Lieutenant Governor Robert Dinwiddie, a deputy for the official governor, the Earl of Albemarle, served from 1751 to 1758 and signed this commission of oyer and terminer in 1756. The wills of Hall of Famers George Wright, Tommy McCarthy and Hugh Duffy were declared missing last week from a Boston courthouse vault after a court official noticed an advertisement by a New York sports memorabilia dealer offering a document signed by Wright upon the death of his wife, Abbie, in 1913. Police soon learned that Wright's will was missing, along with the wills of McCarthy and Duffy. McCarthy's entire file appeared to have been stolen. Although the theft of Radbourne's will was discovered last week, Springer figures it was stolen some time in the last 10 years from files at the Law and Justice Center in Bloomington.
Legal documents are about the only way of obtaining the autographs of the very early ballplayers.
At the register of probate, officials have tightened security. For a consultation on document preservation and security, please contact the Grants Administration office.