JACOB THOMPSON'S BANK ACCOUNT. WHAT BECAME OF THE MONEY?
The testimony before the Commission developed the fact that the Canada
Cabinet was kept well supplied with money, and that Jacob Thompson was
the Judas that carried the bag.
His treasury was kept replenished by Southern bills of exchange on
Liverpool. Robert Anson Campbell, first teller of the Ontario Bank of
Montreal, Canada, appeared before the Commission and gave testimony as
to Thompson's transactions with his bank as follows: "I know Mr. Jacob
Thompson very well. His account with the Ontario Bank I hold in my
hand. It commenced May 30th, 1864, and closed April 11th, 1865. Prior
to May 30th, he left with us sterling exchange, drawn on the rebel
agents at Liverpool, for collection. The first advice we had was May
30th, when there was placed to his credit £2,061 17_s._ and 1-1/2_d._,
and £20,618 11_s._ 4_d._, amounting to $109,965.63. The aggregate
amount of the credits is $649,873.28, and there is a balance still left
to his credit of $1,766.23; all the rest has been drawn out. Since
about the 1st of March he has drawn out $300,000, in sterling exchange
and deposit receipts. On the 6th of April last there is a deposit
receipt for $180,000. The banks in Canada give deposit receipts, which
are paid when presented, upon fifteen days notice. On the 8th of April
he drew a bill of £446 12_s._ 1_d._, and on the same day £4,000,
sterling. On the 24th of March he drew $100,000 in exchange; at another
time, $19,000. This sterling exchange was drawn to his credit, and also
the deposit receipts.
"Mr. Jacob Thompson has left Montreal since the 14th of April last. I
heard him say he was going away. He used to come to the bank two or
three times a week, and the last time he was in he gave a check to the
hotel keeper, which I cashed, and he then left the hotel. His friends
stated to me that he was going to Halifax, overland. Navigation was not
open then, and I was told he was going overland to Halifax, and thence
to Europe. I thought it strange at the time that he was going overland,
when by waiting two weeks longer he could have taken a steamer; and
it was talked of in the bank among the clerks. The account was opened
with Jacob Thompson individually. The newspaper report was that he was
financial agent of the Confederate States. We only knew that he brought
Southern sterling exchange bills, drawn on Southern agents in the old
country, and brought them to our bank for collection. How they came
to him we did not know. He was not, as far as I know, engaged in any
business in Canada requiring these large sums of money.
"He had other large money transactions in Canada. I knew of one
transaction of $50,000, that came through the Niagara District Bank, at
St. Catherines, a check drawn to the order of Mr. Clement C. Clay, and
deposited by him in that bank; they sent it to us, August 16th, 1864,
to put to their credit.
"Thompson has several times bought from us United States notes or
greenbacks. On August 25th he bought $15,000 in greenbacks, and on
July 14th, $19,125. This was the amount he paid in gold, and at that
time the exchange was about 55. I could not say what the amount of
greenbacks was, but that is what he paid for it in gold. On March 14th
last he bought $1,000 worth of greenbacks at 44-3/4, for which he
paid $552.20 in gold. On the 20th of March he bought £6,500 sterling
at 9-1/2. He also bought drafts on New York in several instances. J.
Wilkes Booth, the actor, had a small account at our bank. I had one
or two transactions with him, but do not remember more at present. He
may have been in the bank a dozen times; and I distinctly remember
seeing him once. He has still left to his credit $455, arising from a
deposit made by him, consisting of $200, in $20 Montreal bills, and
Davis's check on Merchant's Bank of $255. Davis is a broker, who kept
his office opposite the St. Lawrence Hall, and is, I think, either from
Richmond or Baltimore.
"When Booth came into the bank for this exchange he bought a bill of
exchange for £61 and some odd shillings, remarking, 'I am going to run
the blockade, and in case I should be captured can my capturers make
use of the exchange?' I told him they could not unless he endorsed the
bill, which was made payable to his order. He then said he would take
$300, and pulled out that amount, I think, in American gold. I figured
up what $300 would come to at the rate of exchange. I think it was
9-1/2, and gave him a bill of exchange for £61 and some odd shillings."
The bills of exchange found on Booth's body at the time of his capture
were here exhibited to the witness, who said, "These are the Ontario
Bank bills of exchange that were sold to Booth, bearing date October
27th, 1864."
_Testimony of Daniel S. Eastwood._
THE BEN WOOD DRAFT.
