The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1875-08-26

oil the Mans BOdy.
The venerable Thurlow Weed. in
a recent issue of the New York Her.
aid, writes up all that he knows of
the so called Masonic murder of the
famous Morgan. 1t will be remem
bered by all older readers that the
question of Masonry was then in pol
itics, and that Mr.. Weed was the
leader OF the anti. Masons. We quote
from this lengthy letter Mr.. Weeds
version of the murder, and Of the
finding of the body said to be Nor
gan's:
| | did not personally know William
Morgan, who was for more than two
months writing his book in house
adjoining my residence at Rochester.
When applied to by Mr.. Dyer, my
next door neighbor, where Morgan
boarded. TO print the book purporting
to disclose the secrets of Masonry, |
defined to do SO. believing that a
man who had taken an oath to keep
a secret had no right to disclose it.
Although not Free Mason, had
entertained favorable opinions of an
institution to which Washington,
franklin, and Lafayette belonged.
On my refusal to print his book Nor
gan removed to Batavia, where he
made the acquaintance of David G.
Miller, editor of the .4dcocate, also
Mason, who became his publisher.
| pass briefly over series of facts
which were jndicially established,
embracing the arrest of Morgan, his
conveyance to the County Jail at
Canandaigua, from which he was re-
leased and conveyed by night in close
carriages through Rochester, Clark
son, and along the Ridge Road to
Fort Niagara, in the magazine of
Of which he was confined. While thus
confined a Knight Templar encamp
ment was installed at Lewiston -
When at supper the zeal and en'hu-
siasm of the Templars having been
aroused by speeches and wine, Col.
William King, of Lockport, invited
four men (Whitney, Howard, Club
buck, and Garside) from their seats
at the banqueting table into an ad
joining apartment. where he informed
them that he hal an order from the
Grand Master I'd. Witt Clinton),
The execution of which required their
assistance. The party was driven 10
Niagra, reaching the Fort little be.
fore II o'clock.
Upon entering the magazine, Col.
King Informed Morgan that his
friends had completed their arrange
mems for his removal to and resi-
dence upon farm in Canada. Nor
gan walked with them to the wharf,
where boat was held in readiness
for them by Elisha Adams. an invalid
soldier, into which the party passed
and rowed away, Adams remaining
to warn the boat off by sigual if on
its return any alarm had been given.
II waa ae.-i. s.-~ -~-'ela.l. ;.,--.i.
morning when the boat came back,
having, as Adams expressed it. lost
one man, only FIVE Of the six being on
board when the boat returned. When
the boat reached point where the
Niagara river cmp,ies into Lake On
'ario, a rope being wound around
Morgans bod Y, to either end Of which
a >inker was attached, he was thrown
overheard. 1t is due to the memory
Of Gov. Clinton TO say that Col King
had no such order, and no such au-
thority to make use of his name. 1t
is proper. also, 10 add that none of
these men survive. John Whitney, of
Rochester, whom ] know so well, re
lated all the circumstances 10 me.
at Albany, in 1881, in the presence
Of Simeon X. Jcwett, of ClarkSon,
and Samuel Barton, Of Lewiston.
In October, 1921, more than year
after the abduction Of Morgan, a body
drftea on the shore near small
creek which entered into Lake Onta-
rio. A corune,s inquest was held,
and verdict rendered that il was
the body of an unknown person. The
coroner wrote out minute descrip-
of he body, aud published it along
with the finding of the jury in al Or
leans county newspaper. That de-
scri iption, attracting the attention of
persons well acquainted with Nor.
gan, excited considerable interest,
The widow and severtl intimate
friends OF Morgan seemed SO conf
dent that it was his body that the
committee appointed to investigate
the abduction determined to hold an
other inquest, of which public notice
was given. Ga the day appointed
some sixty or seventy people assem-
bIed at The mouth of Oak Orchard
Creek, where the dead body Of the
unknown man was inferred. Before
opening the grave Mrs. Morgan and
DR.. Strong described certain marks
upon Morgan's body, by means Of
which it could be identified. When
rude coffin was opened the
body it contained disclosed The
peculiarites described. and after de-
liberate examination the jurors de-
clared it unanimously the body of
William Morgan. From this verdict
no one present dssented, and for a
week or ten days the question seem
ed to be settled
Later in October there came re-
port 'hat the body declared to be
that of William Morgan was claimed
by his family to be that of Timothy
Monroe, a Canadian, who was swept
in small boat over Niagara Falls
eleven days previous to the time the
body was washed ashore at the mouth
of Oak Orchard creek. The remaius
in the meantime had been taken to
Batavia. \ third inquest was now
to be held for the purpose of estab-
lishing the claim of Mrs. Monroe. A
large concourse of citizens was in at
tendance. Mrs. Monroe appeared,
and gave description of her hus-
bands person and of the clothes in
which he left home on the morning cf
the day he was drowned. Previous
to her examination Bates Cooke,
chairman Of the Morgan lnvestiga-
ting Committee, examined the clothes
taken from the body, and carefully
preserved by the coroner, with great
| u,inutaracS This a,ehloI him m