West-Jersey pioneer., 1882-12-07
MoRGAN's SUPPOSED DEATH.

IhurlOW Weed, the veteran journalist,
who died in New York few days since
left behind him o statement concerning
the death of William Morgan, fifty six
years ago. 1t will be remembered by
our older readers that Morgan's disap-
pearance caused great excitement in
New York and other States and an
Anti Masonic" party was formed which
for a few years carried the State In
his sworn statement published in the ".
Z. San, Mr.. Weed testifies that one John
Whitney, who was one of the party who
conveyed Morgan to Fort Niagara, re-
lated to him in detail the history of Nor
gan's abduction and fate, Mr. Weed
says
'"The idea of sup pressing Morgan's in
tended exposure of the secrets of Ma
sonry was first suggested by a man by
the name of Johns. 1t was discussed in
lodges at Batavia, LIE Roy, and Roch-
ester. Johns suggested that Morgan
should be separated from Miller and
placed on a farm in Canada West For
this purpose he was taken to Niagara
and placed in the magazine of the fort
Canada We're completed, but the Ca
madam Masons disappointed them.
After several meetings of the lodge in
Canada, opposite Fort Niagara, re-
fusal to have anything to do with Nor
gan left his 'kidnappers' greatly per-
picked Opportunely a Royal Arch
chapter was installed at lewiston. The
occasion brought large number of en-
thusiastic Masons together. after la
bor," in Masonic language, they ''re-
tired to refreshment." Under the ex-
hilaration of champagne and other vi
ands, the Chaplain (the Rev. f. H. Cum
mings of Rochester) was called on for a
toast He responded with peculiar en-
phasis and in the language of their rit-
ual: 1.-The enemies of our order-May
they find grave six feet deep, six feet
long, and six feet due east and west"
Immediately after that toast, which was
received with great enthusiasm, Col
William King, an officer in our war of
1912, and then a member of Assembly
from Niagara county, called Whitney of
Rochester, Howard of Buffalo, Club
buck of Lewiston, and Garside of Can
ada, out of the room and into carriage
furnished by Major Barton. They were
driven to Fort Niagara, repaired to the
magazine, and informed Morgan that
the arrangements for sending him to
Canada were completed, and that his
family would soon follow him. Morgan
received the information cheerfully, and
walked with supposed friends to the
boat, which was rowed to the mouth of
around his body, to each end of which
a sin1er was attached. Morgan was
then thrown overheard. He grasped
the gunwale Of the boat convulsively.
Garside, in forcing Morgan to relinquish
his hold was severely bitten.
Whitney, in concluding his narrative,
said he 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 Sher-
iff was after him. Of course a secret
thus confided to me was lnviolably kept,
and twenty nine years afterward, while
attending National Republican Con-
vention at Chicago, John Whitney, who
then resided there, called to say that he
wanted me to write out what he once
signed by him in the presence of wit
nesses, to be sealed up and published af-
ter his death. | promised to do SO be-
fore leaving Chicago. There was no leis-
ure, however, during the sitting of the
Convention, and even before its final ad-
journment, forgetting what I had told
Whitney, hurried to Iowa, returning
by way of Springfield to visit Mr.. Lin
coin. In the excitement Of the canvass
which followed, and the secession of the
Southern States upon Mr.. Lincoln's cleo
ton, [ neglected the important duty of
securing the confession Whitney was so
anxious to make In 1861 [ went to Eu-
rope, and while in London wrote let
ter to Whitney asking him to get Alex.
B. Williams then resident of Chicago,
to do what | had so unpardonably neg
lected That letter 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 eXcitable. In
all the early stages of the Morgan affair
he believed he was doing his duty. The
final crime was committed under the cir
cumstances have related.
| now look back through an interval
of fifty-six years with a conscious sense
of having been governed through the
'Ant-Masonic excitement" by sincere
desire, first, to vindicate the violated
laws of my country, and next, to arrest
the great power and dangerous influences
of "secret societies"