The following is the testimony of Daniel S. Eastwood, in regard to
Jacob Thompson's bank account, and serves to account for $25,000 of his
expenditures: "I am assistant manager of the Montreal branch of the
Ontario Bank, Canada. I was officially acquainted with Jacob Thompson,
formerly of Mississippi, who has for some time been sojourning in
Canada, and have knowledge of his account with our bank, a copy of
which was presented to this Commission by Mr. Campbell, our assistant
teller.
"The moneys to Mr. Thompson's credit accrued from the negotiation
of bills of exchange, drawn by the secretary of the treasury of
the so-called Confederate States on Frazier Trenholm & Company, of
Liverpool. They were understood to be the financial agents of the
Confederate States at Liverpool, and the face of the bills, I believe,
bore that inscription. Among the dispositions made from that fund,
by Jacob Thompson, was $25,000 paid in accordance with the following
requisition:--
4329.
MONTREAL, Aug. 10th, 1864.
Wanted from the Ontario Bank, 3 days' sight,
On New York,
Favor of BENJAMIN WOOD, Esq.
$25,000
For ------- current funds.
$10,000
Deliv. 60 p. c.
Ex. $15.00
A. M.
"The '$10,000' underneath the $25,000 is the purchase money in gold of
$25,000 worth of United States funds.
"At Mr. Thompson's request the name of Benjamin Wood was erased (the
pen being just struck through it), and my name as an officer of the
bank written immediately beneath it, that the draft might be negotiable
without putting any other name to it.
"I have in my hand, it having been obtained from the cashier of the
City Bank in New York, the original draft for the $25,000 on which that
requisition was made by Mr. Thompson, in the name of Benjamin Wood. It
reads:--
$25,000. THE ONTARIO BANK. No. 4329.
MONTREAL, 10th of August, 1864.
At three day's sight please pay to the order of D. S.
EASTWOOD, in current funds, twenty-five thousand dollars
value received, and charge the sume to account of this branch.
+----------+
| U. S. | To Cashier City Bank, H. Y. STANUS,
| Internal | New York. _Manager._
| Revenue |
| 2 cent | INDORSED.
| Stamp. |
+----------+ Pay to Hon. BENJAMIN WOOD, Esq., or order.
D. S. EASTWOOD.
B. WOOD.
"I have found this draft in the hands of the payee of the City Bank
in New York, and I understand from the cashier it has been paid. Mr.
Thompson was frequently in the habit of drawing moneys in the name of
an officer of the bank, so as to conceal the person for whom it was
really intended.
"A good deal of Thompson's exchange was drawn in that way, so that
there is no indication, except from the bank or the locality on which
the bill was drawn, to show where use was made of the funds. Large
amounts were drawn for, at his instance, on the banks of New York, but
we were not acquainted with the use they were put to.
"The Ben. Wood, to whom the draft was made payable, is, I believe,
the member of Congress, and the owner of the New York _News_." Jacob
Thompson's bank account, already in evidence, was handed to the
witness, who said: "This is a copy of Jacob Thompson's banking account
with us, as testified to by Robert Anson Campbell. I see in the
account entries of funds that were used for purpose of exchange on New
York, and also on London. The item $189,999, on the 6th of April, 1865,
was issued in deposit receipts, which may be paid anywhere."
In answer to a question by Mr. Aiken, counsel for defense, the witness
said: "I do not remember any drafts cashed at our bank in favor of
James Watson Wallace, Richard Montgomery, or James B. Merritt. I have
no recollection of the names."
Evidence of George Wilkes: "I am acquainted with Benjamin Wood, of
New York, and am familiar with his handwriting. The signature at the
back of that bill of exchange I should take to be his. At the date of
this bill Benjamin Wood was a member of Congress of the United States.
He was editor and proprietor of the New York _News_, so he told me
himself. The paper, I have heard, has been recently managed by John
Mitchell, late editor or assistant editor of the Richmond _Examiner_
and the Richmond _Enquirer_." The endorsement was further proven to be
in the handwriting of Ben. Wood by the testimony of Abram D. Burrell.
This testimony not only accounts for $25,000 paid to Ben. Wood, then
a member of Congress from New York City, for services rendered to the
rebel cause in the halls of legislation, or attempted to be there
rendered, but more particularly in the management of the New York
_News_. In his capacity as a legislator as well as that of editor, Ben.
