Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1811-11-04
n,onzveatth Of Virginia,
A PROCLAMATION

WHEREAS il has been Represented to
w the Executive of this Commonwealth
on oath, by Preston Smith, Chief Clerk in the
Treasury Department, that on the 2lst inst.
he counted out fifteen thousand two hundred
dollars in bank notes, principally of the Bank
OF Virginia, with several checks, &c. to
large amount with a view of depositing them
in the Bank of Nirginia-that in consequence
OF the number of persons transac.ing business
IN the Office, he had not an opportunity of
depositing 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 il 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
nside-that he found also, upon going into
the office, a hole through the lathing, large
enough to admit man of tolerable size,
which appeared to have been made on the
outside, the laths being cut5op broken on that
SIDE, and thosS ON the indie showed down,
except few Nhich appeared also to have
been broken,-tAat up9d going to the Press,
where the key ofNhe Honey chest is usually
kept, and where hS IA put it the preceding
day, he found the dfts which he had left
shut when he went ~ of the Office the dav
before open, andfh& pApers, sc. therein. ex-
hibted the appearance N having been much
dsordered-that The kew oNhe said chest, with
the piece of iron with whicA. the ketch over
the key hole, WIS opened, waeagose, and up
on the most strict Search, could,h9 be found
that with thGaid of Black-sifHk, he for
ced open the Chest, and upon exan:hing the
book in which he had depos1adSffe 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 to about
fifteen thousand dollars, with some other
notes, received after counting that sum,
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
appears to have been taken-that there were
several other notes, in otner parts of the said
DOCK, which were not stolen.--I do there
fore, by and with the advice of the Council
OF state, hereby offer reward of FIVE hun
ored dollars, TO any person or persons
who shall give such information that the
perpetrator or pc operators of the afore-
said robbery, may be apprehended and
dealt with as the law directs And I do,
moreover, require all the magistrates, she
RMS, sergeants, and constables, and exhort
the good people of the commonwealth TO use
their best endeavours to arrest the said thief
or thieves, SO that he or they may be brought
to justice.
Given under my hand as Lieutenant Govern
or, and under the Seal of the Common
wealth, at Richmond, this oath day of
LIS. October, in the year of our Lord, one
Thousand eight hundred and eleven,
and of the Commonwealth the thirty
sixth.
GEO. VIM. SMITH.