Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1882-12-07
The Other Side, as Related by Re-
putable Citizen.
Weeds Whole Story Donounced
as a Vile Falsehood.
RAY Sour Money and Take Your
Choice.

sent by the associated press or Inur-
low Weeds revelations concerning the
mysterious disappearance of William
Morgan fifty-six years ago, utterly fails
to dc the matter justice. The full
story gives what pu ports to be the real
fate CT Morgan, ana is the first publ
cation Of the kind containing names
and positive charges made during tine
present generation. Mr.. Weed gives
the story in elaborate detail, and makes
oath to its truth. He gives the follow
ing as the confession of John Whitney,
of Rochester, made at Weeds house
one night in 1881, III presence Of Col.
Jewett, Whitney, as he alleged, being
one of the abiuctors of Morgan.
The idea of Morgan's intended
exposure of the secrets Of Masonry
was filst suggested by q man by the
name of Johns. 1t was discussed in
lodges at Batavia, lie Roy and Roches-
ter. Johns suggested that Morgan
should be separated from Miller and
placed on farm in Canada West. For
this purpose he was taken to
Niagara and placed in the magazine OF
the fort until arrangements for settling
him in Canada were completed, but
the Canadian Masons disappointed
them. After several meetings of the
lodge in Canada, opposite Fort Niagara,
a refusal to have anything to do with
Morgan left his " kidnappers greatly
perp!exed. Oppertuneiy Royal Arch
chapter was installed at Lewiston. The
occasion brought large number of
enthusiastic Masons together. After
labor" in Masonic language they "ro-
tired 10 refreshmcnt," Under the ex-
hilaration of champagne and other vi
ands. the Chaplain (the Rev. f.
f. II. Cummings of Rochester) was
called on for toast. He responded
with peculiar emphasis and in the
language of their ritual; "The enc
mics of our order-May they iin4 q
grave SIX feet deep, six feet long, and
six feet due east and west"
Immediately after the toast,
which was received with great
enthusiasm, Col. William King, an
officer in our war of 1912, and
then member OF assembly from
Niagara county, called Whitney
of Rochester, Howard, of Buffalo,
Chubbuck, of Lewiston, and Garside,
of Canada, ont of the room and into a
carriage furnished by Major Barton.
They were driven to Fort Niagara, re-
paired to the magazine, and informed
Morgan that the arrangements for
sending him to Canada were complet-
ed, and that his family would soon fol-
low him. Morgan received the infor.
nation cheerfully, and walked with
supposed friends to the boat, which was
rowed TO the mouth Of the river, where
d rope was wound around his body to
each end Of which n sinker was attach
ed. Morgan was then thrown over
board. He grasped the gunwale of the
boat convulslvely. Garside. in forcing
Morgan to relinquish his h.! was Sc
verely bitten.
Whitney, in concluding his nara
tive, said be was now relieved from a
heavy load; that for four years he had
not heard the window rustic or any
other noise at night without thinking
the sheriff was after him. Col. Jew
EFT, looking fxedly at Whitney. said:
"Weed can hang you now" ''But he
won't" was Whitney's prompt reply.
OF course q secret thus cOnGded to
me was inviolably kept, and twenty
nine years afterward, while attending
national republican convention at
Chicago, John Whitney, who then re-
sided there, called TO say that he want
al -, n g., ,yr;t ont ,.ybsf ba o,,no toII
me about Morgan's fate, to be signed
by him in the presence of witnesses, to
be sealed up and published after his
death. / promised to DO so before
leaving Caicago There was no leisure,
however, during the sitting Of the con-
vention, an even before It's final ad-
journment, forgetting what ] had told
Whitney, ] hurried 10 Iowa, returning
by way of Springfield to visit Mr.. Lin.
coin. In the excitement Of the can
vass which followed, and the secession
of the southern states upon Mr. Lin
coins election, | neglected the impor-
tant duty Of securing the confession
Whitney was 80 anxious to make. In
1861 / went to Europe, and while in
London wrote letter to Whitney ask
ing him to get Alex. B. Williams, then
a resident Of Chicago, to do what had
80 unpardonably neglected. Tha: let
ter reached Chicago one week after
Whitney's death, closing the last and
only chance for the revelation Of that
important event.
Whitney was a mason by trade, hon
est, industrious, sober, but excitabIe.
In all the early stages Of the Morgan
affair he believed he was doing his
duty. Ia relation 20 the finding and
iuquests upon a body alleged 70 be
that Of Morgan, Weed says:
ain the autumn Of 1897 the dis
eovery OF the body Of an I'M
known man ON the shore Of Lake
Ontario, near the mouth Of Oak Or
chard Creek, gave new and absorbing
aspect to the question. The descrip-
ton Of that body, IS published by the
coroner who held an inquest over it,
induced belief that it was the body Of
" Mnrayn,a nt,r ag.re, - -. a