Omaha daily bee., 1882-12-06
THE DEATH OF MORGAN.
An Extract from Thurlow Weeds
Dying Affidavit,
The Secret That He Retained
Inviolate for Half a
Century.

SOhbttJ
New York Sun.
In 1881, after my removal from
Rochester to Albany, a libel suit wat
commenced against me by Gen.
Gould, of Rochester. 1t was tried al
Albany, Judge James Vsnderpoel
presiding. The libel charged Gen.
Gould with giving money he received
from the Royal Arch Grand Chapter
to enable Burrage Smith and John
Whitney to escape from justice.
Gerrit L. Dox, treasurer Of the Grand
Chapter, and John Whitney, n of
the recipients of the money, were In
court to establish the truth Of the
libel. Mr.. Dox testified that a "char-
ity fund" had been intrusted to Gen.
Gould. John Whitney was called to
prove that he received a part of the
fund, with which, in company with
Burrage Smith, he left Rochester and
was absent nearly q year. Gen. Gould's
counsel objected to witnesses testi-
mony until it had been shown
that Gen. Gould knew that the money
furnished was to enable Smith and
Whitney to escape from justice. The
court sustained this objection, and
Whitney's testimony was excluded.
As it was impossible to prove what
was known only to Gen. Gould him
self, che trial ended abruptly. Judge
Vanderpoal, in charging the jury,
dwelt at length upon the lioentious-
ness of the press, and called upon the
jury to give exemplary damages to
the injured and innocent plaintiff.
The jury, thus Instructed, but with
evident reluctance, found q verdict of
$500 against me. My offence con-
sisted In asserting a fact, the exact
truth of which wouldhave been estab-
lished il the testimony had not been
ruled out by a monstrous ~perversion
Of Justice.
Col. Simeon B. Jewett, of Clark
son, Maj. Samuel Barton, of Lewis
ton, and John Whitney, of Rochester,
passed that evening at my house.
Jewett war prepared to testify that
he furnished q carriage for those who
we're conveying Morgan secretly from
Canandaigua to Niagara. John Whit
ney was one of the party. Maj. Bar.
ton would have testified that he fur
nished the carriage which conveyed
the party from Lewiston to Fort
Niagara, John Whitney being one of
that party. Whitney would have
sworn Gould supplied money. to en-.
able him to escape from Justice" In
the course of the evening, the Morgan
affair being the principal topic of con
versation, Col. Jewett turned to
Whitney with emphasis and said:
"John, what if you make a clean
breast of itf" Whitney looked in.
quirlngly at Barton, who added: ''Go
ahead"
Whitney then related in detail the
history of Morgon's abduction and
fate. The idea of suppressing Nor
gan . in.e.Ged exposure of the secrets
of Masonry was first suggested by a
man by the name Of Johns. 1t was
discussed In lodges at Batavia, LIE Roy
and Rochester. Johns suggested that
Morgan shodld be separated from
Miller and placed on o farm in Canada
West. For this purpose he was taken
to Niagara and placed In the magazine
OF the fort until arrangements for set
thing him Canada ere completed, but
the Canadian Masons disappointed
them. After several meetings of the
lodgein Canada, opposite Fort Niagara,
a refusal to have anything to do with
Morgan left his "kidnappers" greatly
perplexed. Opportunity a Royal Arch
chapter was installed at Lewiston.
The occasion brought . large number
of enthusiastic Masons together.
"After labor" in Masonic language,
they retired to refreshment. Under
the exhi liration Of champagne and
other viands, the chaplain, the
Rev. +. ii. Cummings, of Rochester,
wascalled on fora toast. He responded
with peculiar emphasis and In the
language of their ritual: "The me-
mics of u order-May they find a
grave six feet deep, ak feet long, and
Six feet due east and west" lmme-
diately after this toast, which was
received with great enthusiasm, Dol.
William King, an officer in our war of
1872, and then a member of assembly
from Niagara county, called Whitney,
OF Rochester; Howard, of Buffalo;
Chubbuok, OF lewiston; and Garside,
Of Canada, out OF the room and into
q carriage furnished by Mai. Barton.
They were driven to Fort Niagara.
repaired to the magazine, and IT,.
formed Morgan that the arrangements
for sending him to Canada were
completed, and that his family would
soon follow him. Morgan received the
information oheerfully, and walked
with supposed friends to the boat,
which was rowed to the mouth of the
river, where a rope wal wound around
his body, to each end of which {
sinker was attached. Morgan wal
then thrown overheard. He graspec
the eunwale of the boat convulsively
G,rside, In forcing Morgan to relin
quIsh his hold, Was severely bitten.
Whitney, in concluding his narrative
said he was now relieved from q heav,
1oad; that for four years he had no
heard the window rustic nor any
other noise at night without thinking
the sheriff was after him. Col. Jew
EFT, looking 6xedly at Whitney, said
"Wsed can hang you now" "Bu
he WON'T" was Whitney's prompt re-
ply. Of course a secret thus confdet
to me was inviolably kept, and twenty
nine years sfterward, while attending
a national republican convention a
Chicago, John Whitney, who then re
: sided here, called TO say that h