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Who Will Verify The Story Of
Bill Desmond's Treasure Theft
In Virginia In 1839?

A Reward Of 1-Oz In Pure Gold Awaits That Person

The Hutton Commentaries Inc. (THC) is a nonprofit, public-benefit, educational organization based in Virginia Beach, Virginia. It was incorporated in the state of Virginia in February of 2006 for the purpose of carrying out scientific evaluations of psychic assertions about geophysical phenomena. The corporation's research activities are carried out with the intention of improving our understanding of ourselves as discerning human beings by determining the truth or falsity of information from psychic sources claiming to reveal past, present, or future events. No other organization controls or directs THC's activities. The Hutton Commentaries Inc. (THC) relies on donations and bequests from the general public, charitable institutions, and the business community. Every contribution helps. Donations are U.S. income-tax deductible since the corporation is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization. This article is an example of THC's attempt to determine the validity of Edgar Cayce's 996-01 through 996-12 series of readings on Bimini. We deal here with only the first and 10th readings in the series. (Several are missing from the vault at the Association For Research and Enlightenment in Virginia Beach.)

Webmaster's note:

The Hutton Commentaries, Inc. was dissolved at the end of 2012, and no longer has any corporate or tax status. The offer of a reward at the end of this article is likewise, no longer in effect.

THE BILL DESMOND STORY

As Given In 1926 In An Edgar Cayce Psychic Reading

The tale of Bill Desmond begins with Cayce reading 996-1, highlighted in yellow directly below.

TEXT OF READING 996-1

This Psychic reading given by Edgar Cayce at his office, 115 West 35th Street, Virginia Beach, Va., this 14th day of August, 1926, in accordance with request made by Mr. [287].

P R E S E N T

Edgar Cayce; Dr. T. B. House, Conductor; Gladys Davis, Steno.; Mr. [287].

R E A D I N G
Time of Reading: 3:30 P. M. Eastern Standard Time.

TBH: You will give a reading on Bimini Island, located in the Atlantic Ocean, about 45 miles almost due east of Miami, Dade County, Florida. You will go over this island, and tell us whether there is oil on this island in sufficient quantities to insure profit. If so, give us the log of the formations that would be gone through in drilling to the oil sand, depth of the well necessary to reach the oil production, also tell us if there are any treasures buried on this island. If so, when were they buried, and where can they be located, and to whom do they belong at this time?

EC: Yes, we have the land known as Bimini, in the Atlantic Ocean. In the formation of the land, we find this of the nature that would make the oil production very low, for this is of the coral structure in the greater part, but this is the highest portion left above the waves of once a great continent, upon which the civilization as now exists in the world's history found much of that as would be used as means for attaining that civilization.

Then, as to treasures, there are many that are hidden, also those that may be made remunerative - from physical conditions and structure of this body of land - among those larger buried treasures - that consists of gold, bullion, silver, and of plate ware, or beaten ware - this was made a cache on the higher portion of the isle from the cove as enters island from the south and west from that portion direct from Miami. This, as we see, was in eighteen thirty-nine (1839), and under these conditions:

In the trade and exchange of peoples as were brought to the western world, many being located in that now known, and then known, as James River. Among these was one, Bill Desmond, who took charge of the schooner, or yacht, or boat, that had landed such a cargo, by that of mutiny, and robbing the store-keeper in that settlement nearly opposite from Jamestown, escaped down the coast on the ninth (9th) day of March, eighteen thirty-nine (1839), and on the twenty-second (22nd) was shipwrecked in this isle, and with four others escaped to this isle with the ill-gotten gains. The building in which these lived for a time was erected on this promontory above the cove from timbers that were gathered from the wreck. On the thirty-first (31st) of the month the cache was made in the side of the abode in which these men took refuge. One died of snake bite. Another was poisoned by berries as grew on the hill above the spring that still shows in this place. The two remaining were the ones who fell out over the division of the spoils, and after this wounding one attempted to escape to the mainland - lost in the surf, only a portion of the loot being taken, and that returned, with much other, to the cache by Desmond, whose remains are in that vault. The amount here would amount, in coin, at present, to near a hundred and twenty thousand (120,000) gold coin, and much silver and of specie from the containers would amount to near as much more.

