Virginia Argus

Alexandria, Nov. 29.

VILLAINY DETECTED.

On Wednesday last Mr. John G. Ladd a respectable merchant of this town, received a letter from a person signing himself William Page enclosing a check purporting to have been drawn by the cashier of the Mechanics Bank of Baltimore on the Bank of Potomac for Eight Thousand Five Hundred and Fifty Dollars, stating that he wished to invest the amount in flour, and that he should employ him to do the business for him. Mr. Ladd carried the Check to the Bank where it was regularly carried to his credit without any suspicion of its genuineness by Mr. Ladd or the Bank officers. Yesterday a person by the name of Henry Gales presented to Mr. Ladd an order from the aforesaid Wm. Page for Eight Thousand Five hundred dollars, being 50 dollars less than the original check, stating that he had changed his mind as to the purchase of flour as his vessel could not get here, and requested him to pay the above to Mr. Gales. Mr. Ladd thought it strange that the order should be drawn for less than the check, but gave Mr. Gales his check for the amount of the order, and followed him to the Bank. The teller of the Bank was in act of paying the check, when Mr. Ladd entered and requested the original check might be examined, which on reference to by the Cashier was pronounced to be a forgery. While this was transacting, Mr. Gales attempted to make his escape, but was immediately followed and taken and we are happy to say, together with a companion of his has been committed to jail, to await the justice of his country for so daring an attempt at villainy.