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Domestic News
June 28, 1865
The Potter Journal
Coudersport, Potter County, Pennsylvania
What is this article about?
Testimony in a court proceeding by witnesses including D.S. Eastwood, George Wilkes, and Abraham D. Russell regarding a $25,000 draft from the Ontario Bank in Montreal drawn by Jacob Thompson on August 10, 1864, originally for Benjamin Wood but altered to Eastwood, linked to Confederate funds; cross-examination mentions Booth and others.
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By Judge Advocate Holt.—Live in Montreal, Canada; am Assistant Manager of the Montreal Branch of the Ontario Bank: am acquainted with Jacob Thompson, formerly Secretary of the Interior of the United States, and with the account which he formerly kept with the Ontario Bank: the moneys deposited in that bank to his credit accrued from the negotiation of bills of exchange drawn by the Secretary of the Treasury of the so-called Confederate States upon their agents at Liverpool.
Q. State whether or not, in the course of the disbursements made by Jacob Thompson of the fund placed to his credit, this requisition was drawn on the bank—[exhibiting to the witness a paper given below]? A. It was; it is in my handwriting.
Q. Please read it to the Court? A. [Reading the paper]:
"MONTREAL, Aug. 10, 1864.
"Wanted, from the Ontario Bank, on New York, in favor of Benjamin Wood, Esq., for $25,000 current funds, $10,000 debit ex $15,000."
The paper shows that the requisition was originally drawn in favor of Benjamin Wood, Esq., and that the name of D.S. Eastwood was afterward substituted.
Q. State the exact condition of that paper? A. As it reads now it is a draft on New York, payable to the order of D. S. Eastwood, that is, myself.
Q. State how that change in the requisition occurred? A. The name of Benjamin Wood, as it appeared originally, was erased at Mr. Thompson's request, and my name, as an officer of the bank, was substituted.
Q. That is the original paper, is it not? A. It is.
Q. Now look at this bill of exchange [another paper was exhibited to the witness] and state whether it was drawn upon that requisition? A. It was.
By request of Judge Advocate the witness then read the paper to the Court. It is dated Montreal, August 10, 1864, and is directed to the Cashier of the City Bank, New York, and the wording is as follows:
"At three days sight please pay to the order of D. S. Eastwood, in current funds $25,000. Value received, and charge the same to the account of this branch."
The indorsement on the bill directs the payment to be made to the Hon. Benjamin Wood or order, signed B. F. Wood.
Q. You state that the $25,000 for which this bill was drawn, is the same for which that requisition was made by Mr. Thompson in the name of Benjamin Wood? A. It was.
Q. State whether or not the bill of exchange you have read is the original one? A. It is.
Q. Where did you obtain it? A. I obtained it in New York, from the cashier of the bank on which it was drawn.
Q. Does it bear the marks of having been paid? A. I am not acquainted with the usual marks of canceling in New York, but I understood that it was paid.
The witness stated further that he was not acquainted with the Benjamin Wood referred to, but he supposed it to be the same who at the date of that transaction was a member of the Congress of the United States.
Cross examined by Mr. Aiken.—Did not recollect of having cashed any drafts or checks in favor of James Watson Wallace, Richard Montgomery, James B. Merritt, or John Wilkes Booth; about the last of October Booth purchased a bill in the bank at Montreal with which witness was connected; never heard the name of John H. Surratt mentioned before.
The Judge Advocate exhibited to the witness a list of localities on which drafts had been made by the Ontario Bank, and requested him to give the dates and amounts of the drafts which, as shown by the paper, had been drawn in New York.
The witness stated that the following were among the number of drafts drawn: On the 3d of October last, a draft for $10,000 in gold; on the 11th of October one for $5,000 in gold; on Nov. 3, 4 and 8, bills for about $6,000 in United States currency; on the 14th and 21st of March last, small drafts were also drawn.
EXAMINATION OF GEORGE WILKES.
By Judge Advocate Holt.—Am acquainted with Benjamin Wood of New York, and know his handwriting. [The endorsement, "B. Wood," on the back of the bill of exchange given above, was exhibited to the witness, and the handwriting identified by him as that of Benjamin Wood of New York.] Witness stated, further, that at the time at which the paper appeared to have been dated Mr. Wood was a member of the Congress of the United States, and he believed editor and proprietor of the New York Daily News.
EXAMINATION OF MR. ABRAHAM D. RUSSELL.
By Judge Advocate Holt.—Am acquainted with Benjamin Wood of the City of New York, and know his handwriting. (The endorsement on the bill of exchange exhibited to the previous witness was identified by this witness to be the handwriting of Mr. Wood.) At the time of the date of that bill of exchange, Mr. Wood was a member of the Congress of the United States, and editor and proprietor of the New York Daily News; witness had been in the habit of receiving letters from Mr. Wood.
Q. State whether or not, in the course of the disbursements made by Jacob Thompson of the fund placed to his credit, this requisition was drawn on the bank—[exhibiting to the witness a paper given below]? A. It was; it is in my handwriting.
