The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-03-22
WANTS SHARE OF PRIZE MONEY
,.yrLE DAN WTNTERS EARNED on
THE GOV. THONPkINS
=, the war OF IsI2-when John winters
Gets Well He'll File Claim and Ask
the President 10 Recommend an Hon
est senator to Put u Through for Him.

the President TO NecOnmenN an Hon
est senator to Put II Through for Him.
The story of how Daniel Winters, gunner
=, the bold brig Gov. Thompkins. saved
hs ship from capture by British sloop-
nf.war early in the War Of 1912, is a part
y, The history of the United States Navy.
There NAV be some record Of the achieve
n,ont in the archives of the British Ad-
niralty. but the student OF history would
n,ohably have to dig to find II. In the
War Of 1912. the Gov. Thompkins. Capt.
Smith, played a part somewhat similar
N that OF the Bonhomme Richard, Capt.
John Paul Jones, in the Revolution. She
was a privateersman and sailed the seas
10 prey upon British shipping; and rich
xas the treasure which she captured. So
tsr as the records have been examined,
however, there is nothing to show that
tho spoil that came TO the privateersman's
Ghost was ever divided. At least the de-
.cendan,s of Gunner Winters never heard
NJ any division, and for that reason they
are about to put in claim to the United
states Government for Daniels share Of
the treasure.
The nearest living lineal descep daEts OF
Daniel Winters are James Winters, his
great great gran dson, who lives at Sag
Hsrbor. L. l.; John w. Winters, superir-
terdent Of the gas lamps in Jersey City;
and his brothers, George and William
SCHUYLER Winters of Brooklyn. 1t Is John
". Winters who Is thirkir g about putting
in claim to the Government for his great
greatuncle Dariers share OF the Gov.
Thompkins's prize money. But he won't
do il, he said yesterday, until he gets over
al attack of a cross between the grip and
pneumonia which has con fir ed him to his
house lOs Mercer street, Jersey City,
since the last day of February.
Mr.. Winters is somethir of celebrity
himself He says he is so years old, but his
wife insists that he Is young by just
ten wears She is her husbands second
wife and many years his junior. When
ever Mrs. Winters contradicts her HUSBAND
as TO his age, Mr.. Winters remarks:
Have it your own way, my dear, have II
your own way. but all the same l was born
In 1872, at five minutes after IL o'clock,
and il that don't make me 80 years old,
then I'm so old I've forgotten how to cipher.
Mr. Winters has held his job for forty
years Before he got il he was a member
Of the old municipal police OF New York
ard Of the successor to that body, the
Metropolitan Police. He was also mem.
her of the old Brooklyn Continentals and
Is a veteran Of the old Brooklyn volunteer
Fire Depart mept OF the Thirteenth hegi,,
ment In speaking Of his uncle Daniel
yesterday afternoon and OF Gov Thomp-
kins Mr.. Winters said:
An the Winterses, so far as the family
records show, were fond OF the sea y Wnen
the war OF 1912 broke out Uncle Dan wanted
TO have a hand in il and finally he got a
chance to ship with Capt, Smith on the
Gov Thompkins AS gunner. His JOB
was to load and fire the ships Long Tom
as often as he could when the occasion
required. That same Long Tom, by the
way, was exhibited at the Worlds Feir
in Chicago The Thompkins secuted the
Atlantic from the Capes TO New England
and whenever she came across a British
merchantmen that looked like she was
her and. ! believe. the record is that she
y'tever missed the treasure, gold or goods,
n the treasure and merchantmen both.
We'll she was returning from one OF
hese scouting expeditions early in the war.
rer chests chock-a-block with spoil. Capt.
NTH Intended to put in at New York, but
hen he got of Sandy Hook he sighted some
British ships Of the line and he concluded
New York harbor wouldn't be a real COM
Portable place in which to drop anchor.
So he bore on to the southeast, rounded
Montauk Point and was thinking OF putting
in at some point along the Sound when
British sloop-of-war was sighted: smith
thought he'd take a chance with her. and
when he got within nice shooting distance
he opened fire. They had il hot and heavy
for while. but near shutdown smith saw
that he'd made a mistake In mixing up
with the Britisher. The Thompkins was
shot pretty well full Of holes and the deck
got pretty well spilled with blood.
Finally, Uncle Dan spoke up and said
he could take the brig through Plum Gut
u Smith would let him. and II the Britisher
followed she'd 60 to the bottom or get
stuck on the rocks. Go ahead. said
Smith. and Uncle Dan took the Thompkins
through the Gut a. easy you please and
found harbor further down the coast.
The treasure was unloaded and the
bns went on on another cruise. Later
she was sunk. The survivors put In a
claim, suppose, for their prize money,
but TO whom I don't know. ! cant find
that the claim ever got To Washington.
A. any rate, Uncle Dan never got his share,
and when ! get better I'm going down TO
BAG Hsrbor. where my uncls lived, and
e. all the records can. aud then I'm going
10 write to the President to recommend
some good. honest senator 10 me who'll