1 00:00:01,320 --> 00:00:04,280 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff You Missed in History Class, a production 2 00:00:04,400 --> 00:00:14,040 Speaker 1: of iHeartRadio. Hello, and welcome to the podcast. I'm Holly 3 00:00:14,040 --> 00:00:15,800 Speaker 1: Frye and I'm Tracy V. 4 00:00:15,920 --> 00:00:16,360 Speaker 2: Wilson. 5 00:00:16,840 --> 00:00:18,720 Speaker 1: So every once in a while, I'm sure this has 6 00:00:18,760 --> 00:00:23,040 Speaker 1: happened to you as well. I'm looking through old newspapers 7 00:00:23,160 --> 00:00:25,040 Speaker 1: as I'm doing research for something, and then I see 8 00:00:25,040 --> 00:00:28,320 Speaker 1: an article like adjacent to the one I'm looking at 9 00:00:28,440 --> 00:00:30,960 Speaker 1: that really grabs my attention. And this is born of 10 00:00:31,000 --> 00:00:32,160 Speaker 1: one of those. Yeah. 11 00:00:32,479 --> 00:00:36,760 Speaker 2: Yeah, sometimes it's a surreal headline and I can't find 12 00:00:36,800 --> 00:00:40,040 Speaker 2: anything else about it. Oh those won make me very frustrated. 13 00:00:40,520 --> 00:00:41,879 Speaker 2: Not what has happened here at all. 14 00:00:42,000 --> 00:00:45,080 Speaker 1: I'm like, what do you mean? There was this person 15 00:00:45,159 --> 00:00:48,360 Speaker 1: who found out they were married to their sibling and 16 00:00:48,400 --> 00:00:51,440 Speaker 1: they because their parents lied about some stuff like those. 17 00:00:51,520 --> 00:00:53,320 Speaker 1: I've had one of those that I tried to track 18 00:00:53,360 --> 00:00:56,520 Speaker 1: down and I was like, this just buttered out. But 19 00:00:56,600 --> 00:00:58,880 Speaker 1: little did I know that this one unfurled into a 20 00:00:59,000 --> 00:01:02,040 Speaker 1: story with so much intrigue and cover up and weirdness, 21 00:01:02,080 --> 00:01:03,880 Speaker 1: and all of it comes together in a way that 22 00:01:03,960 --> 00:01:07,240 Speaker 1: kind of offers insights into the ways that people can 23 00:01:07,280 --> 00:01:12,600 Speaker 1: become really frenzied in their desire to achieve something, and 24 00:01:12,720 --> 00:01:14,959 Speaker 1: so much so that a line gets crossed, and then 25 00:01:15,120 --> 00:01:18,920 Speaker 1: another line gets crossed beyond that, and then the next line, 26 00:01:18,959 --> 00:01:21,920 Speaker 1: and it keeps kind of escalating to horrific and tragic ends. 27 00:01:22,600 --> 00:01:25,440 Speaker 1: And it shows just how far people will go to 28 00:01:25,520 --> 00:01:29,760 Speaker 1: protect their secrets, because some of this deals with freemasonry, 29 00:01:30,319 --> 00:01:34,440 Speaker 1: which today is kind of described as like a self 30 00:01:34,480 --> 00:01:39,640 Speaker 1: improvement association that's about like becoming a better person, doing 31 00:01:39,680 --> 00:01:44,000 Speaker 1: good for the community, et cetera. Freemasonry at this point 32 00:01:44,080 --> 00:01:47,200 Speaker 1: we're talking about, which is the early nineteenth century in 33 00:01:47,319 --> 00:01:50,840 Speaker 1: the United States, was much more about like being a 34 00:01:50,880 --> 00:01:54,960 Speaker 1: secret society and what that meant, and it felt a 35 00:01:55,000 --> 00:01:59,320 Speaker 1: little less demystified than it does today. They were all 36 00:01:59,320 --> 00:02:02,240 Speaker 1: in on the mistic even though it really when, as 37 00:02:02,280 --> 00:02:06,760 Speaker 1: we'll discuss throughout this story, i'm all that mystical, just secret. 38 00:02:08,040 --> 00:02:10,280 Speaker 1: And it also shows the ways that people will sometimes 39 00:02:11,040 --> 00:02:14,760 Speaker 1: justify really horrific behavior and kind of the strange power 40 00:02:14,800 --> 00:02:19,760 Speaker 1: of groupthink. Even today, this particular story stays a mystery. 41 00:02:19,800 --> 00:02:24,000 Speaker 1: Spoiler alert, It still divides people. If you read tellings 42 00:02:24,040 --> 00:02:27,600 Speaker 1: of it today, there are still people who are like 43 00:02:28,880 --> 00:02:35,120 Speaker 1: not having it and not buying into the villain story. 