Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1882-12-13
ThurlOw Weeds Statement,

We give below the sworn statement ol
the Hon. Thurlow Weed as to his connec.
tion with and knowledge of the Morgan
Mystery" 1t will be seen that it was
sworn to but very short time previous tc
his death and is undoubtedly the truth rs
far as concerns his connection with the
| matter:
New York, Sept. 0, 1882.
Gear Sir:-I have delayed the asnwer
TO your letter inviting me to attend the
unveillng of the monument of Captain
William Morgan, in the hope that should
| be able to be present on that occasion.
Impaired vision, added to other inlirmi-
ties. prevents my going far from home.
The occasion is one that recalls an event
| of startling interest, arousing deep ppu-
lar feeling, first at Batavia, Le Rov,
Canandaigua and Rochester, then pervad.
ing our own and other states. After read
ing the proceedings of meeting at Bata-
via with the Hon. David f. Evans as
presiding officer, | wrote n six line para
graph for the Rochester Telegraph, in
| which | stated that q citizen of Batavia
had beon spirited away from his home
and family, and that, after mysterious
absence of several days, Il village meeting
had been held and a committee of citizens
appointed to investigate the matter ;tadding
that, as it was known that Freemasons
| we're concerned in this abduction, it be-
hooved the fraternity whose good name
was suffering to take the laboring oar in
restoring the lost man to his liberty.
That paragraph brought dozens of our
most influential citizens, greatly excited
to the office, stopping the paper and
ordering the discontnuance of their
advertisements. inquired of my partner,
Robert Martin, what | had done to exas-
perate so many of our friends. He brought
ne book and directed my attention to
N obligation invoking severe penalties as
| 4 punishment for disclosing the secrets of
Masons, inquiring what | thought of a
| man who, after taking such an obligation,
violated it? replied that did not know
! ;uy punishment too severe for such a
perjUrcr. The discontinuance of the paper
| embraced SO large number of its patrons.
| | saw that my brief and. as | supposed,
very harmless paragraph, would ruin the
establishment. Unwilling that my partner
| should suffer promptly withdrew, leaving
| the establishment in the hands of Mr..
| Martin. The paper was doing "ell, and
until that paragraph appeared my business
| future was all | could desire.
At that time an editor was wanted at
| Utica where had formerly worked and
where l had many friends, but my offer
to 90 there was declined. was equally
unfortunate in my application for editorial
employment at Troy. The object ion in
both cases was that | had been too busy in
getting up an excitement about Morgan.
Meantime the mystery deepened and
public meetings were held in several
villages, Rochester included. In the
meeting at Rochester it was assumed that
all good citizens would unite in an effort
appointed consisting of seven, three of
whom were Masons. 1t was soon discov-
cred that the three Masons went from the
committee to the lodge rooms. 1t was
subsequently ascertained that two of these
| gentlemen were concerned in tho abduc-
ton. and that Morgan had been committed
to the Jail in Canandaigua on false
charge of larcency and that he had been
carried from thence secretly by night to
Fort Niagara. The committee encountered
an obstacle in obtaining indictments in
| five of the six counties where indictments
were needed. The sheritfs who summoned
the grand juries were Freemasons. In
four counties no indictments could be
obtained. In Ontario, however, the dis
trict attorney. Bowen Whiting, and the
sheriff, Joseph Clearinghouse, though Ma
sons, regarded their obligation to the
laws of the state paramount. Sheriff
Clearinghouse and District Attorney Whit
ing discharged their duties independently
and honestly. As the investigations pro
ceeded the evidence increased that Morgan
mad been unlawfuIly confined in the
Canandaigua 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 the public
sentiment. At town meetings, several
months after Morgan's Disappearance, the
question was carried into politics. A
large number of jealous Ant-masons
determined to make it political issue.
Solomon SouLhwick was nominated at
LIE Roy for governor. Our committee
firmly resisted all such efforts, urging all
who were connected with US in an effort
| to vindicate the law to vote for the candi.
dates of the party with which they had
been previously connected. We endeav-
ored to induce the whig state convention
to nominate Francis Granger, but, failing
in that, we gave our support to Judge
| A nrJs ,1 Ill
election in Rochester, DR.. +. F. Backus,
who had been treasurer by unanimous
vote of the electors from the time the
village charter had been obtained, was
again the candidate of both parties. No
whisper of opposition was heard before
The election, or at the polls, but when the
votes were canvassod majority appeared
In favor of Dr.. John b. Elwood. Dr.
! BaoEus was an active and influential
momb9r of the Morgan investigating
committee. That astounding result pro
Iuced an instantaneous change.
Political Anti masonry from that mo
ment and for that reason became al
element in our elections. 1t was alleged
and extensively believed that the Morgan
Committee to crafty personal aspra
tons, went voluntarily into politics. Those
allegations were as untruthful as they
were uniust.It was not until we ascertain
ed that the fraternity, by secret movement
was strong enough to defeat the candidate
of both political parties that we consented
to ioin issue with them politically.
In the autumn of 1927, the discovery
of the body of an unknown man on the
shore of Lake Ontario; near the mouth o
Oak Orchard Greek, gave new and
absorbing aspect to the question: Th'
description of that body, as published by
the coroner who held an inquest over it
induced belief that it was the body o
VIM. Morgan. Our committee decided t'
hold another inquest. Impressed will
the Importance and responsibility of the
question gave public notice of our inten
ion and personally invited several citizens
who had known Morgan to be present
One of our committee went to Batavia t.
secure the attendance of Mrs. Morgan
and as many others who knew him a
would attend. The body had been inferred