The Sumter Banner

Counterfeit Notes.

Some months ago, says the Cheraw Gazette, of the 18th inst., a letter was received by an engraving house in Philadelphia, post marked at Chesterfield C. H., signed by R. W. Smith requesting to have bills engraved like a three dollar bill of the Bank of Wadesboro, which was enclosed in a letter. The engravers immediately forwarded the letter to the Bank of Wadesboro. The Bank instructed the engravers to comply with the request. A regular correspondence ensued between the parties in Chesterfield and the engravers. In one of the letters of the former, instructions were sent to forward several packages of bills, one to Chesterfield Court House, one to Hornsboro, and one to some other post office. In answer to this, and by instructions of the Bank, a few bills were forwarded to Chesterfield Court House, to the address of R. W. Smith. This package, it was ascertained, was called for and taken from the office by William R. Griffith, Ordinary of the District.

On Tuesday of last week, Col. Hammond, Cashier of the Bank, was at our Court House with the letters, which all who saw unhesitatingly pronounced to be in Griffith's hand writing. Some how on that night, Griffith got wind of Col. Hammond's business and fled, and has not yet been arrested. Subsequently R. W. Smith and Berry Evans, who were concerned with Griffith, have also fled, and have not been arrested. It is not known that any of the counterfeit bills are in circulation, but the probability is, that they are.

Thus one of the boldest attempts at villainy which ever disgraced our District, has been nipped in the bud. Griffith was elected Ordinary of this District about two years ago, and is supposed to be worth several thousand dollars over and above his debts. He has respectable family connections, and involves in his disgrace an interesting family.