44 00:02:35,160 --> 00:02:38,440 Speaker 1: Of it. There are people that also believe that the 45 00:02:38,480 --> 00:02:42,920 Speaker 1: crimes involved never happened, even though there were trials and 46 00:02:43,600 --> 00:02:49,960 Speaker 1: some findings of guilt and sentences handed down, and there 47 00:02:50,040 --> 00:02:51,640 Speaker 1: is a lot to it. It is a two parter 48 00:02:51,919 --> 00:02:54,320 Speaker 1: because today what we're talking about is the life of 49 00:02:54,360 --> 00:02:57,560 Speaker 1: William Morgan and how he found himself in a very 50 00:02:57,639 --> 00:03:01,680 Speaker 1: dangerous position of having angered an entire group of people 51 00:03:02,400 --> 00:03:05,360 Speaker 1: right before he essentially vanished off the face of the earth. 52 00:03:06,639 --> 00:03:08,720 Speaker 1: And then the next part of this two parter, we're 53 00:03:08,760 --> 00:03:10,920 Speaker 1: going to talk about the book that he was writing 54 00:03:10,960 --> 00:03:14,359 Speaker 1: that catalyzed this entire chain of events and how those 55 00:03:14,360 --> 00:03:17,400 Speaker 1: events were perceived and framed and then retold in the 56 00:03:17,440 --> 00:03:21,680 Speaker 1: decades that followed. So in the summer of eighteen eighty one, 57 00:03:21,919 --> 00:03:26,280 Speaker 1: the New York Times ran the headline William Morgan's Bones, 58 00:03:27,040 --> 00:03:30,560 Speaker 1: and this story opened with quote, Batavia, New York, June 59 00:03:30,600 --> 00:03:34,360 Speaker 1: twenty first, this little town is filled with excitement today 60 00:03:34,440 --> 00:03:37,040 Speaker 1: over the discovery of what are believed to be the 61 00:03:37,080 --> 00:03:41,200 Speaker 1: remains of William Morgan, the man who betrayed the secrets 62 00:03:41,200 --> 00:03:44,960 Speaker 1: of the Freemasons, and his book entitled Morgan's Illustrations of 63 00:03:45,000 --> 00:03:48,560 Speaker 1: Masonry fifty five years ago and was abducted and made 64 00:03:48,560 --> 00:03:51,320 Speaker 1: away with before his work was given to the public. 65 00:03:52,240 --> 00:03:55,640 Speaker 1: The mystery surrounding the fate of William Morgan has defied 66 00:03:55,760 --> 00:03:59,480 Speaker 1: human ingenuity for over half a century, and now it 67 00:03:59,560 --> 00:04:03,600 Speaker 1: seems to be unraveled at last, when most, if not all, 68 00:04:03,760 --> 00:04:07,040 Speaker 1: the actors in the tragedy, like its victim, are laid 69 00:04:07,080 --> 00:04:10,560 Speaker 1: away in the grave. That is the story I stumbled 70 00:04:10,640 --> 00:04:15,040 Speaker 1: upon that maybe goes Jim excuse. William Morgan is one 71 00:04:15,080 --> 00:04:18,080 Speaker 1: of those historical figures about whose life we really only 72 00:04:18,120 --> 00:04:21,920 Speaker 1: have pretty basic and sparse facts, particularly his early life. 73 00:04:22,360 --> 00:04:25,799 Speaker 1: He was born in Culpeper County, Virginia in seventeen seventy 74 00:04:25,839 --> 00:04:29,359 Speaker 1: four or seventeen seventy five. As a young man, he 75 00:04:29,400 --> 00:04:32,480 Speaker 1: worked as a stonemason, and he was by some accounts, 76 00:04:32,480 --> 00:04:35,560 Speaker 1: in General Jackson's army as a captain and fought at 77 00:04:35,560 --> 00:04:39,200 Speaker 1: the Battle of New Orleans in eighteen fifteen. That military 78 00:04:39,240 --> 00:04:43,040 Speaker 1: service is disputed due to lack of records or supporting evidence. 79 00:04:43,279 --> 00:04:46,440 Speaker 1: You'll find that comes up a lot with Morgan because 80 00:04:46,480 --> 00:04:48,440 Speaker 1: many people told the story over and over and the 81 00:04:48,480 --> 00:04:52,880 Speaker 1: facts shifted along the way. Sometime during this period of 82 00:04:52,920 --> 00:04:54,720 Speaker 1: his life, when he was still a fairly young man. 83 00:04:54,839 --> 00:05:00,359 Speaker 1: Morgan joined the Masons probably in eighteen nineteen. William married 84 00:05:00,440 --> 00:05:05,080 Speaker 1: Lucinda Bendleton, a minister's daughter from Richmond, Virginia. The couple 85 00:05:05,160 --> 00:05:08,719 Speaker 1: moved to Canada in eighteen twenty one. William made a 86 00:05:08,760 --> 00:05:11,440 