The White Pine news. [volume] (Treasure City, Nev.) 1868-1906, 1881-07-16


The reported discovery of the bones
of William Morgan, at Pembroke,
eleven miles from Batavia, New York, j,
recalls an excitement which stirred
the nation from one extreme to the
other. but which few besides elderly
people have any knowledge, and
those few at second hand.
There are now few mysteries in
Freemasonry or any of the secret
orders. for books are abundant which
tell the nature of their proceedings
though they may not contain the lat
ter passwords and all the minor
usages. Sixty years ago the case was
very different. Accordingly when,
I'm 1925, William Morgan, hard up
tailor of Batavia, made n revelation
of the first three degrees, the Masonic
community was furious. lie was
certainly abducted, and though the
Courts failed to prove the guilt of the
parties, 1t was believed he vas i'm
prisoned in vault of the deserted
Fort Niagara and afterwards carried
ont OH Lake Ontario In boat and
thrown overheard aud drowned.
Several stories have been published
10 this effect, based on alleged confes-
sions of the guilty parties. II, how.
ever, the bones just discovered ut
Pembroke are those of Morgan, the
drowning affair could not have come
off, unless Morgan was merely dipped
until dead and his body at erward
carried inland. This is possible, but
not likely. The present version
sounds little fishy. Iti- said that
q ring, with the initials w. NJ. was
found with the bones, and also frag
ments of paper inscribed .'iar, "
"prison," "kill." The statement Is
added that the name of Henry Brown,
q suspected conie terate In Morgan's
abduction and murder l. signed to
the paper. This seems hardly cred
ible, since Brown took the pains to
write a book tn show that Morgan's
assassination could not he proved. A
man who wonld do This would no
leave his autograph with his victim
unless by . mistake, stupid in cohl
pariSon with all else that WAS done In
the case. S i'll, it renal rs eeltt n
that Morgan was abducted and tut
he was never seen again alive. though
reports to the latter effect were circn-
lated for time.
His Disappearance, as we have said.
aroused a fearful excitement. An
anti Masonic party was or9anizei,
which I'm New York alone east 30 900
votes In 1928; 10000 In 1929. and
l2s. 1000 In 1880, though I'm this last
year anti Masonry was mixed win
anti Jacksonism. Masonry fell into
disrepute, and many distinguished
men were among the thousands OF
people who shook the dust of the
ord. from their feet. In 1882 William
Wirt was anti Masonic candidate for
President, and thus Ohio and New
Jersey went for jackson, when had
there not been division of votes,
they would have declared for Clay.
In the same year, Ritner, an Mason,
was all but elected Governor of Penn
sylvania, and three years later he was
the successful candidate, though dis
sessions among his opponents helped
him. Morgan was worthless III +,
whose objecl was to make money. b'
tens Of thousands who did not care
for him personally felt that individ-
nal and public liberties were endan'
gered by an order which presumed
TO take the administration OF justice
into its own hands. The catalogue o.
books and pamphlets published on
both sides OF the Masonic controversy
isa long one, but they are mostly for
gotten, and are acarnula ing dust on
the shelves OF our large Libraries.