Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1811-10-28
By the Lieutenant Goue17,or IF the Cong
monzveaith Of Vnyiaie,
A PROCLAMATION.

WHEREAS It has been represented to
w the Executive OF this Commonwealth
on oath, by Preston Smith, Chief Clerk in the
Treasury Department, that on the 2Ist inst
he counted out fifteen thousand two hundred
dollars in bank notes, principally of the Bank
of Virginia, with several checks, sc. to a
large amount with aview of depositing them
IN the Bank of Virginia-that in consequence
or the number Of persons transacting business
in the Office, he had not an opportunity of
depcsiting them as aforesaid, and laid them,
with the checks &c. in the book in which notes,
&c. are usually kept, intending to have de-
posted them on the following morning
that he came to the Office the following
morning (the 22d inst.) little after the
usual hour, and upon unlocking the door,
he found it could not be opened-after ma
king several fruitless attempts for that pur-
pose, he, with other assistance forced open
the door, and found that it had been bolted
inside--that he found also, upon going into
the Office, hole through the lathing, large
enough to admit 4 man of tolerable size,
which appeared to have been made OH the
outside, the laths being cut OF broken on that
side, and those on the inside showed down,
except few which appeared also to have
been broken,-that upon going to the Press,
where the key of the money chestSHnsua,ly
kept, and where he had put it tho eding
day, he found the doors which head left
shut when he went out of the Off thedaY
before open, and the papers, &c. ZEN. e
moited the appearance of having been much
Observation-Disclosures yofthe said chest, with
the piece of iron, with which the ketch over
the key hole, was opened, was gone, and up
on the most strict search, could not be found
that with the aid of Blacksmith, he for
ced open the chest, and upon examining the
book IN which he had deposited the money
the preceding day, he found the whole of the
sum which he had counted out with a view
to deposit in the Bank, amounting ITO about
1 fifteen thousand dollars, with soiM other
| notes, received after countin, 90 tausnm
| and which had been put with It had been
stolen, BY some person unknown to the said
Smith-that the notes and checks were
| put together between two leaves of the
! said book, and that the notes only were sto-
/ len-that as well as he could Judge, there
| was in specie, about three hundred dollars
IN the Chest, at the same time, none of which
4 appears to have been taken--that there were
several other notes, in otnerp parts of the said
book, which were not stolen.--I do there.
fore, by and with the advice of the Council
of State, hereby offer reward of five hun
/ dred dollars, to any person or person.
who shall give such information that the
| perpetrator or perpetrators of the aforc-
said robbery, may be apprehended anc
dealt with as the law directs And l do
moreover, require all the magistrates, she
j riffs, sergeants, and constables, and exhor
the good people ofthe commonwealth to us,
their best endeavours to arrest the said THE
Pr thieves, so that he OF they may be brough
20 justice.
GiNen under my hand as Lieutenant Govern
A or, and under the Seal of the Common
l wealth, at Richmond, this 24th day c
LIS. October, in the year of our Lord, on
thousand eight hundred and eleven
and OF the Commonwealth the thirty
sixth.
| GEO. VIM. SMITH.