As for other treasures, many in greater or lesser quantities may be located in and about the isle. Some are inaccessible. Others not worth the expense of probing, or of obtaining permission for probing. As to whom they belong, at this day, to the government, whom owns this land.

We are through.

So here we see that an important treasure may exist on South Bimini. What we need to do now -- right at the beginning -- is to see if there is any evidence of the Desmond theft in the local or regional newspapers covering March or April of 1839. One would think that if it were known at all, the theft would have been recorded somewhere in the written records of the time. Even with the help of individuals associated with Jamestown Rediscovery, however, I was unable to find anything specific about the "Desmond event," as I had begun to characterize it. Perhaps insurance companies could be checked for evidence of loss of the gold and silver cargo mentioned in the reading. Here is my last email to my most supportive helper, whom will be known only as "M," telling of my trip to the Library of Virginia (LVA) in Richmond on December 18, 2009, to search the archives of newspapers in microfilm there.

 

Dear M:

Before what follows, thanks for the Kornwolf pages. (I take it that Kornwolf is James D., and that the book is the Virginia 1777 Bicentennial Committee Guide to the Buildings of Surry and the American Revolution.) I see what you mean about the "settlement {being possibly Cobham} nearly opposite from Jamestown," being on the south side of the James River.

I arrived at the LVA at 9:00 a.m. sharp, parked in the basement, and familiarized myself with procedures for using the micro-film archives.

There are NO March 1839 Petersburg newspapers in the LVA holdings, and before I left the library, a reference librarian fellow called his counterpart at the Petersburg Library and learned that that facility has none either for March 1839.

I did check the Richmond Enquirer for March 1838 as best I could. There was nothing that I saw about the Bill Desmond event. (Next time I'll use a film reader that is better than the crank type, to speed thinks up.) One column, that I kept seeing, reads: "For sale: Land, Negroes, and Other Property." No wonder we had a Civil War over, ostensibly, slavery.

I contacted the Head Archivist, named Jennie, I think. She got me to request Film 51, indexed as the Petersburg Intelligencer, from the LVA stacks. When it came down from the stacks, it said on the box, "The American Constellation -- August 31, 1823 thru Feb 10, 1844," but there were in fact NO 1839 newspapers on the film. The Republican (of Petersburg, VA) is also on this film, but not for 1839.

Jennie also told me, after looking it up, that the Williamsburg Gazette for 1839 is not available in the LVA.

So the result of my brief visit is a big fat ZERO.

What would you do if in my shoes at this point. Nothing?

William Hutton

So at this point in THC's quest for information on the Desmond event, we have decided to ask for the help of subscribers (first) and then, after 30 days, members of the general public. Could you be one such person? See the terms of THC's reward offering at the end of this article.

Did Hutton and Associates Find Evidence of Desmond's Shipwreck At Bimini in 1970?

In 1970, "William Hutton" was a former Assistant Director of Physical, Chemical, and Geological Oceanography at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) and Professor of Marine Science at William and Mary. While in this position he also was President of a Virginia corporation called Environmental Research Associates, Inc.  

http://www.huttoncommentaries.com/images/Other/Bimini/DesmondTreasure/AtlUndisc_Fig1_600.jpg Map of the Bimini Islands, showing locations of materials referred to in text. Bathymetric contours are in fathoms.

One day in 1970, the head of the Real Estate Department at North American Rockwell called me and asked me to form a team to investigate evidence of the lost continent of Atlantis found, supposedly, in the near shore environment off of the two Bimini Islands in the Bahamas. Rockwell then owned property on North Bimini directly off of what had been billed as "enigmatic stonework" on the sea floor. Marble and cement cylinders had also been found almost on the shore nearby. See the graphic.

