The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1871-09-08

Washington snys:
"a short time after tho wreck Of the
sLcnmship Oolt,on Rule, tho safe belong
lug to tho United States Treasury wes
found aud forwarded here, where it was
examined by the Department. Machin-
lists reported that it did not bear marks
or evidence Of having been forced open
by instruments, but could hav6 bHon,
and probably was. broken open by being
violently thrown from side to side OF the
hold of the vessel, and among tho rocks
after the vessel broke up. No part of
the money contained in the safe was ever
recovered, and, notwithstanding tho un-
| remittiDg efforts Of the Department,
their detectives, and others, for moro
than three years, nothing has been dis
covered casting suspicion on the officers
or crew OF the vessel, nor on those ON
ployed in wrccking the vessel. 1t is now
over six years since the Golden Rnle WINS
wrecked. Notes in the safe are past due
three or more years, and no trace has
been found of their existence"
The Golden Rule sailed from New
York in the spring of 1865, having on
board On iron safe containing more than
$1,000.000. in charge of special agent
Of the Treasury Department.. named
Smith. and intended for the San Fran
cisco branch of the Department. The
steamer was wrecked on reef in the
Caribbean Sea, and although all the pas
sengers- rs-upward Of GOO in number
were saved, everything else on board was
lost. including the iron safe. 1t was be-
lieved by many at the time, the belief
being shared by number OF the passen-.
gers, that the captain of the steamer aud
one or two OF the passengers had formed
plot to plunder the safe, and that the
vessel was run upon the rocks intention
ally, in order to afford the conspirators
an opportunity to accomplish their pur-
pose. An attempt was made to investi-
gate the matter, but it was discouraged
by certain officials connected with the
Treasury Department, and it ended in
| smoke.
Two yoors ago. Mr.. Charles A.. Damn,
editor Of the New York Sun. fully con
vinced that there had been foul play,
quietly set about an Investigation oi his
own, und has diligently prosecuted it up
to the present time, sparing neither
pains nor expense to get at the truth of
the matter. In his paper of last Tues
day, he gives us, at considerable length,
the result of his Investigation, and no
candid mind, after reading the testimony
|
est reliance upon the statement made in
the despatch quoted. above. The con-
clusion is inevitable that Dennis, the
captain of the Golden Rule, having
formed conspiracy with passenger
named Montgomery Gibbs, caused the
steamer to be run upon the rocks, and
| that he and Gibbs then broke open the
safe and plundered it of all the money it
contained. On his return to the United
States, Dennis, who was poor man
when he started out upon his last voy-
age in the Golden Rule, bought mag
ni6cent farm in Maryland, where he now
lives like a prince, and Gibbs went to
Paris, and has been living there in the
most extravagant style ever since, fire.
quently sending costly presents to
officials at Washington, and to members
of the Presidents own immediate fami-
ly. Col. Wood, then chief of the Go
vernment detectives, entered upon an in
vestigation of the affair, and had sue
ceeded in obtaining sufficient proof to
fasten the guilt upon Dennis, Gibbs and
an official in the Treasury Department.,
when he was suddenly dismissed from
the service without rhyme or reason, aud
the matter was hushed up. The facts
brought to light through the sxertions
of the San leaves no doubt upon our
minds that the steamer was wrecked for
the purpose of giving Dennis and Gibbs
q chance to rob the safe; that somebody y
connected with the Treasury Department
ut Washington was o confederate of
theirs, and that the Administration has
prevented an Investigation of the extra
ordinary crime in order to shield some
of it's pets who were involved therein.
The evidences of these facts, which are
quite too numerous to be stated here, are
overwhelming.
The san declares that the iron safe
never reached Washington-that it was
shipped in sailing vessel bound for
Baltimore. and that, having been stored
on deck, was thrown overheard during n
storm in Chesapeake Bay. It was, there
fore. never examined by machiLi4t, at
Washington. And to say that it was
''broken open by being violently thrown
from side to side Of the hold OF tue ves-
sel, and among the rocks after the vessel
broke up" ia absurd. An iron safe to
which the Treasury Department would
intrust Sl.000,009 for such voyage
could lot be broken open in that way.
Once at the bottom Of the sea, it would
lie there undisturbeI by the wind and
waves forever.
It must be said. in justice to Mr..
| Saith fho ooonk .p1,o 1yno oo,,t ont