Speaker 1: living there as a brewer for a while, but then 87 00:05:11,440 --> 00:05:15,560 Speaker 1: the brewery burned down. Rather than rebuild that brewery, Morgan 88 00:05:15,640 --> 00:05:18,840 Speaker 1: moved to Rochester, New York, than to Leroy, which is 89 00:05:18,880 --> 00:05:22,440 Speaker 1: a place nobody agrees on how to pronounce. Then finally 90 00:05:22,480 --> 00:05:25,880 Speaker 1: they moved to Batavia. He had returned to his Stonemasonry career, 91 00:05:26,040 --> 00:05:30,440 Speaker 1: and he and Lucinda had two children. In New York. 92 00:05:30,520 --> 00:05:34,560 Speaker 1: He continued his association with the Masons, and he was 93 00:05:35,080 --> 00:05:38,280 Speaker 1: probably made a Royal arch Mason in eighteen twenty one. 94 00:05:39,240 --> 00:05:42,279 Speaker 1: As was written in eighteen ninety nine by Peter Ross, 95 00:05:42,400 --> 00:05:44,760 Speaker 1: We're going to talk about his account several times. Peter 96 00:05:44,920 --> 00:05:50,720 Speaker 1: Ross definitely not especially kind to William Morgan. He wrote, quote, 97 00:05:50,880 --> 00:05:55,920 Speaker 1: as to his Masonic affiliations, much diversity of statement exists. 98 00:05:56,760 --> 00:06:00,200 Speaker 1: Just how involved with the Freemasons William Morgan was is 99 00:06:00,240 --> 00:06:03,520 Speaker 1: pretty nebulous. That is something that becomes kind of central 100 00:06:03,520 --> 00:06:07,600 Speaker 1: to his story. According to one account, included in a 101 00:06:07,720 --> 00:06:10,960 Speaker 1: History of New York Freemasons. He was known to visit 102 00:06:11,040 --> 00:06:14,440 Speaker 1: the Wells Lodge in Batavia, and the royal arch degree 103 00:06:14,600 --> 00:06:17,800 Speaker 1: is on record in the lodge at Leroy, but the 104 00:06:17,800 --> 00:06:20,960 Speaker 1: Wells Lodge wasn't in Batavia. That particular lodge was in 105 00:06:21,000 --> 00:06:24,760 Speaker 1: a different town. Additionally, there are some accounts that suggest 106 00:06:24,880 --> 00:06:27,760 Speaker 1: that some of the documents of mason business which Morgan 107 00:06:27,839 --> 00:06:31,640 Speaker 1: was allowed to sign were destroyed when members quote had 108 00:06:31,680 --> 00:06:36,280 Speaker 1: become aware of his character and habits. Yet another version, 109 00:06:36,400 --> 00:06:40,240 Speaker 1: in a History of Freemasonry in Batavia, specifically states that 110 00:06:40,279 --> 00:06:42,760 Speaker 1: Morgan was never a member of the Lodge at Batavia 111 00:06:42,800 --> 00:06:47,000 Speaker 1: because he was refused admission and only ever visited the 112 00:06:47,120 --> 00:06:50,760 Speaker 1: lodge at Rochester, not becoming a member with a hint 113 00:06:50,800 --> 00:06:53,280 Speaker 1: that he did so. He managed that visit in some 114 00:06:53,320 --> 00:06:57,160 Speaker 1: sort of sneaky or underhanded way. There are also other 115 00:06:57,279 --> 00:06:59,440 Speaker 1: versions of this story that say that he was a 116 00:06:59,440 --> 00:07:02,120 Speaker 1: member in then had some sort of falling out with 117 00:07:02,200 --> 00:07:05,440 Speaker 1: the Batavial Lodge which caused him to be angry and vengeful. 118 00:07:06,440 --> 00:07:09,760 Speaker 2: In early eighteen twenty six, William formed a partnership with 119 00:07:09,800 --> 00:07:13,600 Speaker 2: a man named Colonel David C. Miller. Miller owned a 120 00:07:13,680 --> 00:07:17,880 Speaker 2: printing office, and Morgan was working on a manuscript. Two 121 00:07:17,920 --> 00:07:20,520 Speaker 2: other men were brought onto the project to pay for 122 00:07:20,560 --> 00:07:23,920 Speaker 2: the printing and the distribution costs. These were Russell Dyer 123 00:07:24,120 --> 00:07:29,600 Speaker 2: and David Johns. David John's sometimes appears in the accounts 124 00:07:29,600 --> 00:07:33,320 Speaker 2: as John David's and sometimes as Daniel Johns. Just to 125 00:07:33,360 --> 00:07:35,760 Speaker 2: kind of keep things interesting, we are going to stick 126 00:07:35,800 --> 00:07:39,880 Speaker 2: with David Johns, just for the sake of consistency. In 127 00:07:39,960 --> 00:07:44,000 Speaker 2: their discussions. The men