Year: 1875

PEARANCE.


Correspondence of the Pioneer PreSsl


ANoKA, Minnesota, August III see
by your issue of the 18th inst that the
name of William Morgan, with all the mys-
terry that surrounds the fate of this unfor-
tunate man, is brought again before the
public by the publication Of two letters writ
ten upon this subject by the Hon. Thur
low Weed.


Perhaps ] can throw more light upon
the fate of Morgan than any other person
living. Prior to 1926, the time Of his dis
appearance, my father, then young man.
formed his acquaintance, and knew him
well.


In the year 1927 or 1928 my father
went eastward as far as Great Falls, n H.,
where he remained few years. Here he
married, aud here he experienced religion
and united with the Methodist Episcopal
Church. Feeling deep love for the cause
he had SO lately cspoused he determined to
devote the remainder of his life to the
cause of Christ and humanity With this
| object in view, he entered the ministry, and
started as missionary for the wilds of
Northern Maine, which then were just be-
ing opened up to civilization


Arriving at Moulton, Maine, he decided
to locate there, and enter at once upon his
work ; and here he resided for number
! of years. In 1871 he went still farther
north, and settled at Fort Fairfield. This
part of Maine was then an unbrokcn will
dcrncss, save a few struggling settlements
that were many miles apart. In these mis-
sionary labors he visited these settlements
from Sabbath to Sabbath.


Upon one of these routes that he travelled
through the forest, guided onl by the trees
that were glazed to mark the way, stood Il
solitary cabin with but Il lonely occupant, a
man well advanced in years


The cabin as we'll as the little clearing
around it showed marks of age, and led one
to the conclusion that its occupant had long
been a dcnizen of these wilds With this
strange old man my father often tarried
and passed many pleasant hours while rest
ing his weary limbs.


Not only the hermit, but the cabin, ex-
cited his wonder and astonishment, being
built in very unique manner and CON
structcd without the use of nails or any
thing else save what he could procure from
the forests.


In conversation with this strange crea-
ture the conviction gradually forced itself
upon my father that he had seen him be-
fore-but when and where Those ques-
tion he could not answer at once, but the
truth finally flashed upon him that this
lonely old man was none other than the
friend of his carly years, William Morgan.
With this truth pressing upon him, he
resolved to keep it a secret for awhile un-
til he should make himself double sure of
the fact by watching him closely, and by
tracing the resemblance, if any existed, be-
tween this old man and young Morgan.
Thus, with the hermit all unaware that
his true identity was suspected by any one
my father watched and studied him until
he had not the shadow of doubt but what
this was the vcritablc William Morgan who,
it was alleged, the Masons had murdered
so many years before. Upon making in
quiry in the settlements of those who came
there first, they started that they knew
nothing about him, only this, that when
they came he was there He told some of
| his discovery. which soon reached the ears
of the hermit, when he silently and un-
known to any one, departed in the dark
ness of night none knew where, but doubt
| less to seek anew some secluded spot, where
he could remain in solitude undisturbed by
his brother man.


When William Morgan was abducted by
| his brother Masons and carried to Fort
Niagara he doubtless escaped from theil
hands and fearing that his life would pay
the forfeit for his distardly outrage against
the Masonic fraternity if seen again by one
of their number, he fed here to the bound
less forests of Northern Maine. And here
he had lived in all these years. his only
companions the birds of the air and tn,
wild beasts of the forests.


His wants that he could not SUPPLY from
the soil and from the game that is abund
ant in those parts were probably met b,
visiting settlements Of the French refugee
upon the st. Johns river.


The life that he led here must have, in
deed, been singular and lonely one, ant
doubtless the first years Of his life wcr
full of terror, of fear and disquictude. \
the rustic of every leaf and the breaking o
every twig he would fancy an assassin wa
creeping upon him to strike him down, bu
as the years stole by these feelings woul
give way to one of greater security AM
safety, till at last, like Sclkirk, he woul
feel that he was monarch of all he SUI
veycd."


My farther died in 1857, but the foregC
ing facts were received at the time fror
his own lips, and they can be relied upo
as being strictly true. He knew tins hei
nit to be william Morgan, and this is cor
elusive evidence to me that Morgan wa
not murdered by the Masons, but that h
led lone, exile life, and that if he is no'
dead he has died natural death.
But some may ASK if this be true, VIII
was it not made public before? This