The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-12-04
JUDAH P. BENJAMIN.
Remarkable story of His Escape After
the End of the Civil War.

the End of the Civil War.
Victor Smith, in New York Press.
Few men in the financial vortex are so
well known as George Crouch, artist,
writer, soldier of fortune, speculator, ed
itor, raconteur, man about town, humorist
and blockade runner. He is more than all
those put together; he is philosopher. AT
sixty-one 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 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. Crouch's fondest Renaissance is
his experience as blockade runner.
At nineteen Crouch was in the employ of
a great Liverpool house of the name of
Aderle & Co., cotton merchants. q would
not swear to the spelling) His headQuar-
tiers was in the Bahamas, from which he
superintendent the shipment of cotton to
England His office was a consequential
affair. Blockade runners arrived almost
daily from Charleston, Savannah, Bruins
wick, Port Royal, ETC., and Confederate cot
ton was transferred to British bottoms and
sent on its way to Liverpool and London.
Wrecks were of common occurrence, and
many of them were not due entirely to ac-
cident. Men knew how to scuttle in those
days, and it was easier to sink ship and
cargo than take chances of going back to
the coast with prospect of q rope around
the neck. Besides looking after the inter-
ests 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 negro whose boast was
that he had Scots blood In his veins. He
was a veritable Captain Kidd for dash and
deviltry, and as good a sailor as ever
shifted a quid- One day he brought into
Crouch's office misunderstanding speci-
men of humanity CARRIED in tatters. sat
Crouch, said: "Set dar tell he's ready ter
tend ter yo' bizness."
The clerk of Aderle & Co., trife airy,
to be sure, turned around in the course of
half an hour and asked the wretch what
his name was
Captain Benjamin." was the reply
well, BENJAMIN, am about to hear
from you. What is the matter? Another
wreck?"
yes"
What was the name of the vessel?''
1.-THE Jefferson Davis"
''Ahl That's odd. We have had many
ships named The Confederacy, or The Con-
federate States. but yours is the first JEFF
fersOn Davis"
All sorts of questions were asked about
the Jefferson Davis but not satisfactory
answer could be obtained. Captain Ben
jamin lodged so much that Crouch became
offended and threatened to proceed against
him for scuttling, whereupon the captain
said, laughing jovially: II am not what 1
seem, sir l am judah p BENJAMIN. secre-
tary of state of the Confederacy. / have
just escaped from the coast of Florida in
IN open boat, and want to proceed to Eng
land
Crouch's first inclination was to drop
dead of establishment. But ne held him
self together and gave the brains of the
Confederacy' ample assistance. The first
thing Secretary Benjamin did was to get
into a suit of CrouchS clothes, which,
though trifle too full, made him of re-
spectacle appearance. Then Crouch fed
him bountifully.
Mr.. Crouch says: "T treated him like a
| lord. He had all the money he could car
| ry-French gold coins. When he got ready
| to leave the Bahamas for Liverpool wrote
him out letter of credit for 91O0,0O0 sterl-
| ing, 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. Mackay, but the
| couple, as you know, had separated. Mr..
| Benjamin soon took prominent place at
the bar in England, and in short time
| became queens counselor. His fees were
| enormous, and his riches vastly multi
| Piled"
Ten years passed. One night Crouch was
| found himself seated between his host and
| a stranger. After the coffee the former
man whispered: by the way, do you know
the gentleman on your left? He is very dis
| tinguished He is, in fact, no other than
| Mr.. judah p. Benjamin. Q. c., former at
| torney general, secretary of war and secre-
| tary 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.. Secretary. l have
had the pleasure of meeting you before"
Benjamin, In surprise, said: Indeed, sir /?
| Might | inquire where and whenT'
| do you remember when you and Mr.
| Breckenridge left Jefferson Davis after the
surrender?
Every well; but
"And you hurried to Florida and escaped
in an open boat to the Bahamas?'
| why, er, yes, but"
dirty, ragged, sailor suit and were brought
TO the office of Aderle & Co. by the ne
| gro captain of the lighthouse cutter?''
/ How very remarkable, sir; but how do
| you know these things?"
| Never mind just yet. And you sat down
! in a corner while an impudent insolent
clerk finished his letters. after which he
| called you Benjamin. and took your inter-
rogatories about the sinking of your YES
SELF
This is most astonishing, sir! Please ex-
4 plain yourself
You rtmember every incident, Mr. Sec
retary?"
Every one. perfectly"
"And. finally, when the clerk learned who
| you were he gave you suit of his clothes
and wrote you letter OF credit for 100000
/ sterling?'
but answer me. If you please: how can
you know SO accu.ateiy OF these things. !,
| me all about your escape" A warm and
lasting friendship ensued. and nothing in
London or the United Kingdom was too
good for George Crouch.