The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1881-08-25

in his district, put was defeated at the
polls by Chaplin Hall, of Warren, now
deceased. In Congress and in the Leg
islature of the State he was faithful
always to the local interest of his con-
stituents. 1t was through his efforts
at Harrisburg more than that of any
one man that the counties of Elk and
Forest were organized, and in the con-
test for the location of the county seat
of Elk county he favored, of course,
the location at Ridgway, and used his
future efforts to keep it there. When
i'm the Senate he passed resolution
which created the county of Forest
1t also passed the House of Represen-
tatives, and is the only instance i'm the
history of the State where new coun-
ty has been created by joint resolu-
ton. 1t was approved by the Cover
nor, of course, and thereby became q
law. 1t was near the close of the ses-
sion, and the joint rules would not
allow it's passage in any other form.
He did this to Oblige fellow pioneer
in the wilds of the new county, Cyrus
Blood. subsequently Forest county
was enlarged; its primitive limits were
quite circumscribed.
THE ABDUCTION OF WILLIAM NOR
GAN.
The connection of Judge Gillis with
the abduction of William Morgan, of
Batavia. New York, the exposer of the
secrets of Masonry, rendered him no
torious through life. He was tried at
Canandaigua, n. Y, in connection
with the affair, and charged with
being one of the abductors of Morgan.
He was accused of being one of the
party who helped to convey him from
Batavia to Fort Niagara, whittier he
was taken, no doubt, i'm a close car
riage, and relays of horses were fur
nished by the brethren along the
route. thus insuring rapid and secret
transit. At the trial he was defended
by John &. Spencer, u lawyer then of
great reputation, of Canondaigua, az
terwarda Secretary of War and of the
Treasury, who subsequently became
noted in the politics aud affairs of the
country. The trial resulted in the ac
quittal of Mr.. Giliis, and the affair led
to the formation OF the party known
in politics as the Anti-Masonic party,
which held an important part in poll
tics from 1927 to 1882. 1t held such
power in Pennsylvania that in 1885
Joseph Ritner was elected Governor
10y it. The removal of the deposits
frem the United States Bark devel-
oped new issue. and Morgan aid his
platform dropped out of politics. At
the time Mr.. Gillis was arrested he
was residing upon a farm. which he
was clearing up, in what was then In
diana county, Pa. and which was on
the old road known as the Milesburg
and Smethport turnpike, six miles
northeast from Ridgway. AT the time
OF his arrest he was busily at work
clearing the farm, which was known
then, and is now, as the MontmOrency
farm. a deputy sheriff from Ontario
county, n. Y, came there for him.
He was a man who Gillis hated most
intensely, bu, he kept him over night,
as the nearest neIghbor was sixteen
miles distant The sheriff had come
there from the town of Indiana, the
county seat, accompanied by deputy
sheriff of that county. The requisition
of the Governor of the State had been
duly recognized by Judge Young, who
was then holding court at Indiana,
and the proper warrant had been is
sued for the arrest. The party started
on horseback the next morning for IN
diana, a distance of about one hundred
miles, through the woods. The most
part of the way was only II blazed line
tbu bllult- paul ltT lliSlT route. ~
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 max
ingthe trip. Great anxiety was felt
at Indiana, caused by the delay, and
the opinion freely expressed that Gil
lis had made way with both of the
officers. Late one afternoon, how
ever the community was relieved by
the arrival of the overdue party. Gil
lis was handed over to the sheriff of
the county, who was Mason, and
spent u pleasant night in the town
with his brother Mason. The next
morning he procured IL writ of hd6ene
corpus to be issued by Judge Young.
Upon the hearing a discharge was re-
fused. He was conveyed to Canaan
duigua by way of Franklin and Erie,
Pa, and Buffalo, n. Y. Upon the.
route he lacked neither food drink or
lodging. During the whole trip he
refused to associate or have ANYTHING
to do with the deputy sheriff who
nominally had him in cuStody-w would
not let him ride inside the stage with
him. Giliis pledged his word to the
sheriff before leaving Indiana, through
third party, that he would accom-
pany the deputy to Canandaigua
peaceably and quietly, but if any
harsh means were used 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 road. The sheriff
knew this well; he also knew that his
prisoner was II gentleman who would
keep his word, and he relied uuon il.
When they arrived ut Canandaigua he
was released Immediately upon bail,
aud he returned to Pennsylvania At
the proper time be went 10 Canan-
daigua, stood his trial and was ac-
quilted. He had the full report OF the
trial printed in Masonic paper or
magazine, called the CruttSnaua' pub
lished at the time, which he kept care
fully though life. His special friends
had access to it. The writer of this at
one time requested Judge Gillis to
write up The history and his knowl,
edge of the Morgan affair and leave il
sealed, ami il should he kept secret in
The hands of the writer till after the
death of the former, when it should be
published and thus throw some light
upon the mystery. His reply was: Il
don't know, [ never did know what
became of Morgan. You know from
what you have read and from what |
have told you what l was accused of.
L have no knowledge AS to what be-
came of him No information was
ever impaired to me. He was evi-
IDENTIFY taken to Niagara Falls and
passed into Canada from one set of
men to another. At that time almost