The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-05-19

inent William ]. Bromwell wap an
officer in the Department OF State OF
tho Confederacy. Mrs. Bromwell sur
rived her husband for n number Of
years. lie died In London. England.
number of years ago. and Mrs. Brom-
well died In Washington, as near as
can fix the date in my mind. about
two years ago. She had been clerk
in the Navy Department for many
years. Her father was a distinguish ed
officer i'll the United States Navy OF
high rank"
Took Mnsontc Oath.
Colonel Thomas IT. P'ckett's letter
book now in the Library of Congress.
shows "A number OF letters to Captain
now Rcar-Admiral Selfridgc.
one letter of Colonel Pickett 10 Cap
tain Sclfridgc. dated May ~. 1874. says
there is danger OF the aforesaid
being known To be in your possession.
In the public notice Of 1t which / shall
mako when my elcctrUyne shall be
ready. it is my purpose TO create the
impression that / stlll hold the ar
ticle. BY the way, the clectrotypcr Is
Historically pledged to secrecy"
Thore follows a memorandum of
agreement between Samuel II. Black.
the electrotyper who took the MASONIC
oath of secrecy. and John T Pickett.
dated May It. 1873. in regard to the
striking OF certain medal!ions from
the original seal. One of the medal
l'ons has been secured by Messrs.
Hunton. White and Bryan with the
original. and is shown to be an exact
reproduction of the face of the Great
Seal
Seal cost 800 in Gold.
Under the assumed or pen name of
"1oannes Didymus Archaelogos."
Colonel Pickett published in Wash
ington in 1873 pamphlet being a.
monograph on the Great or Broad Seal
OF the Confederate States, entitlcd:
"SigilloloGia" copy of which may be
found in the Virginia State Library.
and in the Library of Congress, at
Washington. 1t quotes from an
article by Colonel Pickett in Harpcr's
Magazine for February. 1869. In this
pamphlet arc to DO found copies of
many OF the identical papers which
have recently been unearthed in the
Library of Congress. and among 9TH
crs the original bill OF Joseph s.
Wyon made out to John NJ Mason
for the Great Seal. showing 1t to have
cost. with Its fittings. wax, box and
lock-. a total OF 40 pounds 10
shllings English money. an equiva-
lent at that time of 500 gold
Would Not Reveal secret.
While tho pamphlet vaunts tho fact
that the author had at some trouble
and expense rescued the Great Seal
from oblivion and possibly from n
melting pot. for It's pure silver weighs
several pounds. and statea that he has
had many electrotype impr .ssions
made. 1t concludcs:
New York, June 20. 1873. And
where Is that seal? 1t Is in the pos
session of the writer OF this paper.
Who rescued 1t and to whom does 1t
belong? Wc reserve Il reply to these
questions for another occasion. Suffice
II to say at present. 'detur digniori.'s
Tina pamphlet seems to have been
issued to stir up interest In the sale
of the mcdaliions. which were offered
to charitable institutions at halfprlce.
"The Life of James NJ. Mason" by
his daughter, page 400. gives the same
correspondence alluded TO between
Commissioner Mason and Secretary
benjamin. with a fun description OF
| the seal, which taliics in every detail
even to the position Of the date line.
| Traced by Montgomery
In the Interview published in Tho
Times ispatch on October 10. 1911
| Judge Walter a. Montgomery, aftcI
showing that the story of the negro
James Jones. was a pure hailucinatlon
traces the seal directly to Admiral
Selfridse. Showing that Jones was
| not In Richmond at the time of the
evacuation. he quotes the statement Of