I asked two colleagues of mine at VIMS to go with me to investigate the evidence of Atlantis at Bimini, and then published the results of our work on April 2, 1971 in Nature (v. 230, no. 5292, pp. 287-289). The title of this paper is "Atlantis Undiscovered -- Bimini Bahamas." What non-professionals thought was evidence of Atlantis has since been shown to be beachrock, less than about 5,000 years old. The most interesting part of our work, documented in our Nature paper, has to do with the evidence of a ship wreck at the inlet to Bimini harbor. I'm talking about the cement cylinders and marble column pieces. Various experts in cement technology commented on samples of the cement that we sent to them. Mrs. Bryant Mather, U. S. Army Corps of Engineers, wrote to me to say that "the material consists of calcite, brucite, a complex calcite aluminum hydrate, quartz, hydrogarnet, a little ettringite and some sort of calcium aluminoferrite, suggesting that the material is hydrated natural cement manufactured after about 1800." The material also contains widely separated particles of partially carbonized coal, supporting the belief that it is a simple natural cement cement from lime kilns in the United States, England, France, or Belgium."

And in a later communication, two Scripps oceanographers wrote to me that the marble-column pieces associated with the shipwreck debris field could have come from New England. Dr. Lyons, then of Dartmouth College, said that a possible clue to the marble's origin is its pyrite content. To the author of this THC article, the materials looked like ballast stones.

I concluded my paper by writing, "The most like likely explanation of the marble and cement cylinders is that they were construction materials that were transported by ship when, either by shipwreck or design, they came to rest on the seafloor off Entrance Point." If we fast forward to November of last year, it was Jonathan Eagle who suggested strongly to me that maybe my VIMS colleagues and I had actually discovered Bill Desmond's shipwreck. Maybe so. If true, one might be able to locate today some of the treasure lost by "that one {who} attempted to escape to the mainland - lost in the surf, only a portion of the loot being taken, and that returned, with much other, to the cache by Desmond." Use of a good underwater precious-metal detector would be useful here, remembering all the while that the Bahamian government has the right to 25 percent of any treasure recovered on government property. Find below some photographs of our search at the southern tip of North Bimini, at the entrance to the Bimini lagoon.

../images/Other/Bimini/DesmondTreasure/slides/BedrockGroovesNearShore800.jpg General view of the shipwreck-debris field at the southern tip of North Bimini. The Gulf Stream lies to the southwest; Bimini lagoon lies to the northeast. Bedrock grooves are difficult to make out on this air-photo enlargement, but they trend NE-SW here on the ocean side of Inlet Point. One conjectures that the captain of the ship wrecked here didn't quite make it around the point of land and into the lagoon on the other side of the point.
http://www.huttoncommentaries.com/images/Other/Bimini/DesmondTreasure/slides/MarbleColMap800.jpg Location diagram showing the positions of the grooved marble pieces (on left side), and the cement barrels (on the right side). The first number is "barrel" length, and second the diameter, in cm. Note the orientation of the compass rose at the top of the diagram.
../images/Other/Bimini/DesmondTreasure/slides/CementPieceOnLand_enh400.jpg A barrel-shaped "ballast stone" composed of hydrated natural cement, as pulled from a groove in the surf zone.
../images/Other/Bimini/DesmondTreasure/slides/Diver_MarbleColumn_filtered_800.jpg A diver approaches one of the two grooved marble pieces.
../images/Other/Bimini/DesmondTreasure/slides/ShipwreckCargoField800.jpg Divers are shown measuring the shipwreck-debris field and associated bedrock grooves.
../images/Other/Bimini/DesmondTreasure/slides/WorkOnShipWreckCargo800.jpg Divers cleaning off encrustations on one of the cement "ballast stones."

