The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-01-22
MESSAGE
ON STOLEN PAPERS
Governor Preparing to Recon-
mend That Legislature Accept
TERMS Now Offered.
MANUSCRIPTS WORTH $4,000
Stolen From the State Library
Just After War, and Are
Now III New York.

Within the next few days Governor
Mann VIII send IL special message to
the General Assembly accommodating
tbs acceptance Of the offer made by the
! LOSING heirs for the return of the
100 manuscripts. valued at $4,000, which
were stolen from the archives of the
tnry government of Richmond imme-
diately after the War Between the
states. After more than a year of ne
gotiation, the LOSING heirs. in whose
possession the valuable documents
now are, have consented TO return the
manuscripts TO the library for $3.50,
this sum to pay for their care during
! the last fifty years.
! In his message, the Governor will
{ recommend that the General Assembly
vote Il special appropriation of $3.50 to
enable state Librarian Mcllwaine TO
conclude the negotiations with tho
While admitting that this smacl<s
somewhat OF paying for property stolen
from the State, both the Governor and
! clusion that this is the way to make
the best of II bad situation. For, If the
Tossing heirs for the money expended
| in the care of the manuscripts, and in
the recent negotiations. the state would
be forced to take q doubtful case to
law in the New York courts 1T cost
exceeding the indemnity asked now.
Papers Arc of Great Value.
The 100 manuscripts now in the pos
session of the LOSING family include
some of the most interesting and val
| liable State papers In Virginia history.
! There are royal orders TO the Colonial
Governors from Queen Anne, King Will
iam King George, and other Eng
| lish sovereigns; documents from the
pen of George Washington, General
! Lafayette, Jefferson and the early Gov
ernors OF the commemorative; and
| other papers of smaller market value,
but of great historic worth to Virginia
! itself.
| Shortly after the close OF the war
| these manuscripts together with many
| others, disappeared from the State Lii
heard of them until more than a year
ago when state Librarian McIlwaine. in
! looking over the catalogue of LOSING
manuscripts offered for sale by a New
! York auction concern, saw them listed
among many other valuable papers
DR.. Mc1lwaine at once recognized that
they could have passed into private
hands only by theft from the library
as public documents are not sold under
any conditions.
Show Friendly Spirit.
He at once communicated his Sus-
piClonS to the auction company, which,
after consultation, agreed TO withdraw
these manuscripts from the market.
The Losing heirs showed good feeling
in the matter, and profeSSed a willing
ness 10 return all manuscripts in the
collection, which experts agreed must
nhvs oggn s,?len DR. NC; MellWaGs
OF the Atlorney-Gencral, through
whose office the negotiations have since
been carried on.
The value of the 100 Virginia manu-
scripts in the Losing collection has
been conscrvatively placed by those
familiar with such matters at $4,000.
AS matter of fact the papers, if
sold separately. would probably have n
much higher market value. Compared
TO these papers archaeologists say, the
Martha Washington will, now the OBJ
ject Of controversy between j. Pierpont
Morgan and the Fairfax authorities,
is OF small moment.
{ hrr nj
ing in the Governors contingent fund
the $3.50 would be paid out of hand by
Governor Mann and the manuscripts
secured for the State. Or, if such a
sum was now available, the State
Library Board would he asked by DR..
McIlwainc to eXpend il in accordance
with the terms Of the Tossing offer.
The lack of some such available fund
makes il necessary for the General
Assembly 10 act If the documents are
to be returned to their original resting
| nlncc.