anticipated that this book would make 128 00:07:44,080 --> 00:07:47,160 Speaker 2: money and they were going to split the profits for ways. 129 00:07:47,720 --> 00:07:50,800 Speaker 2: They thought this was a sure thing because Morgan's manuscript 130 00:07:50,880 --> 00:07:54,640 Speaker 2: was going to reveal the secrets of Freemasonry. There are 131 00:07:54,720 --> 00:07:58,400 Speaker 2: accounts that indicate that David Johns was a Mason who 132 00:07:59,080 --> 00:08:01,880 Speaker 2: was in this whole inn with the intent of shutting 133 00:08:01,960 --> 00:08:07,480 Speaker 2: it down from the inside, and that's because the Freemasons 134 00:08:07,520 --> 00:08:11,080 Speaker 2: didn't want it to happen. William Morgan started telling people 135 00:08:11,120 --> 00:08:14,480 Speaker 2: that he intended to publish an expos on the Masons 136 00:08:14,520 --> 00:08:18,160 Speaker 2: to promote his upcoming book, and that intention was met 137 00:08:18,200 --> 00:08:23,000 Speaker 2: with great hostility. As for Morgan's motivation for writing such 138 00:08:23,000 --> 00:08:25,960 Speaker 2: a manuscript, he claimed that he had come to believe 139 00:08:26,000 --> 00:08:28,520 Speaker 2: that the organization was corrupt and that it needed to 140 00:08:28,520 --> 00:08:32,800 Speaker 2: be exposed. He was threatened with everything from imprisonment to 141 00:08:32,880 --> 00:08:37,400 Speaker 2: bodily harm, and it appears that those threats were carried out. 142 00:08:37,880 --> 00:08:40,240 Speaker 2: The New York Times in eighteen eighty one wrote of 143 00:08:40,240 --> 00:08:43,520 Speaker 2: the response quote The result was that some two fanatical 144 00:08:43,559 --> 00:08:47,200 Speaker 2: Masons in and around Batavia set themselves to work to 145 00:08:47,240 --> 00:08:51,160 Speaker 2: prevent the publication at all hazards had they paid no 146 00:08:51,280 --> 00:08:54,440 Speaker 2: attention to the announcement and allowed the work to proceed quietly. 147 00:08:55,000 --> 00:08:57,560 Speaker 2: The probability is that the book, when published, would have 148 00:08:57,600 --> 00:09:01,160 Speaker 2: fallen flat upon the market, but the scenes of violence 149 00:09:01,160 --> 00:09:04,040 Speaker 2: which preceded it heralded it to the world as no 150 00:09:04,240 --> 00:09:08,720 Speaker 2: other form of advertisement could have done. Before anything happened 151 00:09:08,760 --> 00:09:12,120 Speaker 2: directly to Morgan, there was a campaign to warn people 152 00:09:12,200 --> 00:09:16,800 Speaker 2: about him. There were short warnings placed in newspapers that read, quote, 153 00:09:16,880 --> 00:09:20,200 Speaker 2: the Masonic Fraternity and others are cautioned against a man 154 00:09:20,240 --> 00:09:24,440 Speaker 2: calling himself Captain William Morgan, as he is a swindler 155 00:09:24,640 --> 00:09:25,880 Speaker 2: and a dangerous man. 156 00:09:26,440 --> 00:09:30,080 Speaker 1: Yeah, there are variations on that blurb, but they were 157 00:09:30,160 --> 00:09:35,119 Speaker 1: peppered throughout newspapers in the New York area. On August nineteenth, 158 00:09:35,160 --> 00:09:38,199 Speaker 1: eighteen twenty six, Morgan was arrested on a civil suit 159 00:09:38,360 --> 00:09:41,040 Speaker 1: and some of his papers were seized by the constable 160 00:09:41,080 --> 00:09:45,080 Speaker 1: that made that arrest. That constable was a Mason. Morgan 161 00:09:45,160 --> 00:09:48,360 Speaker 1: was released on bail two days later. I never found 162 00:09:48,400 --> 00:09:51,120 Speaker 1: a clear indication of what this suit was about, but 163 00:09:51,200 --> 00:09:53,800 Speaker 1: it seems as though it was a pretty minor complaint 164 00:09:54,040 --> 00:09:57,400 Speaker 1: between two people, like some of the others that we 165 00:09:57,440 --> 00:10:00,880 Speaker 1: are about to hear about. On September eighth, there was 166 00:10:00,920 --> 00:10:03,520 Speaker 1: a meeting in a tavern and a town several miles 167 00:10:03,520 --> 00:10:07,320 Speaker 1: away from Batavia. During that meeting, a plan was hatched 168 00:10:07,400 --> 00:10:11,240 Speaker 1: to burn down Miller's printing office. There was a