Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1875-09-02
THE MORGAN" ABDUCTION.
A Mystery of Fifty Years Ago,
Thurlow Weeds Reminis-
cences of the Anti Mason
ic Crusade.
The Murderer-The BSdy- Was
IL mergan's or Menrec's-
The s'Gsed1 Enough III
k1eSaaE 90 Stsry.s

Ihc "Oeou Enough" fAEl
hgBass naS s'sry a. a esrs|
Letter of Thurlow Weed to the New
York Herald. M009ai23i1
/ did not personally know William
Morgan, who was for more than two
months wri ing his book in a house ad-
joining my residence, at Rochester. When
applied to by Mr.. Dyer, my next door
n%eighbor, where Morgan boarded, to
print the Book purportiag to disclose the
secrets Of Masonry, I declined to do SO,
believing that a man who had taken an
oath to keep a secret had no right to dis
close it. Although not o Freemasou, l
had entertained favorable opinions Of an
institution 70 which Washington, Frank
lin and Lafayette belonged. Oh my re-
fusal to print his book, Morgan removed
to Batavia, where he made the acqaain.
lance Of David g. Miller, editor Of the
Avaldnch, also a Mason, who became his
publisher. l pass briefly over a series Of
facts which were judicially established,
embracing the arrest Of Morgan, his con.
veyance to and confinement II the county
Jail at Canandaigua, from which be was
released and conveyed by night in close
carriages through Rochester, Clarkson
and along the Ridge road to Fort Niagara,
in the magazine Of which he was cons
fined. While thus confined a knight
Templar %encampment was installed at
Lewistown. When at supper the zeal
and enthusiasm Of the Temp,ars having
been aroused by speeches and wine, Col.
William King, Ct Lockport, invited four
men (Whitney, Howard. Chubbuck and
Garside) from their seats at the %banquet>
ing table into an adjoining apartment,
where he informed them he had an order
from the Grand Master de Witt Clinton)
the execution Of which required their as
,sistauce. This party was then driven to
Niagara, reaching the fort a little before
twelve o'clock.
THE MURDER OF MORGAN.
Upon entering the magazine Col King
informed Morgan that his friends bad
completed their arrangements for his re-
..-movalt to and residence upon farm il
Canada. Morgan walked with them tc
the wharf, where a boat was held in read
incss for them by Elisha Adams, an in
valid soldier, into which the party passec
and rowed away, Adams remaining t.
warn the boat off by signal if on its re,
turn any alarm had been given. 1t wa
nearly two o'clock in the morning whel
the boat came back, having, as Adam
expressed it LOST only one man, only 6v
Of the six being on board when the boa
returned. When the boat reached q poin
where the Niagara River empties int
Lake Ontario, a rope being wound aroun'
Morgan's body, to either end Of which
sinker was attached, he was thrown over
bead. 1t is due to the memory Of Gov
Clinton to say that COL King had n
such order and authority to make use 0
his name. 1t is proper also, to add tina
none of these men survive. John Whit
ney, Of Rochester, whom I knew we'll, re
lated all the circumstances connected wit
the last act in that tragedy to mi at A
bsny in 1881, in the presence Of Since
B. Jewett, Of Clarkson. and Samuel Bal
ton, Of Lewiston.
FINDING THE BODY.
In October, 1927, moro than a YET
after the abduction Of Morgan, a bod
drifted on shore near q small creek whic
entered into Lake Ontario. A coroner
inquest was held, and a verdict rendere
that it was the body Of an unknown pc
2 son.. The coroner wrote out a mimi
description Of the body. and published
q along with the finding Of the jury in {
Orleans county newspaper. That de
eruption, attracting the attention Of pc
sons we'll acquainted with Morgan, excite
considerable interest. The widow OF
several intimate friends Of Morgan seem,
50 confident that it was his body that II
committee appointed to investigate Il
abduction determined to hold anoth
inquest, Of which public notice was give
On the day appointed some sixty
seventy people assembled at the mouth
Oak Orchard creek, where the body
the unknown man was inferred. Befo
opening the grave Mrs. Morgan and I
Strong described certain marks up
Morgan's body, by means Of which
could be identified. When the ru
coffin was opened tho body it contain
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