The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1881-08-11
Tho Abduction Of VILLA m Nor
gan.

Tue abOuCilOn 81 NlllErD morgan, oil
Batavia, y. Y, the exposer OF the Sc
crets Of Masonry, rendered him noto
Gus through ffe. Ii. va. tried at
Canandaigua, y. Y, in connection
with the affair AMI charged with being
one Of tie nbductors Of Morgan. He
was accuse ~ being one OF the party
Who helped to convex him from Ba
tavia 10 Fort Niagara, whittier M
was taken. no loubt. in = close car
Fia9r, aud relays of horses we're fur
nis'iri by the brethren along the route.
thus insuring rapid an secret transit.
A. the trial he was defended ~ John
q. Spcacer, a lawyer then Of great rep
utatl1u, OF CAnandeigna, 4fte. wards
Secretary Of Wa ana the Treasury.
"ho - : qusu;l. bscaiuc n0tei in the
country. The trial resulted in tile &c
qIittil Of Mr.. Gil:is and the atfa.r led
10 the form .tinn of the party known in
politics IS til. Anti Masonic party,
which held an important part 10 poll
ties from 1877 to 1882. It held such
power in Pennsylvania that 10 1885
Joseph Rltner was elected Governor by
II. The removal Of the deposits from
the United States Bank developed a
new issue and Morgan ard his platform
dropped out Of polite. At the tune
Nr. ellis was arrested he WAS residing
upon IL farm, which ne WAS clearing
up, il what was then Indiana county,
Per usylvania, and VIII Oh Is upon the
Old road known as the MilesbuTg and
Smethport turnpike, SIX miles north
east from Ridgwav. Al the time Of his
arrest be was buslly at work clearing
the farm, which was kaowu then, and
is now, as the Montgomery farm. \
Deputy Sheriff from Ontario county,.
New Gerk, came there for him. He
ws> a nan who ellis hated most IN
tensely, but he kept him over night,
As the nearest neigh0or was sixteen
miles distant. The She-if had come
there from the town of Indiana, the
county seat, accompanied by a Deputy
Sheriff Of that county. The %requisi-
ton OF the Governor of the State had
been duly recognized BY Judge Young,
who was then holding court a. Indiana,
and the proper warrant had been issued
Tor the arrest The party started on
horseback the next morning fol indiana,
= distance Of about one hundred miles,
through the woods. The most part of
the way was only a blazed line and q
Oridle path for their route. A heavy
rain had caused the Clarion, the Red
Bank and other streams to rise very
high and the party was delayed three
days over the proper time mai ing the
trip. Great anxiety was felt at Indiana,
caused 10y the delay, and the opiuion
freely expressed that GillI. had made
way with both Of the officers. Late one
afternoon, however, the community
we're relieved by arrival Of the overd4e
party. ellis was handed over to the
Sh-ritfof the county, who was a Mason,
and spent a pleasant night in the town
with his brother Masons. The next
morning he procured u writ of habeas
corpus to be issued by Judge Young.
Upon the hearing discharge was re-
fused. He Was conveyed to Canaan
daigua hy way of Franklin and Erie,
Pa, und Buffalo, \. Y. Upon the
route he lacked neither food, drink or
lodging the whole trip he refused to
associate or have anything to do with
the Deputy Sheriff who nominalIy had
him in custody would not let him ride
inside the stage with him. ellis
PIE iged his word to the Sheriff before
leaving Indiana. through a third party,
that he would accompany the deputy to
C~anandaigua pcaceably and quietly,
but if any harsh means were used he
he would not be responsible for the
consequences, and ironed he would not
be. 4 rescue could have been invited
At any point almost along the rosd.
The Sheriff knew this well; he also
knew that his prisoner was gentleman
who would keep his work, and he
relied upon it. When they arrived at
Cauandaigua he was released immedi-
ly upon bail and he returned to Penn
%sylyania. At the proper time he went
to ~Canandaigua, stood his trial and was
acquitted He had the full report Of
the trial printed in a Masonic paper OF
magazine, called the Craftsman. pub
li>hed at that, which he kept carefully
access to it. The writer of this at one
time requested Judge GIlIis to write uI
the history and knowledge of the Mr.
gan affair and leave it sealed, and it
should be kept sacred in the hands Of
the writer TIL after the death of the
former, when it should be published
and throw some light upon the mystery
His reply was: | don't know. never
did knew, what became of Morgan.
You know from what you have read
and from what have told you what
was accused Of. | have no knowledg.
as to what became of him. No Infor-
nation was ever impaired to me. lie
was evidently taken to Niagara Falls
and naSspl into Canada from one oct
of men to another. AT that time most
every British man Of-war had regular
Masonic lodges acting under a charter
from the Grand Lodge OF Great Britain.
Some of these were stationed at Mon
treal, Quebec and Halifax. He could
have been easily taken, or passed, from
) one to another, as being a man who
had divulged the secrets Of Masonry.
; till he reached one which was about
sailing TO a foreign shore, and, carried
there, kept in such position that he
! could communicate with no ons, and
: ended his life in a natural way. ]
never believed that he was murdered
J either by drowning or otherwise, a,
: alleged. AT any rate | can leave moth
| ing behind me which will throw any
} light upon the subject, sad would not
: il | could. There are many person,
| living now, descendants of those whu
were Implicated in me matter, and re
; spect for them. If nothing more, Is
| sufficient for me not all in stirring the
J subject, now almost forgotten" He
Was a truthful, honorable man. What
| he told me [ nave no doubt vas true.
J HIS SONS ASSASSINATION.