The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1882-11-28
Az OLD SENSATION
Revived by "a Posthnmous ketter o
ThurlOw Weed.

J
NEW York, November 27.-The Buffalo
Erpress Of Monday publishes letter o.
the late Thurlow Weed Under the date Of
New York, September 10, 1882, and is Nt.
tested by Spencer G. Doty, notary public
Of this city. &gE@l zl0Dt
The letter was MI answer 10 an invitation
to attend The unveillng OF the monumen,
Of Captain William Morgan, and Is thus
preiaced by the Eiprt@. Tho following
letter dictated by the late Thurlow Weed
but a short time before his death, contains
his sworn statement Of his knowledge con.
cerning the abduction and alleged murder
OF William Morgan, and forms an interest.
ing chapter in relation to tho Sensational
events which in their time caused so great
n social and political convulsien. '7.
Mr.. Weed begins by saying tho occasion
is one that recalls an event OF startling Ia.
tercst, arousing deep popular feeling-tirst
at Leroy, Canandaigua and Rochester, then
pervading our own and other States, After
reading the proceedings of the meeting at
Batavia, with Hon. D.. Evans rs presiding
officer, ! wrote II six line paragraph for tho
Rochester Telegraph, In Which l stated
that 4 citizen Of Batavia had been spirited
away from his home and family, and after
a mysterious disappearance Of several days
q village meeting had been held and a
committee OF citizens appointed 10 invcs.
tigato tho lnatter, adding that rs it was
known that the Free Alasons were con.
cerned in this abduction 1t behooyed
tho fraternity, whose good name was
suffering, to take measures in restoring lie
lost man to his liberty. That paragraph
brought dozens Of our most influential cit.
liens greatly excited to the office, stopping
the cpaper and ordering dscontinuance q
their advertisements. l inquired OF nv
partner, Robert Martin, what had done 10
exasperate so many Of our friends,
He brought me book and directed nv
attention to an obligation involving severe
penalties rs 4 punishment for disclosing
the secrets OF tho Nlasons, inquiring what
l thought OF mau, who, after taking such
IN obligation, violated It? I replied that,
| did not know oil any punishment too Sc.
we're for such 4 perjurer.
The discontinnnncc Of the paper EN-.
braced so large number Of its patrons. |
saw that my brief, and as supposed very
harmless paragraph, would ruin the csta6.
lishment. Unwilling that my partner
should suffer | promptly Withdrew, leaving
It in the hands Of Martin. The paper was
doing well, and until that paragraph
appeared my business future was ali that
could be desired, At that time an editor
WIS wanted at Utica, where / had formerly
worked and where had many friends. bit
my offer to 20 there was declined. 1Il -
The objection in The case WIS that had
been too busy IN getting up nj excitement
about Morgan. Thus now look back
through the interval Of fiity.six years with
conscious sense Of having been governed
through an anti-Nlasonic excitement by a
sincere desire 10 first vindica,e the violated
laws ot my country, and next to arrest the
power and dangerous influences OF secret
societies. We labored under disadvantages.
The people were unwilling to believe that
an institution SO ancient, 10 which many
OF our best and distinguished citizens be-
fonged, was capable OF not only violating
tho laws, but oil protecting and sustaining
tho men Of the murder. A vast majority
OF the American people believed that
Morgan was concealed by our enemies for
political effect while we were being
iiercely denounced as incendiary spirits
Judge Enos $. Shroop in charging
the grand jury, spoke Of anti-masonry as q
blessed spirit. spirit which he hoped
would not rest until every man implicated
in the abduction OF Morgan was tried, con.
victed and punished. D.g $500