Wood made himself conspicuous as a traitor to his country, and thus he
was rewarded by Jacob Thompson for his services to the rebel cause. The
testimony also throws light on Jacob's method of doing business in a
secret, underhanded manner, in order that the object and purport of his
transactions being thus concealed from public knowledge he could engage
in any wicked scheme without detection. Witness has drafts for $180,000
on the 6th of April, all being put in such form that they could not
well be traced, and so that it could not well be ascertained who were
the payees, or where paid, or whether they were ever paid at all. They
were probably held by this skilfull secret financier in such shape
that, upon the failure to fulfill the contract and then come forward
and claim the reward, they reverted to the Hon. Jacob Thompson.
The testimony of these witnesses reveals several very important facts
bearing on the subject of our investigations. First, it is shown that
the rebel agents in Canada were kept well supplied with money by
the Richmond government, their credits in the Canada banks arising
from Southern bills of exchange on the rebel agents at Liverpool.
Now the question arises, for what purpose was this money placed at
their disposal? They were sent by the rebel government to Canada to
work for the success of the rebellion in ways and by means which have
been disclosed by the testimony. Of course, then, they were supported
whilst in Canada by the Richmond government, and it is reasonable to
suppose at a fixed salary that had been agreed upon in advance. Then,
of course, their personal expenses had to be met, and as they were by
no means parsimonious in their habits, this item alone would make a
considerable draft on their treasury. Then they employed a good many
men, escaped rebel soldiers and other rebel refugees at various times
to execute various schemes concocted by them to aid the rebellion.
One witness stated that they said they had eight hundred men secreted
in Chicago, in the summer of 1864, to aid in a plan to liberate the
rebel prisoners at Camp Douglass, which plan was frustrated by the
government being informed of it in advance by friends in Canada who
were cognizant of the plot. Of course the expenses of all of these men
had to be met, and no doubt liberal compensation made to those who were
entrusted with the execution of the plot. So, also, the plot to burn
the city of New York, the St. Albans raid, and various other schemes of
like character cost a good deal of money. Of course they defrayed all
of the expenses of the trial of the St. Albans raiders for extradition.
The scheme of spreading disease and death through infected clothing, in
which Dr. Blackburn was employed as their agent, no doubt cost them a
good round sum. It will be remembered that Blackburn employed Godfrey
Joseph Hyams as his agent to get the infected clothing sold at such
places in the United States as he indicated, under the promise of one
hundred thousand dollars; and although he and Thompson chiselled Hyams
out of nine hundred and ninety-nine thousand nine hundred dollars
of this, it is quite reasonable to suppose that Blackburn received
large pay for his risk and trouble in going to Bermuda and carefully
infecting this clothing.
The witness, Montgomery, testified that he heard Clay say, in speaking
of these enterprises, that "they always had plenty of money to pay for
anything that was worth paying for." We have seen from the testimony
that Booth, and we have good reason to infer that Surratt also, were
kept plentifully supplied with money from the time that a definite
arrangement was made with them to take charge of the assassination job
in the latter part of October, 1864, until the final accomplishment,
so far as it was accomplished, of their plot. We have seen that they
were both without occupation, or legitimate source of income, during
all that time, and that they were actively engaged in preparation
for their work, and were going in a style of prodigality in their
expenditures, travelling a great deal, boarding not only themselves,
but also several of the hired assistants, at hotels in Washington,
without regard to cost, even stipulating in the case of Payne that his
meals should be served to him in his room. Then they were every way
profligate in their habits, especially in drinking and smoking--both
costly vices--and also in purchasing horses and hiring them kept at
livery stables; and still further in hiring horses of livery men for
their excursions about the suburbs of the city in perfecting their
plans for escape. Again, Booth always had money to use in drawing into
the plot, and in holding assistants. No doubt the fifty dollars sent
to Arnold in a letter came from Booth; and we know he sent in a letter
fifty dollars to Chester to induce him to join him, and although he
allowed Chester to return this money it was not until he had fully
satisfied himself that it was useless to press Chester any further on
the subject. They were evidently as profuse in their promises of reward
to their co-conspirators whom they hired as Blackburn was to Hyams.
Booth offered to deposit three thousand dollars for a retainer's fee to
Chester; and, in addition to this, assured him that if he would go into
the conspiracy he would never want for money as long as he lived. Even
so worthless a fellow as Atzerodt had been fed with the idea that he
would soon have as much gold as would keep him a gentleman the balance
of his life.
