The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1912-05-16
MISSING PAPERS
Are FOUND in N. Y.
RICHMOND. VA SDeciaI.

MI nmOND, VA special
Eighty manuscripts be-
longing TO the State Library, be-
ing papers written by and TO
General Washington, Thomas
Jefferson and General Lafayette.
are being offered for sale by the
anderson Auction Company, For
ucth Street and Madison Avenue,
New York
just when the manuscripts
were distracted from the Virginia
state Library and by whom is a
hlatier which the State of Nir-
Elina has set out To determine.
me State has already sent As
SIstant Attorney General Richard
Is. Davis and Librarian III. r. Nc
Ilwaine To- New York TO take n
hand i'm the matter and to get
possession OF the papers as a part
OF the collection belonging to Vir-
ginia and which, IL is believed
mere. were SurreptitiOusly re-
moved from the library.
The papers are being offered
Tor sale by the heirs of the late
BenSOm NJ. LOSING. the historian.
They are catalOgued and are to-
be placed on sale Wednesday and
Thursday of this week. They are
worth thousands of dollars, and
the fact that they belong TO the
State Is said to be easy of proof.
y catalogue announcing the
sale OF the books was issued sew
eraI days ago by the New York
auction house. The librarian got
a glimpse of IL. and the State Lii
Drary Board held a meeting and
directed the librarian TO take
prompt and immediate steps TO
recover the documents. The At
tOrney General was at once con-
suited.
Papers of Great Value.
The list of papers in the catalogue
embraces letters and maps written or
made by General Washington, letters
dealing with the support Of the army
ana touching on public matters, be-
SIDES some private cOrrespondence.
There are letters from Thomas JEFF
ferson and several communications
from and to General lafayette.
The matter Of determining who took
the papers and when is now being in
vestigated. That they were distracted
a few years ago is the belief Of sew
eral men connected with the State
Government.
Governor Mann has taken the mat
ter up, and he is bending every energy
10 get into communication with the
men who are possibly in a position to
throw some light on the matter.
VIII Fight for Documents.
Assistant Attorney General Davis
IS proceeding to New York to compel
The surrender Of the papers TO him
rs the representative OF the State. Lii
Drarian McIlwaine will be there at the
time, and he will pass on which Of the
papers are the property of the State.
THE common law is that the State
never loses title to property which
may be stolen, regardless of the num-
Der of hands through which IL may
pass or the price paid for It," said a
gentleman today who has given some
study to the matter These papers
are the property of the State, and as
such the State can set up an undis-
puted claim 10 them, and the fact that
he possessor at this time may have
bought them does not I'm Tho least
lgure in the transaction. Tn, rc the
property OF the State and tn courts
will have to deliver them to the rep
resentative OF the State"
But If there shall be a refusal to
surrender the documents. the fight
viii at once proceed to the courts. The
hrst step will be to compel the auc-
ton company TO produce the papers in
court by injunction, and once they
are in the hands of the court they will
be Kept there pending an adjudica-
ton or the matter.
Will Pay Fair Price.
That the State Will be ready 10 d.
what is fair and right is known. anC
IN order TO get these papers. she vii
make reasonable compensation rol
them. But if there is a disposition [,
contest the matter, the State will z,
right ahead and vii lforce the owner.
of the papers 10 tell from what sourc,
they came, possibly making some dis
closures which Will make interestinl
reading for a long time.
When Were They Taken?
The question of when the paper:
were taken Will be Investigated anC
the guilt Of the suspected person:
may be established. When the sug.
gestion was made today that they
might have been taken during the
civil War the suggestion was repu-
dated.
Mr.. Losing. the possessor Of the
papers, and for whose estate they are
being sold. was a historian. He has
published many volumes OF history
The question is asked, Would the sol
diers, when they had access to the
library, have overlooked other Valua-
BILE papers and taken only those deal
ing with Washington, Lafayette and
Jefferson?
THE man who took those papers. -
declared a gentleman who is interest
ed in the case, knew exactly what
he wanted. He picked his papers
that he got a fair compensation for
them. The real question is to deter
mine who is that man. He may have
been n visitor to the library. and then
he may not have been a visitor. Pos
sibly he was a soldier, but l do not
think So
CRIES WHEN HF