fire, 169 00:10:11,440 --> 00:10:13,320 Speaker 1: but it was put out really quickly, not a lot 170 00:10:13,360 --> 00:10:17,520 Speaker 1: of damage was done. Miller was taken into custody by 171 00:10:17,559 --> 00:10:21,320 Speaker 1: Constable Jesse French, who was a Freemason, and he was 172 00:10:21,400 --> 00:10:24,400 Speaker 1: pressured during his imprisonment to give up the plan to 173 00:10:24,480 --> 00:10:29,600 Speaker 1: print Morgan's book. He was, after his friends interceded, taken 174 00:10:29,640 --> 00:10:32,760 Speaker 1: before a magistrate, but the men who captured him did 175 00:10:32,760 --> 00:10:36,640 Speaker 1: not appear at the hearing, and Miller was released. Ultimately, 176 00:10:36,760 --> 00:10:39,679 Speaker 1: French and three of his friends were indicted for riot, 177 00:10:39,720 --> 00:10:43,320 Speaker 1: assault and false imprisonment for their actions. Three of the 178 00:10:43,360 --> 00:10:45,880 Speaker 1: four men were found guilty and given jail time. 179 00:10:47,200 --> 00:10:51,240 Speaker 2: Then Morgan was arrested again. The claim was that he 180 00:10:51,400 --> 00:10:56,040 Speaker 2: owed a tavern keeper some clothes. According to his version 181 00:10:56,080 --> 00:10:58,680 Speaker 2: of the story, he borrowed a shirt and a cravat 182 00:10:58,760 --> 00:11:01,760 Speaker 2: from a tavern keeper name Kingsley, but then he was 183 00:11:01,800 --> 00:11:05,840 Speaker 2: accused of stealing them. Morgan was arrested under the charge 184 00:11:05,840 --> 00:11:09,520 Speaker 2: of petty larceny on September eleventh, but when he was arraigned, 185 00:11:09,559 --> 00:11:10,800 Speaker 2: the charge was dismissed. 186 00:11:11,480 --> 00:11:15,080 Speaker 1: But soon, really soon, there was another charge against Morgan, 187 00:11:15,679 --> 00:11:19,760 Speaker 1: also by a tavern keeper. This time Aaron Ackley, said 188 00:11:19,760 --> 00:11:23,160 Speaker 1: that Morgan owed him money, which he did a small amount. 189 00:11:23,600 --> 00:11:26,280 Speaker 1: This is sometimes reported as two dollars, sometimes a three, 190 00:11:26,400 --> 00:11:30,560 Speaker 1: and various points in between, but it was enough because 191 00:11:30,559 --> 00:11:34,120 Speaker 1: this time Morgan was jailed of Note all of this 192 00:11:34,320 --> 00:11:38,760 Speaker 1: was happening very quickly. The initial arrest for the clothes, 193 00:11:39,240 --> 00:11:42,520 Speaker 1: the dismissal, and the second arrest all happened on the 194 00:11:42,600 --> 00:11:46,560 Speaker 1: same day, September eleventh. The black Rock Gazette reported a 195 00:11:46,600 --> 00:11:49,480 Speaker 1: month later on the details of these two arrests. Quote 196 00:11:49,520 --> 00:11:52,640 Speaker 1: on the eleventh of September, William Morgan, a native of 197 00:11:52,760 --> 00:11:55,959 Speaker 1: Virginia who had for about three years lived in this village, 198 00:11:56,240 --> 00:12:00,199 Speaker 1: was under pretext of a justice's warrant, hurried from from 199 00:12:00,200 --> 00:12:04,360 Speaker 1: his home and family and carried to Canadagua. The same night, 200 00:12:04,400 --> 00:12:07,160 Speaker 1: he was examined on a charge of petty larceny and 201 00:12:07,240 --> 00:12:10,719 Speaker 1: discharged by the justice. One of the persons who took 202 00:12:10,800 --> 00:12:13,760 Speaker 1: him away immediately obtained a warrant against him in a 203 00:12:13,760 --> 00:12:17,080 Speaker 1: civil suit for an alleged debt of two dollars on 204 00:12:17,200 --> 00:12:20,120 Speaker 1: which he was committed to the jail of Ontario County. 