The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1871-11-03
A QUEER STORY.
The Steamer " Golden Rule" Wrecked for
Plunder-A Million Dollars Of GOvernmen Mt
Money Stolen.

The steamer " Golden Rule" Wrecked for
PIunder-A Million Dollars Of Government
Money stolen.
The New York Sun publishes an ac-
count of the wrecking of the steamship
"Golden Rule" May 30, 1865, on Rom
cador reef, in the Caribbean Sea. 1t
was believed at the time the " Golden
Rule was purposely wrecked, in order
that the sum of one million dollars on
board belonging to the United States
might be stolen in the confusion conse-
quent upon such catastrophe, and the
government employed various detect
ives to hunt down the perpetrators of
the supposed crime. The detectives
worked upon the case nearly two years
and gathered a mass Of testimony un-
derstood to be sufficient to convict the
suspected parties of the crimes alleged
against them, but for some reason the
government never did anything to bring
the accused parties to justice, nor re.
cover the stolen treasure.
Colonel Wood, the detective, says |:
There is no doubt in my mind that
the Golden Rule was wrecked on pur-
pose and the government treasure
stolen by Montgomery Gibbs and Capt.
Dennis. Gibbs put up the job and led
Dennis into it. Among other things
had chart Of the vessels course made,
and it is on file now, from the time she
left New York till she struck on the
reef, and it is plain that she was steered
plumb ashore. Gibbs went on board
under an assumed name, l think
Gibson. The passenger list shows what
it was. Before buying his ticket he in
quired repeatedly at the office if the
government money had gone on board,
and as soon as he learned il had took
passage. 1t was evident that he did
not intend to 60 unless the money was
on board. He was plying the captain
and others from the time the vessel
sailed till she struck. There is plenty
of evidence on that point 1t is also
clear that after the vessel struck the
reef Gibbs virtually took command. He
and the captain set guard over the
baggage hold, where the treasure safe
was, and would not let anybody get
anything out. They had two women
aboard to help them. One was named
Livingston the name of the other do
not remember. She has sir ce married
respectfully. Tommy Girvan was put on
Dennis, and the first thing / heard was
that Tommy, who had never been worth
dollar, had bought farm near Den
MIS-, at Ellicott's Mills, and was import.
ing bulls, sheep, and rams. Jim Downs
and Deputy Marshal Grover were then
put on Girvan, and they pulled him
and took him to Barnum's Hotel, in
Baltimore, where they all got drunk to-
gether and Girvan bought them off for
$40. That was all the money he had,
and they took it. Givan has played out
at farming and gone off. Capt. Dennis
is still at Ellicotts Mills. l would have
arrested him had it not been the desire of
the administration to protect Gibbs. He
had won over Washburne, Mrs. Grant,
Speaker Blaine and others, and so there
is no use of pursuing him further. If
the government would have him indict-
ed could convict them if the prosecu.
ton were pushed in good faith. The
chain of evidence is complete as it
stands there on file. There never was
more complete chain of circumstan-
tial evidence. don't want to talk any
more about it just now, and in fact |
can't recollect names and dates without
giving my mind to the subject. But
I'll give you a letter to lady, who, if
she will, can talk to you about it better
than anybody else"