The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-05-07
STATE TRYING TO
RECOVER PAPERS
Manuscripts Stolen From Lii
brary During War Now Oh
fered for Sale in New York.
MAY TAKE MATTER TO COURT
Lawyers Uncertain as to Whether
Virginia Can Obtain Pos
session Again.

| Between sixty and seventy -,ilv .
manuscripts. written by Washington.
Jefferson and Lafayette, which were
stolen from the Virginia State Library
wasn Richmond was sacked in 1865.
and which have been hidden from the
world since that time. have Just come
to light in the catalogue OF the Ander-
son Auction Company, Fortioth Street
and Madison Avenue. New York. AS
soon as the state authorities dlscov.
cred the lis; for sale stops were taken
to recover them if possible.
To this end Assistant Attorney Cen
eral Richard b Davis left Cor New
York city yesterday morning. having
been preceded by State Librarian Ii. r
clt"aine. who started North Sunday
night. From the description of INC
papers IN the catalogue OF tn. auction
company. DR.. McIlwane ana the Gov
ernor are convinced that they are the
manuscripts which were lost near ;bn
close of the war The state does not
Know the exact number of papers in
the possession of the heirs of the lat.
BENSON NJ Tossing. in whose behalf
the auction company is making the
II.
but DE- McIlwaiuc estimates their
value at several thousand dollars.
Uncertain As tn Inv.
Governor Mann admitted the New
York discovery when questioned about
the matter yesterday, adding that tho
state OF Virginia would make n de-
ferminsd fsh; to recover tho papers
II II develops that they are the docu
inents which We're originally the prop
ertv Of the Commonwealth
Ne h@-ve every reason to believe
that the manuscripts listed by the
anderson Auction Company are the
Identical papers which disappeared
from the State Library when Rich
nond fell in 1861" said the Governor
Il cannot say that We arc going to
recover them. but can say that the
state is going to do everything pos
Sible TO regain posss ssion or The
papers. The difference In the statutes
Of Virginia and New York makes tho
line of procedure uncertain Just now.
Attorney General Wiliiaml having
been unable to look into the question
thoroughly.
''Dr. McIlwaine ard Assistant At
toraey- General Davis have gone to
New York 10 confer with the proper
authorities in regard to the recover
probable that litigation win be neces-
sary before Virginia can regain pos
session OF them. OF course, we are
not positive yet that these are the
papers in question, bu. we have grave
reason 10 suspect that they are Dr.
Ncllwaire viii know when he re-
turns"
Relate to Continental Army.
The three documents in cues
tion are mostly letters relating TO the
Continental army and public affairs,
written by General Washington to
Thomas jefferson and Marquis de La
fayette. Included in the collection are
letters to Washington from these two
famous men in reply to his own cor
respondcnce. Some of the letters are
of private nature.
1t is probable that + after confer
ence with the present owners of the
documents. an amicable adjud lea ton
is not reached. the Virginia re presen-
! tatives in New York will appeal TO
the courts for writ Of injunction to
enjoIn the auction company from the
sale of the papers until a court has
passed upon the matter at issue. Ben
som NJ Losing was celebrated his
torian and collector OF manuscripts
and the suppositon is that the docu-
ments now claimed by Virginia were
sold TO the collector by tho soldier who
removed them from the library.