205 00:12:21,160 --> 00:12:23,880 Speaker 1: We'll take a break here and hear from some sponsors 206 00:12:24,080 --> 00:12:28,199 Speaker 1: when we get back. Well see how Morgan's situation escalated 207 00:12:28,280 --> 00:12:41,520 Speaker 1: to a far more dangerous level. Although he was incarcerated 208 00:12:41,600 --> 00:12:44,440 Speaker 1: for the money that he owed Aaron Aclee, William Morgan 209 00:12:44,480 --> 00:12:48,000 Speaker 1: did not stay in jail for long. On September twelfth, 210 00:12:48,120 --> 00:12:51,320 Speaker 1: Morgan was released when a man named Lowten Lawson paid 211 00:12:51,320 --> 00:12:53,800 Speaker 1: the amount that was owed to Aaron Aclee. He went 212 00:12:53,840 --> 00:12:56,960 Speaker 1: to the jail to pay it, but Lawson was not 213 00:12:57,200 --> 00:13:01,120 Speaker 1: Morgan's friend. Far from it. As William Morgan stepped outside 214 00:13:01,160 --> 00:13:04,920 Speaker 1: with him, he was grabbed and forcibly taken via carriage 215 00:13:04,960 --> 00:13:08,800 Speaker 1: to Rochester. The men who took him were Edward Sawyer, 216 00:13:09,120 --> 00:13:14,160 Speaker 1: Nicholas G. Cheesebro Lowten Lawson, and John Sheldon. Once the 217 00:13:14,200 --> 00:13:17,360 Speaker 1: carriage reached Rochester, Morgan was given over to a different 218 00:13:17,400 --> 00:13:22,040 Speaker 1: group of men. Their identities are unknown, and on September twelfth, 219 00:13:22,080 --> 00:13:25,360 Speaker 1: eighteen twenty six, William Morgan disappeared. 220 00:13:26,400 --> 00:13:30,400 Speaker 2: After it became clear that Morgan was missing, pressure was 221 00:13:30,440 --> 00:13:33,320 Speaker 2: put on his wife to hand over any papers of 222 00:13:33,360 --> 00:13:36,679 Speaker 2: his that she had that could be damaging to freemasonry. 223 00:13:37,480 --> 00:13:39,680 Speaker 2: She was told that if she did this, she would 224 00:13:39,720 --> 00:13:42,640 Speaker 2: be taken to William. So Lucinda did. She turned over 225 00:13:42,800 --> 00:13:45,400 Speaker 2: whatever papers she could find, and she was taken to 226 00:13:45,440 --> 00:13:50,600 Speaker 2: Canadagua was not reunited with her husband. Though this piece 227 00:13:50,640 --> 00:13:53,480 Speaker 2: of information came from a news report that was published 228 00:13:53,520 --> 00:13:56,560 Speaker 2: about a month after the disappearance, it's not really clear 229 00:13:56,600 --> 00:13:59,560 Speaker 2: if she was just taken home again after not getting 230 00:13:59,640 --> 00:14:01,960 Speaker 2: sight of if William, or exactly what happened. 231 00:14:02,840 --> 00:14:06,160 Speaker 1: There were some indications about what had happened to William 232 00:14:06,240 --> 00:14:09,560 Speaker 1: After his carriage ride. It became known that he was 233 00:14:09,600 --> 00:14:13,640 Speaker 1: taken to Fort Niagara and then into Canada. On the 234 00:14:13,720 --> 00:14:17,280 Speaker 1: road from Batavia to Fort Niagara, several stops were made 235 00:14:17,360 --> 00:14:21,400 Speaker 1: and the party changed carriages and even persons switched out 236 00:14:21,400 --> 00:14:24,120 Speaker 1: at various points in what seemed like kind of a relay. 237 00:14:25,080 --> 00:14:28,040 Speaker 1: Various witnesses saw the party on the roads or on 238 00:14:28,080 --> 00:14:30,600 Speaker 1: their stops, as well as at taverns and at a 239 00:14:30,600 --> 00:14:34,160 Speaker 1: toll house, which all revealed a piece together map of 240 00:14:34,200 --> 00:14:39,040 Speaker 1: their movement. The information about William's imprisonment at Fort Niagara 241 00:14:39,080 --> 00:14:41,600 Speaker 1: came to light when a man who admitted to having 242 00:14:41,640 --> 00:14:44,320 Speaker 1: been one of his jailers there was questioned about his 243 00:14:44,520 --> 00:14:46,080 Speaker 1: part in the story. 244 00:14:47,440 --> 00:14:51,360 Speaker 2: Edward Giddons was the keeper of the fort. Giddins gave 245 00:14:51,400 --> 00:14:54,200 Speaker 2: a statement that began with a description of the magazine 246 00:14:54,280 --> 00:14:57,840 Speaker 2: that's the area of the fort where Morgan was held quote. 247 00:14:58,360 --> 00:15:01,040 Speaker 2: This building stands on the south side of the fort. 248 00:15:01,320 --> 00:15:03,680 Speaker 2: Is built of stone, about the height of a common 249 00:15:03,720 --> 00:15:07,400 Speaker 2: two story building. The side and end walls are about 250 00:15:07,440 --> 00:15:10,160 Speaker 2: four feet thick. The wall over the top is eight 251 00:15:10,200 --> 00:15:14,200 Speaker 2: feet thick and considered bomb proof, covered with shingle roof. 252 00:15:15,000 --> 00:15:17,720 Speaker 2: There is but one door. There are no windows or 253 00:15:17,720 --> 00:15:20,800 Speaker 2: apertures in the walls, except a small ventilator for the 254 00:15:20,800 --> 00:15:24,280 Speaker 2: admission of air, and one small window in each end 255 00:15:24,360 --> 00:15:27,880 Speaker 2: about ten feet from the ground. They are usually closed 256 00:15:28,000 --> 00:15:30,200 Speaker 2: and locked on the outside with a padlock. 