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At the Institute’s core is the Gilder Lehrman Collection, one of the great archives in American history. More than 85,000 items cover five hundred years of American history, from Columbus’s 1493 letter describing the New World through the end of the twentieth century.

Wilson, Woodrow, 1856-1924 [Presidential sentence commutation for Richard E. Polen, who was convicted of assault with a dangerous weapon 7 December 1912]

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC04544 Author/Creator: Wilson, Woodrow, 1856-1924 Place Written: Washington, District of Columbia Type: Document signed Date: 11 May 1920 Pagination: 2 p. : Order a Copy

Richard Polen was convicted in the Supreme Court of the District of Columbia and sentenced to ten years in the State penitentiary at Baltimore, Maryland. The judgment was affirmed by the Court of Appeals and Polen began serving his sentence November 21, 1913. Wilson commuted his sentence to expire at once, no explanation given. Countersigned by Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer. Printed document with blanks filled in with type.

Wilson, Woodrow, 1856-1924
Palmer, Alexander Mitchell, 1872-1936

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