Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-11-25
The Plate Returned.


Captain Jones fulfilled his promise, be-
cause he believed that his honor as sailor.
gentleman and an American was bound
up in it; but it cost him an immense amount
of money and five years of trouble and con-
troversy before he was able to return that
plate to its owners. The prize courts got
hold of it; it became entangled in litigation,
and he was not only compelled to pay full
value when 1t was sold at public auction
for the benefit of the crew of the Ranger,
but also a long bill of costs, attorneys fees
and other charges. But none of his sea
fights was ever fought with greater energy
and determination, and in February, 11s4
exactly six years after 1t was seized, he
had the satisfaction of sending 1t back.
with a letter to Lord Selkirk, in which he
explained the long delay, and arraigned
him and the British minister for the con-
duct of the war.
'As have endeavored to serve the cause
OF liberty through every stage Of the Amer
lean revolution, and sacrificed to 1t my
private ease, a part of my fortune and some
Of my blood, could have>no selfish motive
In permitting my people to demand and
carry off your plate. My sole inducement
was to turn their attention and stop their
rage from breaking out, and retaliating on
your house and effects for the too wanton
burningS and desolations that had been
committed against their relations and fell
low-citizens in America by the British. Of
which, assure you. you would have felt Sc
an expedient to prevent 1t and hurried my
people away before they had time for fur
Their reflection. AS you were so obliging as
to say to Mr.. Alexander that my people
behaved with great decency at your house,
l ask the favor of you to announce that
circumstance to the public"
Lord Selkirk's Acknowledgment.
1t was not until the following August that
Lord Selkirk acknowledged the return of
his w in ri If
way he wrote that: ION all occasions, sir,
both now and formerly. I have done you
the justice to tell that you made an offer
of returning the plate very soon after you
returned to Brest. and, although you your
self were not at my house, but remained at
the shore with your boat, yet you had
your officers and men in such extraordinary
good discipline that you, having given them
the strictest orders to behave well, to do
no injury of any kind, to make no search.
but only to bring off what plate was given
them; that, in reality, they did exactly as
ordered, and not one man offered to stir
from his post on the outside of the house,
nor entered the doors, nor said an uncivil
word etc
Lady Sekirk also wrote Jones friendly
letter, in which she commended him in more
cordial terms. 1t appears that Jones and
she had quite an extensive correspondence,
and the letters make a very interesting adj
dit1on to the his torical archives of the Navy
Department and will increase the respect in
which Jones is held. Secretary Morton has
instructed Captain Stockton to persuade
Captain Hope, If possible, to consent TO
their publication
Cannot Find Jones' Grave.
The efforts to recover the body of John
Paul Jones and to remove 1t to the United
States, have been abandoned, because his
grave cannot be found. Lieutenant Com
mander Sims of our navy, Mr.. Baily-
at Paris and others have given a great deal
of time to the searching of records and
other Investigations; and while they have
succeeded in locating the cemetery in which
Jones was buried, they have demonstrated
the impossiblity of recovering his remains
Jones died of jaundice and dropsy at his
lodgings, AZ Rue Tournan, Paris, on the
18th of July, 1892, and was buried in
leaden coffin in a cemetery in the north
eastern part of the city, which had been
allotted to tn Protestants by King Louis
XIV, at the request of the Dutch govern
ment.
His funeral was quite function The
national assembly was represented by a
deputation of twelve members, and Rev
Mr.. Marion, Swiss Protestant, preached
an eloquent discourse and pronounced an
appropriate eulogy. The American minister
notified the family and friends of the ad-
miral of his death; his will was executed
in due order and all of his affairs were
settled. About fifty years ago the manu-
Iacturlhg industries OF ParlS having en-
croached on the cemetery, the property was
sold for business purposes. Many of the
bodies were removed to other cemeteries,
but those which had no one to look after.
them were allowed to remain in the ground.
and the entire area was built over with fac
tories, shops, warehouses and other struc-
lures. There is no reason to believe that
the body of Admiral Jones was removed
when the cemetery was sold. According to
the records. it seems certain that it was
not, and therefore it must now be covered
by one of the buildings, but which building
1t is impossible to say, and there is no way
of making search for it without buying
the property and pulling down the walls.