The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1829-06-03
From The Ontario Nv. ~ Messenger, May 25.
THE MORGAN CONSPIRACY.


ject at the Court of General Sessions of the
Peace which was held III this village during
the last week, were of the most interesting
character. The following abstract of the
principal events will in some measure salts
fly the intense curiosity of the public.
On Tuesday morning the 10Th instant,
Mr.. Whiting the District Attorney and Mr..
Spencer the Special Commissioner, produce
ed the opinion of the Supreme Court, upon
the case which had been reserved for their
advice, on the trial of Eli Bruce, in which
the objections to the jurisdiction of the
General Sessions of Ontario, were over
ruled, and that Court was advised 20
render judgment against the defendant.
At the instance of one of the counsel for
the defendant, the motion for judgment was
suspended. On Wednesday morning the
motion was made. The special commits
sioner stated to the court his desire to pro-
duce witness In aggravation of the punish
ment of Bruce and called
Hiram B. Hopkins, who being sworn,
testified that in September 1896, Eli Bruce
was Sheriff of the county of Niagara, and
that the witness was his Deputy. They
both resided in the jail at Lockport Some
two or three weeks before the abduction
of Morgan, he was informed by Bruce and
others, that it was in contemplation to re-
move Morgan from Batavia, where he then
was, directly across the country, to Lewis
ton, to carry him to Fort Niagara, and ulti-
mately to put him on board British man of
war. On one particular night, six or eight
days before Morgan was carried from Ba-
tavia to Canandaigua, Bruce called the wit
ness up, from his bed and told him that he
expected Morgan Immediately, and that
witness must prepare cell in the jail for
his reception. A cell was pointed out for
that purpose, which was the most secret
and retired in the Jail, and which did not
communicate with any other. The witness
prepared this cell accordingly; but Morgan
did not arrive.
The witness was at the installation of the
Chapter Of Royal Arch Masons at Lewis
ton on the 18th of September, and was then
informed that Morgan had arrived and was
| confined In Fort Niagara; this was gener-
ally known among the masons assembled
there.
In answer to Neutrality-suspicious. by the
counsel for the defendant, he stated that
he had not disclosed the facts to which he
now testified until recently, when he had
communicated them to Mr.. Spencer ct
Lockport. That he had considered him
self bound by his masonic obligations, not
to disclose them, until his own reflections
had satisfied him that he had no right to
withhold them. That he had been unhap-
py ever since the occurrence, and found no
peace of mind until he had revealed it.
On Saturday night, after the trial of
Whitney and ellis was concluded, the
court proceeded to pass judgment on Eli
Bruce. Judge Howell felt and spoke as a
man, sympathising with the suferings of a
fellow being, whose character in life had
hitherto been most respectable, who had
filed a most responsible office, and who
had wife and helpless family to share his
misfortunes and disgrace. His former
character and the information derived from
his neighbors, he said, induced the belief
that Bruce was not depraved man, but
one who would revolt from the commission
of what he deemed any offence against the
laws. His conduct was to be accounted
for, only, on the ground, that he supposed
himself bound by the obligations he had
entered into, with the masonic fraternity to
commit the outrage he had perpetrated.
Nothing, said the Judge, could be more fall
lacious no principle could be more dan
gerous in any community having an or
gained government. No set of men, be
their number large or small, had right to
combine themselves together in any as
ISOLATION, for purposes hostile to the pro-
visions of law. No man had a right to
withdraw his allegiance from his country
and its government while he lived under its
protection; no citizen could by any act of
his enter into any obligation to do any act
forbidden by the law. His obligations to
obey the laws of his country, were para
mount to all others which he could possibly
mn ho 80
William Morgan, had shown that there was
lamentable and most dangerous delusion
on this subject; and it became the solemn
duty of courts of justice to dispel it, and to
teach all men, and particularly those who
INDUCED this fatal error, that the law was
over them, and that they must submit to it.
That for this reason, and having this object
in view, the court were bound to make him,
Bruce, an awful example Of the consequent
ces of acting upon the principle upon which
he and his associates had peIpetrated the
offence of which he had been convicted.
They were further called to the DISCHARGE
this painful duty, by n consideration of the
official station which Bruce held at the
very moment, and of his having perverted
that station to purposes, which it was his
special duty to prevent After most power
full appeal to the feelings of Bruce, which
melted the hearts of all who heard it, the
Judge announced the sentence of the court
to be, that "You, Eli Bruce, be confined in
close and secure custody, in the common
Jail of the county of Ontario, for the term Of
two years and four months"
On Thursday the trial of John Whitney
and James ellis commenced. A mass of
testimony was introduced on the part ofthe
people, which occupied the court and Jury
Al L. 20 4
ming of the next day, the 22d. On the
morning of the 23d, the testimony on the