Q. Please read it to the Court? A. [Reading the paper]:
"MONTREAL, Aug. 10, 1864.
"Wanted, from the Ontario Bank, on New York, in favor of Benjamin Wood, Esq., for $25,000 current funds, $10,000 debit ex $15,000."
The paper shows that the requisition was originally drawn in favor of Benjamin Wood, Esq., and that the name of D.S. Eastwood was afterward substituted.
Q. State the exact condition of that paper? A. As it reads now it is a draft on New York, payable to the order of D. S. Eastwood, that is, myself.
Q. State how that change in the requisition occurred? A. The name of Benjamin Wood, as it appeared originally, was erased at Mr. Thompson's request, and my name, as an officer of the bank, was substituted.
Q. That is the original paper, is it not? A. It is.
Q. Now look at this bill of exchange [another paper was exhibited to the witness] and state whether it was drawn upon that requisition? A. It was.
By request of Judge Advocate the witness then read the paper to the Court. It is dated Montreal, August 10, 1864, and is directed to the Cashier of the City Bank, New York, and the wording is as follows:
"At three days sight please pay to the order of D. S. Eastwood, in current funds $25,000. Value received, and charge the same to the account of this branch."
The indorsement on the bill directs the payment to be made to the Hon. Benjamin Wood or order, signed B. F. Wood.
Q. You state that the $25,000 for which this bill was drawn, is the same for which that requisition was made by Mr. Thompson in the name of Benjamin Wood? A. It was.
Q. State whether or not the bill of exchange you have read is the original one? A. It is.
Q. Where did you obtain it? A. I obtained it in New York, from the cashier of the bank on which it was drawn.
Q. Does it bear the marks of having been paid? A. I am not acquainted with the usual marks of canceling in New York, but I understood that it was paid.
The witness stated further that he was not acquainted with the Benjamin Wood referred to, but he supposed it to be the same who at the date of that transaction was a member of the Congress of the United States.
Cross examined by Mr. Aiken.—Did not recollect of having cashed any drafts or checks in favor of James Watson Wallace, Richard Montgomery, James B. Merritt, or John Wilkes Booth; about the last of October Booth purchased a bill in the bank at Montreal with which witness was connected; never heard the name of John H. Surratt mentioned before.
The Judge Advocate exhibited to the witness a list of localities on which drafts had been made by the Ontario Bank, and requested him to give the dates and amounts of the drafts which, as shown by the paper, had been drawn in New York.
The witness stated that the following were among the number of drafts drawn: On the 3d of October last, a draft for $10,000 in gold; on the 11th of October one for $5,000 in gold; on Nov. 3, 4 and 8, bills for about $6,000 in United States currency; on the 14th and 21st of March last, small drafts were also drawn.
EXAMINATION OF GEORGE WILKES.
By Judge Advocate Holt.—Am acquainted with Benjamin Wood of New York, and know his handwriting. [The endorsement, "B. Wood," on the back of the bill of exchange given above, was exhibited to the witness, and the handwriting identified by him as that of Benjamin Wood of New York.] Witness stated, further, that at the time at which the paper appeared to have been dated Mr. Wood was a member of the Congress of the United States, and he believed editor and proprietor of the New York Daily News.
EXAMINATION OF MR. ABRAHAM D. RUSSELL.
By Judge Advocate Holt.—Am acquainted with Benjamin Wood of the City of New York, and know his handwriting. (The endorsement on the bill of exchange exhibited to the previous witness was identified by this witness to be the handwriting of Mr. Wood.) At the time of the date of that bill of exchange, Mr. Wood was a member of the Congress of the United States, and editor and proprietor of the New York Daily News; witness had been in the habit of receiving letters from Mr. Wood.
What sub-type of article is it?
Legal Or Court
What keywords are associated?
Court Testimony
Ontario Bank
Jacob Thompson
Benjamin Wood
Confederate Funds
Bill Of Exchange
John Wilkes Booth
What entities or persons were involved?
Judge Advocate Holt
Jacob Thompson
Benjamin Wood
D. S. Eastwood
George Wilkes
Abraham D. Russell
James Watson Wallace
Richard Montgomery
James B. Merritt
John Wilkes Booth
John H. Surratt
Where did it happen?
Montreal, Canada
Domestic News Details
Primary Location
Montreal, Canada
Event Date
Aug. 10, 1864
Key Persons
Judge Advocate Holt
Jacob Thompson
Benjamin Wood
D. S. Eastwood
George Wilkes
Abraham D. Russell
James Watson Wallace
Richard Montgomery
James B. Merritt
John Wilkes Booth
John H. Surratt
Event Details
Witness D. S. Eastwood testifies about a requisition and bill of exchange for $25,000 drawn by Jacob Thompson on the Ontario Bank in Montreal on August 10, 1864, originally for Benjamin Wood but substituted to Eastwood; funds from Confederate bills; bill paid to Wood; cross-examination on other drafts including one by Booth; additional witnesses identify Wood's handwriting and status.