O’Folliard, and cousins, Frank and GeorgeCoe. Their actions compounded the antagonisms from both sides and escalated thewar. Shortly after Tunstall was killed, the Regulators went after a guy by thename of Buckshot Bill Roberts, who Billy the Kid thought was out to kill him.There was a shoot out at Buckshot’s cabin, Buckshot went down fighting, killingDick Brewer and wounding several more. Billy the Kid now took over theleadership of the Regulators. After Sheriff Brady (a Murphy man) heard aboutBuckshot’s murder, he wrote out warrants for the arrest of the Kid and his men.On April 1, 1878, the Kid ambushed Brady and killed him. Without a sheriff, lawlessnessprevailed, with the kid leading the pack. It was at this juncture that anofficial, with no love loss for the governor, took the issue to Washington D.C.and President Hayes."Descripton in full: "I hereby authorize anddirect the Secretary of State to affix theSeal of the United States to a warrant for the pardon of Earl S. Rathbun, dated this day, and signed by me, and for so doing this shall be hiswarrant." Article II Section 2 of the United StatesConstitution gives the President the "power to grant reprieves and pardonsfor offenses against the United States". Hayes (1822-1893, born in Delaware, Ohio) was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives whileserving in the Civil War as a brevet Major General. Governor of Ohio(1868-1872, 1876-1877), he was elected President by a single Electoral Vote andwith fewer popular votes than his opponent (Tilden), only after protractedCongressional debate and appointment of a special electoral commission. Amoderate reformer, Hayes withdrew federal troops from the South and honored hispromise to serve only one term. In fine condition.