257 00:15:31,200 --> 00:15:34,280 Speaker 1: In addition to this description, he stated that there had 258 00:15:34,320 --> 00:15:39,240 Speaker 1: been an attempted transfer of Morgan to Canadian Masons. According 259 00:15:39,240 --> 00:15:43,520 Speaker 1: to Giddons, Morgan himself had rowed alongside his captors to 260 00:15:43,560 --> 00:15:47,520 Speaker 1: cross the Niagara River, but when they reached the Canadian side, 261 00:15:47,640 --> 00:15:50,480 Speaker 1: it was discovered that the Masons there were not yet 262 00:15:50,520 --> 00:15:53,680 Speaker 1: ready to receive the captive, and back the boat went 263 00:15:53,760 --> 00:15:56,640 Speaker 1: to the US side, and it was at this point 264 00:15:56,680 --> 00:15:59,320 Speaker 1: that Giddons made the case to just let Morgan go. 265 00:16:00,200 --> 00:16:02,800 Speaker 1: He told authorities later that he and the other men 266 00:16:02,880 --> 00:16:05,600 Speaker 1: had argued over this issue for several days, and that 267 00:16:05,640 --> 00:16:10,360 Speaker 1: on September seventeenth, Giddons left the fort. When he returned 268 00:16:10,400 --> 00:16:13,200 Speaker 1: four days later on the twenty first, William Morgan was 269 00:16:13,240 --> 00:16:15,880 Speaker 1: no longer there, and Giddons did not know any more 270 00:16:15,920 --> 00:16:21,240 Speaker 1: than that. This account was contradicted by another man, Elisha Adams, 271 00:16:21,280 --> 00:16:23,880 Speaker 1: who had brought food to the fort for William Morgan. 272 00:16:24,720 --> 00:16:27,520 Speaker 1: He told investigators that on the night the boat left 273 00:16:27,600 --> 00:16:31,280 Speaker 1: carrying Morgan and five other men, the other five returned 274 00:16:31,360 --> 00:16:35,600 Speaker 1: via the same boat rather quickly without Morgan. But when 275 00:16:35,600 --> 00:16:38,720 Speaker 1: Adams testified at the eventual trial of the men involved, 276 00:16:38,760 --> 00:16:42,200 Speaker 1: he stated that he knew nothing about the matter. Adams 277 00:16:42,200 --> 00:16:45,000 Speaker 1: allegedly was told by the abductor's legal team that if 278 00:16:45,040 --> 00:16:48,600 Speaker 1: he shared his knowledge of the case, he would be implicated. 279 00:16:49,200 --> 00:16:51,760 Speaker 1: But even as this information came to light that he 280 00:16:51,800 --> 00:16:55,560 Speaker 1: had kind of been coerced into hiding the truth, none 281 00:16:55,640 --> 00:16:57,040 Speaker 1: of that was used in the case. 282 00:16:58,400 --> 00:17:01,680 Speaker 2: There were two different people who gave sworn statements about 283 00:17:01,680 --> 00:17:06,360 Speaker 2: Morgan's abduction to investigators. There was the jailer's wife, Missus Hall, 284 00:17:06,480 --> 00:17:09,200 Speaker 2: who was the person who received the money from Lowton 285 00:17:09,280 --> 00:17:12,840 Speaker 2: Lawson that enabled Morgan to be released, and there was 286 00:17:12,880 --> 00:17:15,879 Speaker 2: a man named Willis Turner, who lived near the jail 287 00:17:16,000 --> 00:17:19,120 Speaker 2: and saw this happen. Both of them said they heard 288 00:17:19,160 --> 00:17:23,359 Speaker 2: William Morgan cry out murder as Lawson and his cohorts 289 00:17:23,440 --> 00:17:27,160 Speaker 2: wrestled him into the carriage. Turner said that he saw 290 00:17:27,240 --> 00:17:30,520 Speaker 2: the men put a cloth in William Morgan's mouth to 291 00:17:30,680 --> 00:17:35,280 Speaker 2: silence him. Turner had also seen Cheeseboro and Sawyer whispering 292 00:17:35,480 --> 00:17:39,000 Speaker 2: outside the jail. Both witnesses said that one of the 293 00:17:39,080 --> 00:17:42,320 Speaker 2: men wrapped the curve with a stick to signal the 294 00:17:42,320 --> 00:17:43,360 Speaker 2: carriage to pull up. 295 00:17:44,200 --> 00:17:46,960 Speaker 1: The driver of that carriage was a man named Hibbard. 