L. Dox, treasurer of the Grand Chapter, and John Whitney, one of the

recipients of the money, were in court to establish the truth of the libel.
Mr. Dox testified that a ‘‘charity fund” had been entrusted to General
Gould, John Whitney was called to prove that he received part of the
fund, with which, in company with Burrage Smith, he left Rochester, and
was absent nearly a year. General Gould's counsel objected to witness’
testimony until it had been shown that General 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 only known to General Gould
himself, the trial ended abruptly. Judge Vanderpoel, in charging the
jury, dwelt at length upon the licentiousness 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, f nd a verdict of
$400 dollars against me. My offense co:'sisted in asserting a fact, the
exact truth of which would have been established if the testimony had not
been ruled out by a monstrous perversion of justice.

Colonel Simeon B. Jewett, of Clarkson; Major Samuel Barton, of
Lewiston, and John Whitney, of Rochester, passed that evening at my
house. Jewett was prepared to testify that he furnished a carriage for
those who were conveying Morgan secretly from Canadaigua to Niagara.
John Whitney was one of the party. Major Barton would have testified
that he furnished the carriage which conveyed the party from Lewiston to
Fort Niagara. John Whitney being one of the party. Whitney would
have sworn that Gould supplied money to enable him to ‘escape from
justice.’’ In the course of the evening, the Morgan affair being the princi-
pal topic of conversation, Colonel Jewett turned to Whitney with emphasis
and said, ‘John, what if you make a clean breast of it?” Whitney
looked inquiringly at Barton, who added, ‘‘Go ahead.”

Whitney then related in detail the history of Morgan’s abduction and
fate. The idea of suppressing Morgan’s intended exposure of the secrets
of Masonry was first suggested by a man by the name of Johns, It was
discussed in lodges at Batavia, Le Roy and Rochester. Johns suggested
that Morgan should be separated from Miller and placed ona farm in Canada
West. For this purpose he was taken to Niagara and placed in the maga-
zine of the fort until arrangements for settling him in Canada were com-

606 Tue PracricaL WorkINGs OF Masonry, ETC.

pleted, but the Canadian Masons disappointed them. After several meet-
ings of the lodge in Canada, opposite Fort Niagara, a refusal to have
anything to do with Morgan left his ‘‘kidnappers” greatly perplexed.
Opportunately a Royal Arch Chapter was installed at Lewiston. The
occasion brought a large number of enthusiastic Masons together. ‘‘After
labor,” in Masonic language, they ‘‘retired to refreshment.” Under the
exhiloration of champagne and other viands the Chaplain (the Rev. F.
H. Cummings, of Rochester) was called on for a toast. He responded
with peculiar emphasis and in the language of their ritual: ‘‘ The enemies
of our order—may they find a grave six feet deep, six feet long, and six
feet due east and west.”” Immediately after that toast, which was received
with great enthusiasm, Colonel William King, an officer of our war of
1812, and then a member of assembly from Niagara county, called Whit-
ney of Rochester, Howard of Buffalo, Chubbuck of Lewiston, and Garside
of Canada, out of the room and into a 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 inform-
ation cheerfully and walked with supposed friends to the boat, which was
rowed to the mouth of the river, where a rope was wound around his
body, to each end of which was attached a sinker. Morgan was then
thrown overboard. 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 rustle or
any other noise at night without thinking the sheriff was after him.
Colonel Jewett, looking fixedly at Whitney, said: ‘‘ Weed can hang you
now.” ‘But he won’t,” was Whitney’s prompt reply. Of course, axecret
thus confided to me was inviolably kept, and twenty years after, while
attending a national republican convention at Chicago, John Whitney,
who then resided there, called to say he wanted me to write out what
he once told me about Morgan’s fate, to be signed by him in the pres-
ence of witnesses, to be sealed up and published after his death. I
promised to do so before leaving Chicago. There was no leisure, how-
ever, during the sitting of the convention; and even before its final
adjournment, forgetting waat I had told Whitney, I hurried to Iowa,
returning by way of Springfield to visit Mr. Lincoln. In the excitement
of the canvass which followed, and the secession of the Southern States
upon Mr. Lincoln’s election, I neglected the important duty of securing
the confession Whitney was so anxiousto make, In 1861 I went to Europe
and while in London wrote a letter to Whitney asking him to get Alex.
B. Williams, then « resident of Chicago, to do what I had so unpar-
donably neglected. That letter reached Chicago one week after Whit-
ney’s death, closing the last and only chance for the revelation of that im-
portant event.

SONRY, ETC.
m. After several meet-
gara, a refusal to have
ors”? greatly perplexed.
led at Lewiston. The
[asons together. ‘After
reshment.” Under the
Chaplain (the Rev. F.
a toast. He responded
ir ritual: ‘‘The enemies
p, six feet long, and six
oast, which was received
n officer of our war of
ira county, called Whit-
f Lewiston, and Garside
1ished by Major Barton.
magazine and informed
Canada were completed
an received the inform-
3 to the boat, which was
was wound around his
ker. Morgan was then
the boat convulsively,
was severely bitten.

was now relieved from
rd the window rustle or
sheriff was after him.

‘* Weed can hang you
ply. Of course, asecret
enty years after, while
‘hicago, John Whitney,
1 me to write out what
ned by him in the pres-
hed after his death. I
re was no leisure, how-
1 even before its final
ey, I hurried to Iowa,
soln, In the excitement
of the Southern States
ortant duty of securing
n 1861 I went to Europe
wking him to get Alex.
what I had so unpar-
0 one week after Whit-

he revelation of that im-

Tae Pracrican WORKINGS oF Masonry, ETC. 607

T now look back through an interval of fifty-six years, with a conscious
sense of having been governed through the ‘“ anti-masonie excitement” by
a sincere desire, first, to vindicate the violated laws of my country, and
next, to arrest the great power and dangerous influences of secret
societies.” We labored under serious disadvantages, The people were
unwilling to believe that an institution so ancient, to which many of our
best and most distinguished men belonged, was capable of not only vio-
lating the laws, but of sustaining and protecting offending men of the
order. A vast majority of the Americun people believed that Morgan was
concealed by our committee for political effect, While we were being
fiercely denounced as incendiary spirits, Judge Enos T, Troop, in charg-
ing the grand jury at Canadaigua, spoke of anti-masonry as a ‘blessed
spirit” which he hoped “would not rest until every man implicated in
the abduction of Morgan was tried, convicted and punished.”

City and County )
ot New York. ( **

Thurlow Weed, being duly sworn, says that the fore

going statements
are true.

THURLOW WEED.

Subscribed and sworn to before me this 28th day of September, 1882,

Spencer C. Dory,
Notary Public,

[THE END.]

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