The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1882-11-28
MORGAN THE MASON.

NEW YORK, Nov. 27--The Buffalo Er-
press, of Monday morning, publishes a
letter of the late Thurlow Weed under
the date of New York, September 8, 1882.
and attested by Spencer G. Doty, Notary
Public of this city, as that of Thurlow
Weed The letter was an answer to an
invitation1 TO attend the unwilling of "a
snonufnett to Capt William Morgan, and
is thus prefaced by the Express: The
following letter, dictated by the late Thur
low Weed, a short time before his death
contains his sworn statement of his
knowledge concerning the abduction and
murder of William Morgan, and forms a
most interesting chapter in relation TO the
sensational events which in their time
caused so great a social and POLITICAL con-
vulsion. Weed begins by saying that the
occasion is one that recalls an event of in
terest arousing popular feeling, first at
Bataviay Canand igua. Nnd Roche ster, and
then prewayiing or own and other states.
After reading SheJpreeeeaings OF the greet
ing at Batavia, with Hon. David E. Evans
as presiding officer, | wrote a six line
paragraph for the Rochester Telegraph, in
which / stated that a citizen of Batavia
had been spirited away from his home and
family and after a mysterious absence OF
several days a village meeting had been held
and committee of citizens chosen to in
vestigate the matter adding that, as it was
known that the Freemasons were consider
ed as implicated in this abduction, it De
hooves the fraternity, whose good name
was suffering, TO takc q laboring oar in re
storing the lost man TO his liberty. That
paragraph brought dozens of ouraeitizens,
greatly excited to our office. stopping the
paper and disseminating their advertise
ments. | inquired of my partner, Robert
4ALartia, what hadsfloAe to aexasperate so
mai sDf our friendsAGHes bought me a
book and directed my attention to an obi
cation invoking the severe death penalty
US punishment for disclosing the secrets of
the Masons. nquiring what thought of
man who, after taking such an obligation,
violatedi it. = 4 replied that / did moi know
any punishment too severe for such a per-
jurer. The discontlnuance of the paper
embraced so large a number of patrons
that l saw that my brief aud as / supposed
the very harmless paragraph would. ruin
the establishment, unwilling that my part
ner; should suffer, Il promptly withdrew,
leaving the establishment in the hands of
Mr. Martin. The paper was doing well
and, until that paragraph appeared, my
business future was all / could desirei At
that time an editor was wanted at Utica,
where | had formerly worked, and where
I had many friends, but my offer to go
there waseaeclined.
I>wasaequailv unfortunate in my appli-
cation for editorial employment at Troy,
the objection being ia both cases that
had been too active in getting up an ex-
element about Morgan The letter closes
thus: / look back through the interval of
fifty-six years with a conscious sense of
having been guided, through the anti Ma
sonic excitement by desire to-vindicate
the violated laws of my country, and to
aT1est the great power and dangerous infiu-
encessof secret societies. We laboned UNI
der SERIOUS Disadvantages. The people
were unwilling TO eelieve-that IAN institu
ton so ancient to which many of our best
and most distinguished men belonged was
capable not only of violating laws but of
protecting the offending man of the order. 4
The vast majority of the committee be
lieved that Morgan was concealed by our
committee for political effects, while we
were being denounced as incendiary spir
its. Judge Throop3 in charging the grand
jury at Cansndaigua, spoke of anti Mason
ry as blessed spirit" a spirit which he
hoped would not rest until every man inn
plicated in@the abduction of Morgan was
punished.