Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1882-12-13
SELECT.
THE MORGAN MYSTERY.
SOLVED BIZ til f DYING
REVELATION OF THUR
LOW WEED.
sn Afi Iavit ia Whith the Dead Politician
Declares that Captain William Nor
qan Was Murdered by Mas0ns In
the Interest If Masonry.
From Philadelphia Press, Nov. 90.

the Interest IF Masonry.
From Philadelphia Press, Nov. %.
1t lacked only few days of being
two months before his death
when Thurlow Weed subscribed to
long affidavit before Spencer G. Doty
New York notary public, stripping
the mystery that has for many years
surround the disappearance anc
death of Captain William Morgan
who had written a book in which ii
was declared that the secrets of Mason
ry were exposed to all who choose to
read. The New York Sun yesterday
printed the affidavit Mr.. Weed in the
document plunged directly into the
vexed question, He refers to the un
yelling of a monument to Captain
William Morgan, which he says ere.
calls an evenu of startling interest,
arousing deep popular feeling, first at
Batavia, LIE Roy, Canandaigua and
Rochester, then preYading our own
and other States" The affidavit con-
tinues thus:
After reading the proceedings of a
meeting at Batavia, with the Hon.
David E. Evans as presiding officer, l
wrote a Skyline paragraph for the
Rochester Telegraph, in which stat
ed that a citizen of Batavia had been
spirited away from his home snd fami'
ly, and that after a mysterious alb
scence of several days, village meet
ing had been held and committee of
citizens appointed to investigate the
matter; adding that, as it was known
that Freemasons were concerned in
this abduction, it behooved the fra
ternity whose good name was suffering
to take the laboring oar in restoring the
lost man to his liberty.
Mr.. Weed explains that it was this
paragraph published in the Rochester
Telegraph that caused the greatest ex-
citement among the Masons and that
| induced him to break his connection
with the paper in order to save the t.
nancial standing Of his partner, Robert
Martin, because the majority of the
| subscribers withdrew their names from
the books of the concern. 1t was
claimed that Mr.. Weed in the para
graph quoted "has been too busy in
getting up an excitement about Nor
gan" In the mean time the mystery
deepened, and public meetings were
held in several villages. In a meeting
at Rochester, committee was appoint
ed consisting of seven persons, three
of whom were Masons, "It was soon
discovered" states Mr. Weed, chat
the three Masops went from the COM
mittee to the lodge room. 1t Was sub
seauently ascertained that two of these
gentlemen were concerned in the alb
duction, and that Morgan had been
committed to Jail in Canandaigua on
false charge of larceny, and that he
had been carried from thence secretly
by night to Fort Niagara. The sher-
ifs who summoned the grand juries
were Freemasons." Then Mr.. Weeds
affidavit says:
AS the investigations proceeded the
evidence increased that Morgan had
been unIawfully confined in the Can
andaigua Jail, and secretly conveyed to
Fort Niagara, where he was confined
| in the magazine. There was every
reason to believe that he was taken
from the magazine and drowned in
Lake Ontario. This, however, was
boldly and persistently denied-denials
accompanied by solemn assurances
that Morgan had been seen alive in
several places, divided public senti-
| ment.
THE ANTI-MAsON PARTY.
The anti-Mason political party, that
for short time overwhelmed the State
of New York, is then briefly reviewed
in the document. The finding of a
body of a man on the shore of Lake
Ontario that a coroner's jury pronounc-
ed to be the remains of Morgan, but
who was alleged to have been Timothy
Monroe by the Mason faction, is fully
related. At third inquest that was
held, the coroner's jury determined
that the body was that of Timothy Mon
roe. Mr.. Weed speaks of the charge
that was widely believed that he had
mutilated the body in question for the
purpose of making it resemble that OF
William Morgan.
Three men were placed on trial for
abducting Morgan. 1.-THE testimony
of Elisha Adams" Mr.. Weed declared,
"was essential to complete the link
First, Adams was spirited away. AT
ter a year he was found by Mr.. Weed
but on the witness stand Adams testi
fed that he was ignorant of the entire
affair. Adams afterward explained
the matter to Mr.. Weed by declaring
that the lawyers told him that any
thing he would say would be confes
sion that would send,h him to the Stat'
prison. and the law did not compel 6
witness to criminate himself, and t.
avoid punishment he must deny thu
whole story. A libel suit was com
menced against Mr.. Weed in 1881 b.
General Gould, of Rochester. Tn
libel charged General Gould with Civ
ing money he received from the Roya
Arch Grand Chapter to enable Burrag
Smith and John Whitney to es
cape from Justice. Mr.. Weed says i
the affidavit in connection with thi
matter:
Judge Vanderpoel, in charging the
Jury, dwelt at length upon the licer
; tiousness of the press, and called upo
the jury to give exemplary damages t
injured and innocent plaintiff. Tn
iury. thus instructed, but with eviden
. reluctance, found a verdict of $40
against me. My offense consisted
asserting a fact, the exact truth
which would have been established
the testimony had not been ruled OF
. by monstrous perversion of justice.
E FULL CONFESSION.
{ On the evening that the verdi'
---.- 80 I..nI Gnlnnol Simann II Iau