Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1881-03-22

FACTS CONCERNING 1T NEVER BEFORE
PUBLISHED.
NEW YORK, March 5.-The venera-
BILE Thurlow Weed, of this city, one of
the most noted figures in the politics of
the past, lives quietly and handsomely.
No man has better acquaintance with
the politicians of the last generation
than he, and he still takes such a strong
interest in public matters that several
quiet visits made. at the custom house in
this city during the past few days by
him gave rise to rumors that caused
many that occupy snug berths conside
rable fears. Although Mr.. Weed was
not very well, he courteously consented
to talk to-day of the celebrated Morgan
case, interest in which has been reviv-
ed throughout New York State and the
country by the recent articles on the
mysterious murder of the two sons of
Judge James L. Gillis. Mr.. Weed was
an editor in Rochester, and took a pro-
minent part in all the proceedings in
reference to Morgan, being stong anti
Mason. His connection with the case
began from the first, as Morgan wanted
him to print his book, which he refus-
ed.
THE STORY OF MORGAN.
II was sorry to hear of the trouble
Judge Gillis is having in his old age"
said Mr.. Weed II knew him very we'll
and he was very worthy man, as were
all those engaged in the persecution of
Morgan. You can have no idea of the
excitement that case caused for at least
decaed. It became a political issue
without any intention ON the part of the
anti-Masons, and the latter became a
strong party. Judge Gillis was not
tried for the murder but for abducting
Morgan. The facts in the case were
about these: Morgan was drunken
stone-mason and q member of the order
of Free Masons. With the help of a
country printer he printed an expose OF
the first three degrees of Masonry and
was about exposing the Royal Arch
degrees when the MasOns determined
to put stop to 1t. Morgan had come
to me q was in the newspaper business
at Rochester at the time) to print his
of secrecy before began the work, and
Morgan arrested on a trumped-up
charge of petit larceny and lodged in
Jail. They then made arrangements to
carry him off. A party of them, includ-
ing Gillis, Nicholas e. Cheseborough,
whose daughter called on me not half
an hour ago, and James Whitney and
others, went to the Jail, and, after con-
siderable parleying with the jailor's
wife, they prevailed on her to give Nor
gan up. This was about 9 o'clock in
the evening, and the party drove off at
once. The idea of the Masons was sim
ply to get Morgan away from the bad
company he was in. In Which case the
Masons believed he would give up his
design of exposing the secrets of the
order. They proposed to buy him a
farm in Canada and turn him from his
evil ways generally. When the party
left the Jail they drove hurriedly to
Mendum, where they changed horses,
then to Rochester, Charleston and Lew.
iston, driving rapidly and changing
horses several times. Finally, Morgan
was lodged in the magazine at Fort
Niagara. The plan was now changed
to provide for Morgan by sending him
away from civilization in the employ OF
the Northwestern Fur Company. There
were several meetings of the lodge and
chapter at Niagara on the subject, but
many Masons refused to have anything
to do with the scheme. Then the mat
| ter became imperative; something had
to be done, and at once.
THE FATE OF MORGAN.
"It was found dangerous to recede or
go on. After Morgan had been a pris-
oner in the magazine for three or four
days there was large meeting of Ma
sons to install an Encampment in q
Canadian town near by. Prominent
men were present, including members
of the New York Legislature, and the
evening ended with grand supper, at
which excited speeches were made by
several prominent members of the order
in the case of Morgan. At last the
Chaplain was called on for toast, and
he gave the following: "The Enemies
of our Order: May they find grave
six feet long and six feet due east and
west" This contained hidden signi-
ficance, and Col. King, who was at the
table, called four gentlemen outside, and
carriage being called. they were driv-
en- to Fort Niagara, where they arrived
at 4 o'clock in the morning. Morgan
was called up and was told that they
| bought him farm, etc. He went with
them, and they took boat and rowed
out four miles into Lake Ontario. Here
they wound a rope loaded with sinkers
around Morgan and threw him over
board. A man at the fort, whom I af-
terward looked up in Vermont, saw the
boat leave with six men and return
with but five. OF course all these facts
were denied, and the world said the
committee that Investigated the matter
were politicians and were moved by in
terests other than those of discovering
the truth"
"Have you any evidence to establish
these facts ?" was asked.
~ was just getting to that" said Mr..
Weed. Just as I was leaving Chicago
at the close of the proceedings of the
| convention which nominated Mr.. Lin
coin Il was mortified and even much
disguised at the defeat of Mr.. Seward
and was sending my baggage to the de-
pot) Col. John Whitney, one of the five
men who took Morgan out in the boat,
came to me and said, Il want to swear
to what I have told you about the Nor
gan matter, and if you survive me I
want you to publish it, I promised to
write out the statement which contain
ed substantially the facts I have given
you, and intended to do so, but the cam
paign came on, the war broke out, and
l was sent to Europe by Mr.. Lincoln
0uu uSSI0CCtO IL. w nile IN LONDON
wrote to Whitney asking him to go to
E B. Williams and let him write the
statement. When I got back home
that letter was returned to me from the
dead letter Office, and Whitney had died
a week before it should have reached
him. was always sorry that did not
write out the statement in Chicago"
A LYNX KILLED IN FAYETTE COUN-
TY, w. Wa few weeks since the
Fayette (W. Va.) Enterprise published
an account of the killing of lynx in
that county. Not knowing that the
lynx was habitant of this country, we
supposed it was probably a catamount
or wild cat, and requested that paper to
publish description of the animal kill
ed. In response to that request, that
paper says -
"Our esteemed contemporary, the
Staunton Spectator, desires us to give a
description of the Lynx killed by Mr..
VIM. Bays short time ago. Last week
we had the Measure of examining the