Finally, the reader might want to consider that Cayce and his treasure- seeking cohorts {or "psychic exploiters," some would say} were unsuccessful in their Bimini efforts. Those who would try to succeed where the searchers in 1926-1927 failed should take note.

TEXT OF READING 996-10

This Psychic Reading given by Edgar Cayce at the Halcyon Hotel, Miami, Florida, this 24th day of February, 1927, in accordance with request made by those present.

P R E S E N T

Edgar Cayce; Mrs. Gertrude Cayce, Conductor; Gladys Davis, Steno. Mr. [2671].

R E A D I N G
Time of Reading 12:00 Noon - Eastern Standard Time.

GC: You will have before you the psychic work being manifested through Edgar Cayce, and those closely associated with same. You will also have before you all the information that has been given regarding the Florida trip and the good that might be accomplished through it. You will answer the questions which I will ask you regarding this, and also regarding the three individuals directly connected with the work.

EC: Yes, we have those conditions as given, and we find this covers a great deal that may be said or given as respecting such conditions, such relations, and the far afield that such association, such surrounding, brings about - and the various conditions arising from these. But ready for questions.

(Q) You will tell us if the work itself, and the actions of the three individuals associated directly with the work, have been in keeping with that given they should be, to bring the best to all concerned.
(A) These have been exemplary, and in keeping with the cosmic laws as govern the association of such as a whole. Variations, to be sure - as are human - and the result of such is of an individual nature and will rebound to such, see

(Q) Has that been accomplished for which the trip was made?
(A) Not in whole, no. In part, yes. But the work as yet has not been completed - for, as was given, there is some specific work to be done. This has not as yet been carried out to that extent to bring about the conditions that were sought; yet in the study of these situations and conditions as have been brought about, we will find that some will use the situation to their good, in that lessons as are gained through these experiences will prove beneficial. Others will find conditions that are not savory, and that bespeak to them of conditions not satisfactory. Hence BUILDING a complex that would prove detrimental. Hence necessary that these conditions - to be complete - be carried to that extent that the greater good may be accomplished, or that each may have the opportunity to so use same in their INDIVIDUAL lives as to be the most beneficial - for this is as the law, see?

(Q) What specific conditions are referred to as have not been carried out? and how may we proceed to complete same?
(A) Those as of specific locations for treasures, that each associated with same promises in self to use same in such and such a manner. As seen, one specific: Ask, and information given as respecting same. The locating of treasure as cached or buried by Desmond in South Bimini, or that land now known or called by that name - this (the conditions as were given) was such that the information not incorrect, but information given in such a way and manner that those carrying out same did not succeed in locating same.

Now this treasure lies there where given, near this tree, just as given, and is to be removed by those as sought for same, in the way and manner as has been given, see? Go nearer the tree, see? Keep to the north more, see? This may be removed - see?

(Q) Is it the tree that is marked with the pencil mark, in the new chip?
(A) The tree marked with pencil mark, and about which the information has centered, that the dwelling or abode or lean-to as was erected was against or near, see? All these markings show on this tree - that one about which the diggings show, that one that shows that heat on the north side hindered the growth, that one where marks show - old and new - of cuttings - that one whose roots entwine or tangle about the treasure placed there, see?

(Q) Do any of the large roots go over the treasure?
(A) Many of these go over the treasure, that are on the top of ground, see?

(Q) Regarding Broad Creek Channel [[1274] series] and the treasure there, and those seeking same, are they carrying out the reading at the present time in the proper way and manner to locate this treasure? and how near are they to same?
(A) These are in the vicinity of the two treasures, yet far away from finding same - for this must be carried out in the way and manner as given; for, as given, this is HARD to find - yet easily obtained when found. Much easier than many others, for many conditions have surrounded these.

