The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-11-28
BENJAMIN'S ESCAPE.
How George Crouch Assisted Him in
bermuda.


editor, reconteur man-about-town, hu-
morist and blockade runner. He IS
more than all those put together; he Is
a philosopher. At 81 he aspires to
comfortable bed in some clean hospital,
where, clear of brain, he can devote
twenty remaining years to literature.
Crouch is a native of England and a
red-hot American by adoption, with an
American accent. He is said to look
very much like James r. Keene, and
for years was mistaken for Mr.. Keenes
brother. The resemblance begins and
ends at the mustache and whiskers.
But the two men, both Englishmen, are
warm friends. Crouchs fondest renin-
iscence is his experience as Il blockade
runner.
At 10 Crouch was in the employ of a
great Liverpool house of the name of
Aderie & Co, cotton merchants. Il
would not swear to the spelling) His
headquarters was in the Bahamas,
| from which he superintendent the ship
ment of cotton to England. His office
was Il consequential affair. Blockade
runners arrived almost daily from
Charleston, Savannah, Brunswick, Port
transferred to British bottoms and sent
on it's way to Liverpool and London.
Wrecks were of common occurrence,
and many OF them were not due entire
ly to accident Men knew how to seut-
tie in those days. and it was easier to
sink a ship and cargo than take
chances of going back to the coast with
the prospect of a rope around the neck.
Besides looking after the interests of
his firm, Crouch represented the Lloyds,
registers of shipping, and made regular
reports to them.
The captain of the lighthouse cutter
of the Bahamas was u negro whose
boast was that he had Scots blood in
his veins He was a Veritable Capt.
Kidd for dash and deViltry, and as
good a sailor as ever shifted a quid.
one day he brought into Crouch's Of
flee miserable looking specimen of
humanity CARRIED in tatters, sat him
down in a corner and, pointing to
Crouch said, Set dar tell he's ready
ten tend ter yo' bizness." The clerk
of Aderle a. Co., d tritle airy, to be
sure, turned around in the course of
half an hour and asked the wretch
what his name was. Capt. Benjamin"
was the reply. well, Benjamin,
am about to hear from you. What is
the matter? Another wreck?" Yes"
w nat was lNG AActIllG VI LIE NESoClt
The jefferson Davis" All That's
odd. We have had many ships named
The Confederacy, or The Confederate
States, but yours is the first Jefferson
Davis"
All sorts of questions were asked
about the Jefferson Davis, but not
satisfactory answer could be obtained.
Capt. Benjamin lodged so much that
Crouch became offended and threaten
ed to proceed against him for scut-
thing, whereupon the captain said,
laughing jovially: Il am not what l
seem, sir. l am Judah 2. Benjamin,
Secretary of State of the Confederacy.
l have just escaped from the coast
of Florida in an open boat, and want
to proceed to England" Crouchs first
inclination was to drop dead Of aston
ishment.H But he held himself togeth-
er and gave the brains of the Con-
federacy" ample assistance. The first
thing Secretary Benjamin did was to
get into a suit of Crouch's clothes,
which, though a trihe too full, made
him of respectable appearance. Then
Crouch fed him bountifully.
Mr.. Crouch says: Il treated him like
a lord He had all the money he could
carry-French gold coins. When he got
ready to leave the Bahamas for Liver
polo l wrote him out a letter of credit
for 100000! History says he arrived
in England poor. That is an error.
He was a very rich man. His wife
was then living in Paris in the style
of our Mrs. Maokay, but the couple,
as you know, had separated. Mr.. Ben
jamin soon took a prominent place at
the bar in England, and in a short
time became queens counselor His
fees were enormous, and his riches
vastly multiplied"
Ten years passed One night Crouch
was a guest at a banquet in the Guild
hall and found himself seated between
his host and stranger. After the cor
fee the former man whispered by
the way, do you know the gentleman
on your left? He is very distinguished.
He is, in fact, no other than Mr. Judah
p. Benjamin, Q. c., former Attorney
General, Secretary of War and Secre-
tary of State OF the Confederacy. ="
Swallowing his amaZement, after the
manner of a soldier, Crouch, awaiting
the opportune moment, said to his
neighbor, How do you do, Mr.. Secre-
tary. have had the pleasure of meet
ing you before" Benjamin, in sur
prise, said: Indeed, sir? Might l in
quire where and when?' do you re-
member when you and Mr.. Breckin-
ridge left Jefferson Davis after the sur
render?" Very we'll; but" And
you hurried to Florida and escaped in
an open boat to the Bahamas why,
err, yes, but "And you reached
British ground in a dirty, ragged, sailor
suit and were brought to the office of
Aderle & Co. by the negro captain
of the lighthouse cutter?" How very
remarkable, sir; but how do you know
of these things?"
Never mind just yet. And you sat
down in o corner while an impudent,
insolent clerk finished his letters, after
which he called you Benjamin and
took your heterogeneous about the
sinking of your vessel?" This is most
astonishing sir! Please explain your
self" You remember every incident,
Mr.. Secretary" Every one, perfect
ly." And, finally, when the clerk
learned who you Were he gave you
a suit of clothes and wrote you a let
ter of credit for 100000 pounds ster-
ling?" But answer me, If you please;
how can you know so accurately of
these things?" Because l was the
clerk, and you told me all about your
escape" A warm and lasting friend
ship ensued, and nothing in London or
the United Kingdom was too good for
George Crouch.
-"Smithers doesn't seem to be en-