US historian denies tampering with Lincoln's last pardon

An American historian has denied tampering with one of President Abraham Lincoln's last official acts before he was assassinated on April 14, 1965.

The document in question relates to changing the date of a pardon for a civil war union soldier. Federal officials believe the date on the document was changed to reflect the pardon was signed before Lincoln was murdered at Ford's theater.

Federal officials claim historian Thomas Lowry, 78, had admitted to erasing the '4' in the document and replacing it with a '5', but when Fox 5 News spoke with Lowry by phone, he said he had not changed the document. He claimed that he had been bullied into signing a confession by federal authorities during a visit to his home in Woodbridge.

Lowry, according to federal officials, used a fountain pen with special ink to change the date on a presidential pardon issued by Lincoln to a military deserter, making it appear that Lowry had uncovered a document of historical significance.

Federal authorities say they are unable to file charges against Lowry because the statute of limitations has expired.

Lowry, however, has been banned from the National Archives.