Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-07-11
VOL. XXXIV.
From the New Orleans Picayune. June 29.l
Wilkes BOoth-The Wager. kkela.
tive TO His Existence.

Inc reader VIII remomDer CnaG Two CON-
munications have appeared in the Picauine
concerning the existence of J.Wilkes Booth,
which detailed the terms of a bet; made by
! Commander Tolbert that the man was yet
alive. We find in the Galueston Bulletin, of
the 18th, the following remarkable letter,
which gives very circumstantial account
| of how the wager was won: a
MATAMoRAs, MEXICO, June, 1S, 1867.
Editors Flakes Bulletin, Galveston, Texas: -1
SIRs The question of Booths present
existence having been agitated, / take
pleasure in enclosing you copy of letter
! which have just received from Mr.. Francis
w. Odell, whose acquaintance L formed
while at Shanghai, some years since, at
which time he was filling the position of
| Vice Consul of her Britannia Majesty, in
that city. He is a very estimable gentle-
| man, and one upon whose word the public
may reply. The truly remarkable state
ments contained in this letter will throw
additional light upon one of the greatest
tragedies of the present age.
Respectfully, your humble servant,
| .--sf AARON B. CRENSHAw.
CALCUTTA, BRITISH INDIA, March %, 1867,
Colonel aaron B. Crenshau, Matanaoras,
| Merico: y = +-s-- ~-A
! DEAR SIR-Your communication, lated
New York, January 15. has been received
and contents noted; and in response to
your request, viz: s.That l should make
some inquiries here concerning the final
1 disposition made of the money staked on
the wager laid by Captain William NJ. Toll
| bert in June last, that j. Wilkes Booth was
still living,'' take pleasure in forwarding
you the result of my Investigations.
! 1t so happens that the parties interested
| in this strange affair are all personally
known to me; they are respectively W.
Martin Tolbert, captain OF the ship Bird of
! the Ocean, and winner of the stakes; DIR.
James f. Brown, formerly of Boston, Mas
sachusetts, the contestant and loser of
the same; Samuel l.. Crawford, res
ident, holder OF the stakes, and Will
| liam Miller. resident of the city, and The
odore Campbell, of London, witnesses chos-
en- by Brown to accompany Tolbert on
voyage by sea to some point or port un-
! known. L was not present when the bet
| was made and the articles drawn up; but
was fully posted concerning the condition
of the same, by Mr.. Brown. on the follow
ing morning: They were substantially as
| follows: Tolbert and Brown each staked
five hundred pounds sterling in the hands
of Crawford, to be held by him till the eX-
piration of six months, and subject, at such
time, to the order of whichever party
should be declared fairly entitled to it by.
Judge Knowles. Miller and Campbell were
j chosen by Brown to go on a cruise with
| Tolbert, in his vessel, their sworn affidavits
to be duly presented to Knowles upon their
return; the loser to pay their expenses
| while on the voyage, and 820 each per
i month, additional.
The bet was made and the money staked
1 on the 2Ssh of June, 1866, and two days
4 bly, for Hong Kong, Tolbert being in COM
mand, and the two gentlemen above refer
4 red to passengers. The last seen or heard
of the Bird of the Ocean was on the 18th of
i July, when she was spoken by the ship
Winged Racer, Captain Hayes, off the coast
| Nf Iat,o haot tftafr Ql-c1 md ont he
elapsed, and no tidings reached here of her
having made a port, when friends finally
grew uneasy, and many suspected she had
gone to the bottom. Bets were made ten,
and even as kigh as twenty, to one that she
1 would never return to this city; and DIR.
4 Brown felt certain of winning the stakes,
when to the amazement of all parties con-
cerned, the announcement was made that
the ship Bird of the Ocean had arrived from
San Francisco, in ballast. This was
the evening of December 25th. The
notorious pirate, Tolbert, soon made
his appearance, accompanied by Miller and
Campbell, and, wonderful to reflect, these
two gentlemen swore ''that Wilkes Booth
was really alive; that they had seen him."
etc. Judge Knowles rendered his decision
in favor of Captain Tolbert, and the latter,
upon going to the hotel of Mr.. Crawford,
was made the recipient of f1.000 sterling.
DIR. Brown expressed perfect satisfaction
with the result; said ''he now fully believed
that the United States Treasury had been
basely swindled out of 100000 by Colonel
Baker and his accompices in palming off a
spurious body upon the Government for
that of Wilkes Booth, and claiming the re-
ward offered for Booths capture" The
full conditions of the agreement,
and paid the two young men
! their salaries, viz. s120 each, and
their expenses during the voyage, which
amounted to about 9200 additional. DIR.
Brown is a gentleman of good standing,
and has amassed considerable wealth in the
East Indies. He says he is satisfied that
Booth is alive, as he has known both Miller
and Camp for years, and has ever found
,, them high toned truthful men. He tried to
induce Mr.. Miller, who has been his bosom
friend, to divulge the great secret, viz
where he had been, and also Booths place
f.; of concealment; but Miller positively re-
fused to do SO, stating that "h he had taken
: a solemn oath never to betray Booth, and
could not be tempted to violate it il the
e wealth of the Indies were laid at his feet
This singular affair has created quite 6
!. sensation in our city, and is being discussed
. in certain fashionable circles with consid-
Q cradle enthusiasm. 1t is the general opin-
:, ion, entertained by all familiar with the
: circumstances, that Booth is certainly alive
and that the United States authorities al
j Washington were victimized by a set O.
: cunning scoundrels. If such was the
: case God grant their villainy may be ex
u posed.
Captain w. Martin Toibert, after receiv-
q ing the amount at issue, remained in the
q city but three days, then cleared agair
: for Hong Kong in ballast. The vesse
: which he commands is certainly the mos
i handsome ship l have ever seen in thes'
:, waters. She is a full rugged clipper, anC
e judging from her model, should be capable
: of outstripping an ordinary sailing vesse
in swiftness. She has been inspected b,
q the authorities here as privateer, bu
y nothing was done to prevent her departure
i her papers being apparently all right. A
q lit may not be unintereSting toyOu to know
e something more of her captain, will ap
. pend a brief description of him as he ap
e peared while taking an evening promenad
l. along one of the fashionable thoroughfare
,, of this great Indian city. s"'-i
~ He was dressed from top to toe in hand
y some suit of gray cloth; wore black sill
u hat, ponderous mustaehe. and an imperia
!. OF about twelve inches in length, whicl
AZ entirely concealed his mouth and chin. an
9e gave him rather a ferocious appearance
% % He sported an immense gold headed can
~ of very curious workmanship; wore
1e large seal ring, diamond pin of grea
OIL brilliancy, and a beautiful gold chain fror
g which was suspended a few remarkab
~ fine specimens of ocean shells. He is
ID man of symetrical proportions, about 81.
ig feet in hight, aud straight as an Indian
S, has rather fine features, light blue eye:
X dark brown hair, and musIache black a
'r jet; has a very stately strut, aud an al
a, of self sufficiency, which plainly stamp
{ himra man who has been use
1t to command; otherwise he has
n gentlemanly bearing, and betrays in ever
rs action a familiarity with the usages of goo
20 society. Altogether he is an oddity, an
is his whole make up is designed to attrac
lattentiOn wherever he may go. Will
u, promenading the streets here he was tn
r annarantIv Inconscions subiect of mi