Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1883-02-08
WELBY AND WEED.
Another Chapter OF the Story OF the
Missing Mason, Morgau-The Dupiie-
lily and Deceit Practieed by
ThurlOw Weed to Secure an IRdOrse'
ment Of the FalsehO0d He Stuck
to All His Life.

CINCINNATI, February THE Columbus
correspondent of the Neus sends that paper
| the following:
| Miss Bertha Welby, the well-known SC
| trees, contributes Que more to the numerous
strains concerning the much disputed fate of
| William Morgan, and Thurlow Weeds YER
sion of it. Miss Welby is a daughter of
Henry O'Reilly, who at the time vss editor
of the New York Advertiser, aud was an
associate OF Thurlow Weed. To-day she
related TO Times reporter her fathers
| explanation of the origin Of the Morgan
difficulty, as follows:
| the way he has related it to me, as near
as can recollect, is like this: Morgan, after
his announcement at Batavia that he was
going to expose all the secrets of the
Masonic fraternity, suddenly and mysteri-
ously disappeared, al time, too, when the
| Masonic and the anti Masonic factions
began to sssume political importance.
| Nothing definite was ever heard about the
| missing man. About a year after that the
remains of man were found on the shsre Of
Lake Ontario. One day father was sitting in
| his Office quietly meditating, when be re-
ceived a rather unexpected card from DIR.
John Elwood, the leading physician Of Ro-
chester, and prominent Mason, who told
him in a rather excited manner that he be-
lieved Weed and his followers were Matching
mischief for them. He said that Weed had
| Just dined with him, and had dHelt at some
length during their conversation upon the
finding of the body at Oak Orchards, saying
| that il was the general belief that il was that
| of the missing William Morgan. He wanted
father 10 know all ABOUT it, as he thought an
| attempt would be made 10 create political
| capital out Of the finding of the mysterious
| remains.
MoRGAN's APPEARANCE.
| morgan, the last time he was seen by his
| friends, was baldheaded, and had no side
whiskers, and was known to have some pecu-
| liar marks upon his body. The man found
/ had heavy head OF black hair and eide
whiskers. At the inquest, however, which
was controlled by the same PAL ty, it was de-
| clared that the dead man was William Nor
| gan. His remains were inferred. That
evening Weed met DR.. Elwood at the Eagle
Hotel, in Rochester, and asked him for a
| description OF Morgan. The doctor had
known him very we'll, and imprudently COM
piled with this request.
THE DECEPTION EXPOSED.
| "Hearing OF the result of this inquest.
| father and his friends determined upon an
investigation. In company with Ebenezsr
| Griffin, DIR. Elwood and a number of lead
| ing Masons, they went to Oak Orchard by
stage-coach. Weed and number of his
| friends were also present. The body was re-
moved from the grave and an examination
| of it made. To the establishment of all but
Weed and his adherenls, il was found Thai
| the top of the dead mans head had been
shaved, and his face arranged in exact imi-
taton of the description of Morgan given
Weed by DIR. Ewood. Several witnesses
were summoned, and it was proven, beyond
doubt, that the remains we're those of
| Timothy Monroe, a fisherman. During all
this time the body had been under the con-
troll of Weed and his partissns, and The
manner in which they had muiilated ii was
| we'll calculated TO deceive. But the wife's
| testimony was conclusive.
GOOD ENOUGH MORGAN FoR HIM.
aWhen this result was rescued Mr. Griffin
turned to Weed and ssked, in rather tauu,-
ing tone, what will you do for Morgan
nowr Turning around quickly, Weed said,
This is good enough Morgan for us until
after the election Father at o1ce caught
him up and took him to task for his express
sion. He then tried to wriggle out of it,
claiming that he had said that is q good
enough Morgan until you bring back the
one your party carried away Then fol-
lowed the bitter attacks and counter att acks
in fathers and Weeds papers. On more
| rested for libel, but their party friends al
| ways came TO their rescue and released
them. Father a.ierward engaged, i'll connec-
ton with his daily newspaper enterprise at
Rochester, in the telegraph, railroad aud
canal business and was at the head Of the
largest corporations Of that day. He was a
friend of Morse, and built the first line of
telegraph over which public message was
sent. He accumulated large fortune, but
lost it nearly all through disastrous business
reverses"
THURLow WEEDS PREPARATION.
ais there any truth in the claim made by
Weed that he repaid your father for his Bit
terness toward him by obtaining a position
for him in the customhouse"
eyes; under these circumstances: Weed
was very sick, and he thought he must soon
die. About seven years ago he sent for
father TO come to see him, at his residence
on Twelfth street, on urgent business. Father
went and found Weed confined TO his bed,
propped up with pillows. He told father
that he had heard of his reverses, and said
he would like to do something for him, in
reparstion for the bitter wrongs he had done
him when they were both young men, and
asked him If he would accept a position in
the customhouse that he could procure for
him. The profsred position father took
The two men were friends from that time on.
In about two years Weed sgain sent for father,
who went 10 him. After he had been seated by
his bedside for some time, Weed told bim that
he was very anxious to publish his autobiog-
raphy, which had been written by his daugh-
ter, at his dictaiion, but said be could not do
so until father had promised not to interfere
with it. He implored him 10 destroy the
records of the Morgan trouble, which father
had preDared in great detail. Among them
were papers that placed Weed in most
disagreeable light. He knew that If be
could not get fathers promise TO suppress
these facts, his contemplated book would be
bitterly sssailed and the old fight renewed.
Father rsfused to grant his request, and he
then offered him a sum OF money for his
papers,"
DENOUNCED IN HIS OWN HOUSE.
"Father, in his anger, lost control of him.
self and denounced him in his own house.
Weed, too, grew excited, and then showed
himself in his true colors. He flung the
iaunt in fathers face that he had befriended
him for no other purpose han to secure the
suppression of those papers. Father left the
house in a towering rage and never saw
Weed again. Weed is now dead, but that
book has never yet been published. 1t never
will be as long as father is alive and those
records in existence. AT fathers death they
will come into my possession and l will see
that they are preserved. Father is now in
very feeble health, and his days are adj
vancing TO a close. As to Weeds other
statements about the confession of Whitney,
he has absolutely nothing to sustain them
but his own word. He always had areputa-
tion of remembering things that never &C.
CURED. l think that is case in point"