The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1880-05-06
A "SEA BIRD" RELIC.
The Sunday letter to 'sThe Chicago
Times'' has the following:

The Sunday letter to 'sThe Chicago
Tines has the following:
l-arold Emmons, Esq, of this City,
has recently been engaged upon a case
involving abou. $50, 900 in money and q
very great degree of romance; the latter
quality fitting it for notice in this cores.
pondence. Several months ago an ad-
vertisement appeared in the Chicago
Times to this effect:
Will the heirs of person of the name
of J. B. Wood, or Woods, communicate
with the undersigned Address L Y,
Chicago Times Office.
The heirs of Mr.. James B Wood, of
Milwaukee, saw the advertisement,
communicated with 81 L Y" and infor-
nation was obtained that has since led to
the investigation above referred to by
Mr. Emmons. The facts may be briefly
stated:
Mr.. James 3. Wood, of this city, was
weil-known and prominent resident
prior to 1868. He was one of the unfor-
tuIntes who went down with the i'll fated
steamer Sea Bird, that was burned off
Kenosha in the fall of 1868. Just prior
to Mr.. Woods departure on the steamer
he said to his son: 81 have money depos-
ited in a bank in an eastern city, and
when | get back from Chicago am going
to go east, get my money, and divide it
among you children, SO that can know
the division is equal and attended to be-
for.I die, " the expression seeming to be
made upon the spur of some peculiar
sensation of a presentiment of DEATH
After news was received of the loss of the
Sea Bird, and it became known that Mr..
Wood was among the lost, his son men,
toned the conversation of his father Just
before leaving on the boat; however, as
there was no date to go by, all efforts to
disco7er where Mr.. Wood had deposited
his noney-if any had been deposited
proved futile. After a little time the
family paid no further attention. to the
matter and the alleged deposit was forgot
ten. The information derived from cor
respondence with "J.L Y" went to show
that Hr. James B. Wood had, at the time
OF hlsdeath, deposit in an eastern bank
and that there were means of determining
wherethe money had been deposited and
when. Thereupona thorough investiga-
ton vas instituted, and MI Emmons has
but iast returned from long and patient
delvng after the supposed fortunes left
by Mr.. Wood, and with some success, SO
far IS obtaining facts in the case are con-
cerntd. The theory of the case is that
!"r' James B. Wood came irt.
Ion Ia s-.,vvv, through relative, some |
time in 1857, and that on the 14th day of
April, 1867, he deposited the entire sum of
money in well-known bank in New |
York state. Mr. Wood must have desir-
edto keep the knowledge of his wealth
for the time being-from his family, for !
it was allowed to continue on deposit |
right along, and without his family being
with the fact of his having |
the money so placed. Investigation dis
covered among a lot of old papers left by |
Mr.. Wood a memorandum that is suppos-
ed to refer to the money in question; the
REGARD being that on certain day, ETC.,
he had deposited the sum of money above
specified with certain bank, giving name,
location, etc. The lawyers trip to the east
developed that the bank named had long
ago ceased to exist, but that it closed it's
career solvent, and that its ex-officers,
who are now living. are men of wealth
and influence in the localities in which
they reside. However, the old books of
the bank were not accessible, and the
bank officers who were seen had no re-
menlberance of the facts as they existed.
Whether future investigation will result
in tracing the alleged deposit by Mr..
Wood of snug fortune so long ago, and
of securing its return to the rightful
heirs, remains to be seen.