Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1875-08-12
sooNkIssIoN MERCHsNT..

days under water. Il was ascertained by
meteorological records that, during the in
terval between MonrOe's death and the find
inc of the body al Oak Orchard Creek, the
wind blew most Of the time up the lake.
Now, as there is no current in Lake Onta-
rio, and as objects d0at with rather than
against the wind, il seemed improbable
that the body found should be that Of Mon
roe; while on the other hand il seemed
equally improbable that a man drowned
in the latter part Cf September, 1926, could
have been found in a tOlerabie state Of
preservation IN October, 1877. So that
there were irrecOncilable facts and circum-
stances connected with this strange history.
Mrs. Morgan and the intimate friends Of
Morgan described marks upon his person
before seeing that body, which left no doubt
in the minds Of all present that il was the
remains Of her husband. Strangely enough,
however, she repUdiated every article Of
clothing found upon the body. And yet
Mrs. Monroe, who came from Canada, read
ily described every article, garment BY gar
ment, with minute and startling accuracy.
While, therefore, up to the time that Mrs.
Monroe appeared there were no Just grounds
for discrediting the correctness of the sec
Ond inquest, yet after the third inquest had
been held al Batavia there was a strong re.
action in public opinion. Although the
gentlemen associated with me in the in
vestigatiOn we're still strongly Of the Opin-
ion that the body was that Of William Nor
gan, my own previously clear and strong
convictions were a good deal disturbed.
Nor can l now, after nearly fifty years
anxious irquiry and reflection, say that
am satisfied that it was or was not the body
of William Morgan.
The discrepancies about hair and beard
between Mrs. Morgan and Mrs. Monroe,
after the conclusion of the third OF Batavia
inquest, induced those who claimed the
body to be that of Timothy Monroe to say
that the hair was pulled out and the whis
kers shaven of 10 make it resemble Nor
gan. That could only have been done in
the presence Of between sixty and seventy
persons, some Of whom were Democrats
and others FreemasOns, and yet all must
have seen and consented to the fraud. The
last inquest was held only few days be-
fore the election. No other question en-
tered into the canvass. The excitement
was greater than had previously or have
since witnessed.
ORIGIN OF THE "GOOD ENOUGH" STORY.
A few evenings before the election I
went .ntO a billiard saloon TO see my friend
Gus.avus Clark. A number Of gentlemen
were present, and among them EbeneZer
Griffin, who, as counsel for several persons
indicted for the abduction of Morgan, had
conducted the inquest at Batavia. As l
was leaving the room Mr.. Griffin said,
"Well, Weed, what are you going 10 do for
Morgan nOW?' l replied, as l was
closing the door, ''That is a good enough
Morgan until you bring back the one you
carried away This remark was repro
duced in the Rochester Daily AdrertiSer,
with an apparently slight but most import
ant variation, instead Of what did in fact
say. was represented as saying, THAT is
a good enough Morgan until after the
election" What l did say in reply to Mr..
Grifin's question was a proper and harm
less response, while what l was erroneous
ly accused Of saying was highly discredita-
bic, and has subjected me, at home and
abroad, for nearly fifty years to reproach
and OblcqUy.