The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1827-10-31
MoRGAN,s BODY FOUND.

MORGANS BODY FOUND.
The ferment in the public mind, in New
York. has received a new impulse in conse-
quencc of the irding of body, washed up on
the shore of Lake Ontario, which appears to
have been identified, beyond doubt, as the body
of Capt WILLIAM MORGAN, and so pro-
nounced by the unanimous verdict Of jury of
twenty three persons. A Pamphlet has been
published at Rochester, detailing all the par
tculars, from which we have made the follow
ing abridgement.
On Sunday, the 9TH inst. two men discov-
cred a dead body upon the beach of Lake
Ontario, a few rods east of the mouth Of
Oak Orchard Creek, which, from the color
of the face, they supposed to he negro.
Information was Immediately given to
Robert NJ. Brown, who summoned an in
quest. The Jurors found that it was " the
body Of an unknoIc7t man, tchO came to has
death BY Su6ocdtion By drowning" The
body was then decently uttered, near the
spot where it was found Rumors were
circulating for three or four days, that a
body resembling Morgan's, had been found
at Oak Orchard; but no Importance was
attached to it, until Friday evening the
18th inst. when we received the Orleans
Wing, containing the report of the Coro-
ner.
SO many points of resemblance to Nor
gan where recognized in this description,
that the Committee was called together,
and some gentlemen in the village, init
mately acquainted with Capt Morgan,
sent for. DIR. Ezra Strong found by re-
ferring to his book, that he had extracted
two teeth for Morgan and recollected dis
tlnctly, that his teeth correspondent with
those described in the Coroner's report.
Mr.. Russell Dyer recolected the sinou-
larlty OF Morgan's teeth, having frequently
observed them. He stated, however. dis
tinctly, that the teeth were missing from
Morgan's upper instead of the lO,oer Jaws
He also stated positively, that Morgan had
a broken tooth adjoining the vacancy in the
upper Jaw, near the corner of the mouth.
Mr.. Dyer was so confident about his teeth,
as to declare that if the report Of the Coro-
ner was correct, the body found could not
be Morgan's.
The height, age, and coincidence of
double teeth all around, however, seemed
to require an investigation, and the Com
mlttee immediately despatched Messrs
Weed and Marchant to the spot where the
body was found, and Mr.. Dyer went ex-
press to Batavia for Mrs. Morgan, and
other persons who knew him. Mr.. Brown,
the Coroner, proceeded with them to the
Lake, and several citizens soon assembled,
who assisted in preparing for an examna-
ton. In the afternoon, Messrs. Fitch,
Holden, and Gibbs of Batavia, with r.
Dyer, of Rochester, arrived. The recol-
lections of these gentlemen about the
person of Captain Morgan, wero stated be-
fore the body was disihterred. The pecu-
llarities recollected by these gentlemen,
related to the teeth and hair Of Morgan.
Mr.. Fitchs recollection about his hair was
full and distinct R. Dyer repeated his
statement about the absent and broken
teeth in the upper jaw.
The body was then taken from the grave
TOR examination. 1t was much bloated and
discolored, but the flesh was unbroken.
The head, except the face, appeared natu-
raj. The hair, Of which there was a pro
fusion on the back Of the head, in the neck,
and on the chest, dropped out upon touch
ING it., The nails of the fingers and feet
were loose. The hair correspondent MI
nutely with the description of Mr.. Fitch,
and the absent and broken teeth were
ioulu VTeCCSety US SLaLeu ny oyer. Long
white hairs described in Morgan's ears bv
L. Fitch were not found so thick as he had
represented, but upon examination a mass
OF matted hair of that description was
found deposited in the bottom of the ear.
After careful examination, Messrs Dyer,
Fitch, and Gibbs, gave an upequivocal
opinion, that it was the dead body Of VIII
LIAM MORGAN. Mr.. Holden's recollcctions.
OF Morgan were not as distinct as the 9TH
or gentlemen, but he was confident, that
the resemblance of the head and hair, was
very striking. Under these circumstances,
1T became proper to institute further inves-
legations, and to identify the remains legal
ly.
The inhabitants who reside on that shore
state, that within the last Is years, 2 bod
les, drowned in the Niagara river, have
drIfted ashore within three or four miles of
the Oak Orchard creek. Col. Howell
states, that while he was one Of the coron-
ers of the county, he held four inquests up-
on bodies, identified to have been lost in
the Niagara river. This shows the tenden-
cy of the current to deposit what comes
out Of the river in that vicinity. The dis
lance is between30 and 40 miles.
-
In the Coroner report, by mistake, Il was
said the teeth were missing in the lowcr Jaw.