Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1811-10-31
monwcaifh Of Virginia,
4 PROCLAMATION.

~ ffS.kEAo 1t has been rcrrcSented to
w the Executive of this commonwealth
ON cath, by Preston Smith, Chief Clerk in the
treasury Department., that on the Dist inst.
he counted out fifteen thousand two hundred
dollars IN bank notes, principally Of the Bank
OF Nirgima, with several checks, &c. TO Il
large amount with view of dcpoSiting them
III the Bank OF Firginia-that in consequence
OF the number OF persons transacting business
IN the Oisice, he had not an opportunity Of
dcpositing them as aforesaid, and laid them,
with the checks &c. in the book in which notes,
&c. are usually kept, intending TO have de
PASTED them on the following morning
that he came to the Office the following
morning (thc ed inst.) little after the
usual hour, and upon unlocking the door,
nc tornd 1t could not be opened-uitci ma
king several frUitlcss attempts fer that pur-
pose, he, with other assistance forced opcn
the door, and found that it had been boitcd
msiSle--that he toand also, upon going into
tie ci'ice, a hole through the lathinv, large
enough to admit a man Of tocrablc size,
which appeared 10 have been made On the
outside, the latlis being cut or broken OIL that
SIDE, and those On the inside showed down,
except lew Which appeared also to have
been broken,-tlat upon going to the Press,
where the Key OF the money chest is usually
sept, and where he had pat II The preceding
day, he found the doors which he had left
shut when he vert out of the Office the dav
before open, and the papers, Ssc.thercilr, c.;-
hibitcd the appearance of having been much
Observation-Disclosures keyofthe said chest, with
the piece Of iron, witliwliich the kctch over
the key hole, walls opened, was gone, and up
OH the most strict search, could not be found
that with the aid of a Black smith. lie for
ced open the chest, and upon ex.rlrining the
book III which lie had deposited fthe money
the preceding day, he found the whole of the
sum Which hehSd counted out with a view
to deposit i'll 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
omith-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 we'll as he could Judge, there
was IN specie, about three hundred dollars,
IN the Chest, ut the same time, none of which
appears to have been taken-that there were
several other notes, in otner parts of tine said
book, which were not stolen.----I do there
Tore, by and with the advice of the Council
| al State, hereby oHet reward of five hun
dred dollars, to any person or persons
who Shall give such information that the
perpetrator or perpetrators of the afore-
SAID robbery, may be apprehended and
dealt with as the law directs And do,
moreover, require al the magistrates, shc-
riffs, sergeaHSs, and constables, and exfort
the good people Of the Commonwealth to use
their best endeavcurs to arrest the said thief
or thieves, so that he or they may be brought
tn justice.
Given under my hand rs Lieutenant Govern
or, and under the Seal of the Common
wealth, at Richmond, this 9th 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.