Board of Pardons Prisoners' pardon application case files, 1892-1949.

A few individual cases were removed before processing was completed and were not located. Cases were recorded up to #8099 and don't resume again until #9000. This does not reflect a break in the series, but rather a clerical error.

Variations occur in the way case numbers were assigned at different times, affecting the way in which the series might be searched. Identical case numbers were sometimes assigned to several different prisoners, particularly during the earlier period. These are sometimes identified as cases 231A, 231B, 231C, etc., and this does not indicate any close relationship between any of the cases. One particular individual might have several cases in the series; while others--again mostly in the early part of the files--may have only one case in which was placed several applications arising out of the same offense, or applications,arising out of different offenses committed by the person. Some prisoners used an alias on some applications and a real name on others.?The numerical files begin with case #28, then jump to #31. The assignment of case numbers to applications for release, date from the time the Board of Pardons was created in 1896. Cases numbered 1-27 and 29-30 might be part of those cases organized alphabetically; they may also not have survived. The files organized alphabetically generally contain cases before 1896, but some unnumbered cases from later years were also placed in these boxes.