Now, where was all this money to come from? Evidently from Jacob
Thompson's bank account. The evidence of the bank teller shows that the
bill of exchange which was found on Booth's body after his death was
the same bought of him by Booth. This bill of exchange was dated Oct.
27, 1864.
It will be remembered that the Selby letter (the Selby being, no doubt,
an _alias_, as they were all sailing under _aliases_) reveals the fact
that it was at that meeting of the conspirators in Montreal, about the
last of October, 1864, that the plot was matured, and arrangements
made for carrying it into effect. No doubt this arrangement made
between the Canada Cabinet and Booth and his fellow assassins involved
a large expenditure of money--such an amount, that when the "Cabinet"
came to consider the matter over they shrunk from the responsibility
and called a halt until they could get the sanction of the Richmond
government in such a form that they could have a voucher to show for
this expenditure. Hence, their after regret that "the boys had not
been allowed to act when they wanted to." This sanction was delivered
to them by Surratt on the 6th of April, when Thompson, placing his
hand on the despatches, exclaimed, "This makes the thing all right!"
It would be a very singular coincidence, indeed, on the theory that
Davis, Thompson, and the others in Canada were not in the conspiracy,
that on this very day Thompson drew on his bank account for $180,000
by a deposit receipt; and that on the 8th, two days later, he drew
for £446 12_s._, 1_d._, and then again on the same day for £4,000
sterling, amounting in the aggregate to over two hundred thousand
dollars. Assuming this to have been the cost of the assassinations for
which Booth and Surratt had made themselves responsible, and that on
which they were counting to keep them well supplied with money all the
balance of their lives, the question arises what became of this money?
Of course their hired assassins were only to be paid when they had
fulfilled their contract. The money was subject to this contingency;
hence there was, no doubt, a provisional arrangement by which Thompson
held control over the reward promised them, and, when we look at the
final result of the thing, we can readily see that the money, in the
end, reverted to Thompson.
There is another very remarkable coincidence revealed in this
testimony; that is, the fact of Thompson's leaving Canada on the 14th
of April, 1865, for Europe, travelling overland to Halifax, when by
waiting two weeks longer he could have gone by steamer. This was such
an unusual circumstance as to require explanation, and excited remarks
amongst the clerks in the bank at the time. If we have been led by the
evidence to the conclusion that the government fully sustained its
charge and specification against Jacob Thompson, we can at once explain
this coincidence of his leaving Montreal for Europe by the overland
route to Halifax on the very day on which he expected the plot to be
consummated. He could not afford to wait for the opening of navigation,
lest his flight might be impeded by arrest, and a warrant or demand for
his extradition on the charge that he was a member of the conspiracy.
"The wicked flee where no man pursueth." A guilty conscience is its
own accuser. This remarkable coincidence, equally with the other, is
presumptive evidence of his guilt.
Booth kept his bank account in the same bank with Thompson, and there
is every reason to believe that his credits were from money supplied
to him by Thompson. When he drew the bill of October 27th, which was
found on his person after his death, he explained that he was going to
run the blockade. We have seen what he meant by that; and this gives
additional evidence that the assassination plot was fully matured, as
shown by the Selby letter, at that time, and that on the part of Booth,
acting under the latitude of discretion contained in that letter, he
was only biding his time, waiting and watching for, and seeking to
make, an opportunity; and that had he not been restrained by Thompson
until he could get authority from Richmond that would serve him as a
voucher for the large outlay of money involved, he would have acted
long before he finally did.
Now the question comes up, what became of the money deposited to
Thompson's credit by the Confederate government in the banks of Canada?
We have seen that he had deposited to his credit in the Ontario Bank
of Montreal $649,873.28, and have learned that he had, in addition to
this, large transactions in other Canada banks. The reduction of his
account in the Montreal bank of over $200,000 by the drafts of the 6th
and 8th of April, we have every reason to believe was dependent upon
contingencies for their payment which were never fulfilled, and so this
large amount reverted to Thompson. The Confederate government died
suddenly and unexpectedly about this time, leaving no executor with
will annexed, and no one to look after its assets, or court authorized
to appoint an administrator; and so it would seem that in this case
Jacob Thompson was not only a man that had achieved notoriety, but
that he also had riches thrust upon him. Perhaps he and Clay, Tucker,
Sanders, Cleary, and Holcombe held a court in equity, and distributed
amongst them the assets thus accidentally left in their hands.