" Nothing definite or satisfactory resulted until the 19th of June, when the following letter was received, postmarked New York City:
"'New York, June 16, 1841.
" 'H. Doyle, Esq.:
" ' Dear Sir, — My aid and assistance have been asked with reference to the loss of the Frederick County Bank on the 22nd of May last. If you, or the president, or some person acting for the bank, could have a personal interview with me I have no doubt I could arrange matters in a satisfactory manner. It would afford me great pleasure to be the means of effecting a restitution of the heavy loss which the bank sustained on that occasion. Respectfully yours,
" 'William Wiley.'
" ' P.S. — I can be seen personally or a letter may be addressed to me at 47 Howard Street.'
" Upon the receipt of the above the board of directors appointed Dr. William Bradley Tyler and William A. Beall, of Frederick, both stockholders in the bank, to proceed to New York, with a view of conferring with Mr. Wiley, and gave to these two gentlemen a power of attorney to receive the funds, and pay the reward according to the amount given, if they should prove successful. Dr. Tyler and Mr. Beall on the same day started for the city of New York, and arrived there on the ensuing night about eleven o'clock. Karly on Monday morning Mr. Wiley was seen by the agents of the bank, who found him engaged in the duties of his office, which were those of an associate justice of one of the inferior courts of the city of New York. He was also a lawyer, practicing in the courts of that city. The agents were received by Mr. Wiley with the assurance that no difficulty should be thrown in the way of a speedy recovery of the plundered funds of the bank. Mr. Wiley requested the delay of a few days, as the individual professing to know something about the funds was absent .at the South, Nothing was heard until Wednesday evening, when Wiley called on the agents, who agreed to pay eight per cent, for the restoration of the lost issues of the bank. Wiley went away, and in the morning notified the agents that he would accept their offer. It was still not in his power to say on what day they could come into possession, but pledged himself to deliver the notes and securities at the earliest possible moment. Nothing more was heard until Saturday morning, when Wiley called on Messrs. Tyler and Beall saying that he was prepared to deliver the property of the bank. Mr. Wiley then went to the New York Bank, and in the presence of Mr. Beall requested the cashier to go with them and assist in counting the money. He also procured the aid of Mr. Hearn, respectable merchant in Broadway, as. they passed along. The place of appointment was a front room in the hotel standing on the corner of Broadway and Howard Streets, where they all assembled, viz.: Dr. Tyler, Mr. Beall, Mr. Wiley, Mr. Seal (clerk to Mr. Wiley's court), Mr. Halsey, cashier of the New York Bank, and Mr. Hearn, the Broadway merchant. Mr. Wiley then left the room for a few minutes, and returned with a leather valise, which was found to contain the recovered funds, all sealed up in a single package. The envelope was opened, and the money counted by the above-named gentlemen. This took place on Saturday morning. After the counting was finished the funds were delivered to Messrs. Tyler and Beall, who paid Mr. Wiley the percentage on the issues as agreed on, and by the evening cars they returned home with their lost treasure. The bank again commenced business. The robbers kept in their possession $10,049 in gold, $7052 in notes and bills, $2500 of canal scrip belonging to individuals, $1542 in Frederick County bank-notes, in all $21,143. In the transactions leading to the recovery of the money there was no promise of indemnity or impunity, no pledge to relax the efforts of justice, no intimations that exertions to apprehend the robbers and bring them to punishment would be in the slightest degree diminished, no permission to keep the funds not delivered, and, in a word, no compromise of any kind was made, nor was anything done or said by the agents of the bank that would not bear the test of public scrutiny. Wiley, the agent for the robbers, would give no information further than that the vaults were opened by false keys, and that six persons were concerned. The bank withdrew all former rewards, and offered a reward of five thousand dollars for the detection of the robbers and twenty per cent, for the recovery of the residue of the money, but it does not appear that anything was ever accomplished in that direction."
The Frederick Town Savings Institution was chartered March 7, 1828. Its name convoys very clearly the main object of its organization. That the design of its founders has been realized in a marked degree may be readily inferred from the very favorable report of 1881. It carries on a legitimate banking business in loans, discounts, deposits, collections, and exchange, and the ability of the management is shown in the fact that it annually pays from its earnings as dividends to its stockholders about eight per cent. Special deposits are received, on which three per cent, is allowed. The officers are: President, Lewis Markell; Secretary, George H. Wolfe; Directors, Lewis Markell, Dr. L. H. Steiner, Joseph Cronise, N. D. Haner, M. E. Doll, H. W. Bentz, George Metzger, George W. Miller, and Steiner Schley. From the organization up to the date of the present management the following have served as president and secretary, viz.: Presidents, Jacob Baer, 1828; Stewart Gaither, 1831; W. S. McPherson, 1831; William J. Ross, 1844. Secretaries, John McPherson, 1828; David Steiner, 1831; Daniel Hughes, 1832; George Engelbrecht, 1833; Lewis Ramsburg, 1842; B. A. Cunningham, 1865; Lewis V. Scholl, 1875. Under their management the bank has always held a prominent place among monetary institutions, and its solvency and good standing has never been doubted. In July, 1858, this bank made a change in its method of transacting business. Interest was no longer allowed on larger deposits than five dollars. The receipt of weekly deposits was discontinued, but special deposits were received, to be withdrawn after a given notice from the bank. This institution was the largest loser of any in the city by the requisition of the Confederate troops in 1864, for in making a settlement with the corporation it was found that the bank was " out" forty-one thousand dollars. The Baltimore correspondence is mostly carried on with the National Mechanics' Bank. Mr. Markell, the president, is a wealthy and prominent citizen of Frederick, and possesses the confidence and respect of the entire community, while the secretary, Mr. Wolfe, who was formerly connected with the Union Bank in Baltimore, is a skillful financier. With a working capital of six hundred thousand dollars, and under the management and direction of such officers and managers, the signal success that has attended the career of the Frederick Town Savings Institution becomes readily accounted for, and a future of equal prosperity and usefulness would seem to be assured.
The Franklin Savings-Bank received its charter in 1856, and passed successfully through the great financial crisis of 1857. For eighteen years David Markell conducted the affairs of the bank as president, being succeeded by Andrew Boyd in 1874. Mr. Boyd served in this capacity for three years, and was succeeded by the present executive officer, A. D. O'Leary, who has had long experience in monetary affairs. William H. Nicodemus, the efficient secretary, has held this position for five years. His predecessors have been Andrew Henderson,