Now, as regarding the conditions as we see as relating to treasures, and as relating to the association of those as about same, and of the individuals specifically as have been asked concerning here - we find these three particularly associated have varying conditions or beliefs or elements of trust as respecting individual element of trust. The same as those to whom information given, who would cooperate with the information in being the means of removing, obtaining, using, or putting to use, such treasurers. Each, as seen, must learn their lesson in the proper way and manner, would such prove beneficial to each - for, while an aptitude, or an attitude of an individual, does not alter the position of treasure as placed there by another - but that attitude, or that aptitude, varies what the recovery of same would be in the life of the individual. Consider all well - for, as has been given, information as is given through the manifestation of the Universal Forces as are manifested through this body, Edgar Cayce, in the subconscious or unconscious forces, is for the up-lifting, and should never be used for other than that - for when such is lended to any purpose, any individual, that would abuse rather than use, much abuse comes to the INDIVIDUALS and to the work that may be accomplished, in deterring or putting aside those that would, or should, or could, be aided - when the right way is followed.

(Q) In what way are they not following the suggestions?
(A) The information as given respecting this is as that when given - that, when this is followed properly, and in the manner and way given, is sure to bring success. Do it in that way and manner, if success would come!

(Q) Should we stay for further development here, or should we return to Virginia Beach and take up the work where we left off?
(A) The work is not left off! This is improperly worded - for work only progresses, and - as has been given - first to individuals, then to groups, to classes, to masses, to nations, to peoples. Just as is seen that the work has progressed since the use of same applied to assisting those that would gain a better understanding or conception of the purpose of life, and the applying of the purpose in the lives of individuals - whether for mental, moral, spiritual, or financial gains. In the present, then, we find work incomplete. This should first be set aright, and then in the next five to six - not later than eight days - return; and let each as has contacted and associated self in mind, heart, body, or money, so apply those conditions as have contacted their lives to bring to themselves and to others the reward of the contact of association in the broader, greater, better sense, of having seen the manifestations of the Universal law as applies in human lives.

(Q) How may we help to set this right?
(A) By giving just that information that, as it were, each may be pricked in their own hearts, as to apply the purpose of life in their individual lives and association with men. Return then in eight days, see?

(Q) What should we do regarding our financial condition at this time, taking into consideration our obligations and expenses?
(A) The laborer is ever WORTHY of the hire. The conditions as relating to finances take care of themselves, when individuals apply themselves in the way and manner as is in keeping. Fear not! for consider the lilies of the valley, or the grass that is abloom to-day and to-morrow cast in the oven - for "The silver and gold is mine," sayeth the Lord, and he that would harken and do according to the ways as is set shall never athirst nor want for bread.

(Q) Regarding Gladys Davis, you will tell her if the mental and spiritual has manifested, and is being manifested through the physical in the way and manner that will bring the best to self and others, in carrying out the purpose for which she came to the earth plane?
(A) Too many conditions to be considered to give in this. In a way and manner, yes. In another way and manner, no. Look to thine own heart. "Let thy spirit bear witness with my spirit," sayeth the Lord, and in this set self aright in the eyes of all, and let not thine good be evil spoken of.

We are through for the present.

Earning The Gold Reward For Verifying the Desmond Story In Reading 996-1

 

../images/Other/Bimini/DesmondTreasure/gold-maple-leaf.jpg

The winner of a 1-ounce, pure-gold, Canadian Maple Leaf coin will be the person who submits a copy of a newspaper article or other written document that verifies any relevant feature of the Desmond event described in the Cayce reading at the beginning of this article. This submission must be verifiable by a third party, such as a librarian or court-house clerk. Send your signed entry to:

The Hutton Commentaries
Suite 1272-279
1340 N. Great Neck Road
Virginia Beach, VA 23454

Include your name, address, and telephone number in your submission.  

Webmaster's Note

This contest is now over. While there was no winner to this contest, the information is still of interest.

If anyone has records as stipulated above, which they would like considered, please contact
the webmaster for the HuttonCommentaries.com