296 00:17:47,280 --> 00:17:50,720 Speaker 1: He also gave information about the journey. He was the 297 00:17:50,800 --> 00:17:53,040 Speaker 1: keeper of the nearby Livery Stable, and he had been 298 00:17:53,119 --> 00:17:56,959 Speaker 1: hired to drive to Rochester. He stated that the carriage 299 00:17:56,960 --> 00:17:59,679 Speaker 1: stopped many times along the way and he had not 300 00:17:59,760 --> 00:18:03,960 Speaker 1: seen any indication that an unwilling prisoner was involved, because 301 00:18:03,960 --> 00:18:06,760 Speaker 1: he thought there were ample opportunities for such a person 302 00:18:06,800 --> 00:18:09,560 Speaker 1: to raise an alarm. But he also said that he 303 00:18:09,600 --> 00:18:12,120 Speaker 1: didn't know who was in the carriage, Although the bill 304 00:18:12,200 --> 00:18:15,960 Speaker 1: for the journey was later paid for by cheesebro. One 305 00:18:15,960 --> 00:18:18,840 Speaker 1: of the stories that began to circulate after Hibbard said 306 00:18:18,880 --> 00:18:21,440 Speaker 1: he didn't see any sign of struggle from any prisoner 307 00:18:21,480 --> 00:18:25,160 Speaker 1: on the journey was that William Morgan's captors had kept 308 00:18:25,240 --> 00:18:29,320 Speaker 1: him heavily intoxicated and in a stupor, possibly hoping that 309 00:18:29,400 --> 00:18:31,200 Speaker 1: he might die of alcohol poisoning. 310 00:18:32,000 --> 00:18:35,480 Speaker 2: In the days and weeks that followed the disappearance, plenty 311 00:18:35,520 --> 00:18:39,040 Speaker 2: of people gave their opinions on William Morgan's character, and 312 00:18:39,080 --> 00:18:42,640 Speaker 2: these opinions were all over the place. Some people echoed 313 00:18:42,680 --> 00:18:45,359 Speaker 2: the warnings that had been placed in the paper, suggesting 314 00:18:45,400 --> 00:18:48,520 Speaker 2: that he was dangerous. Others touted him as a man 315 00:18:48,640 --> 00:18:53,320 Speaker 2: quote gentlemanly and engaging above his equals. Others just kind 316 00:18:53,320 --> 00:18:56,280 Speaker 2: of called him worthless. The fact that he had planned 317 00:18:56,359 --> 00:18:59,800 Speaker 2: to break his Masonic promise to never betray the fraternity 318 00:18:59,880 --> 00:19:02,600 Speaker 2: with enough in his detractor's views to just prove that 319 00:19:02,680 --> 00:19:05,879 Speaker 2: he was of low character. The reason why he was 320 00:19:05,880 --> 00:19:09,400 Speaker 2: planning to publish such a book has generally been assumed 321 00:19:09,480 --> 00:19:12,879 Speaker 2: to be financial gain. This was also used as a 322 00:19:12,960 --> 00:19:15,720 Speaker 2: means to show his failings, that his lack of financial 323 00:19:15,720 --> 00:19:17,760 Speaker 2: stability was seen as a character flaw. 324 00:19:19,160 --> 00:19:22,239 Speaker 1: On October fifth, the black Rock Gazette of Blackrock, New 325 00:19:22,320 --> 00:19:24,560 Speaker 1: York ran an account of a meeting that was held 326 00:19:24,600 --> 00:19:28,120 Speaker 1: the evening before quote to take into consideration the strange 327 00:19:28,160 --> 00:19:32,320 Speaker 1: proceedings which took place in Batavia Village on September eleventh. 328 00:19:33,119 --> 00:19:36,600 Speaker 1: Their committee statement from that meeting mentions that Morgan's quote 329 00:19:36,600 --> 00:19:40,040 Speaker 1: distressed wife and two infant children are left dependent on 330 00:19:40,160 --> 00:19:43,480 Speaker 1: charity for their sustenance, and states that the fears of 331 00:19:43,560 --> 00:19:46,960 Speaker 1: her present that Morgan was murdered, but there is lingering 332 00:19:47,119 --> 00:19:51,040 Speaker 1: hope he will be found in Canada. The news article 333 00:19:51,119 --> 00:19:54,359 Speaker 1: mentions that missus Morgan had been promised she would see 334 00:19:54,359 --> 00:19:58,320 Speaker 1: her husband, but that promise was not kept. The write 335 00:19:58,400 --> 00:20:01,520 Speaker 1: up also condemns the men who took Morgan. Quote. 336 00:20:01,560 --> 00:20:05,840 Speaker 2: The origin of this terrible excitement, this kidnapping, this carrying off, 337 00:20:06,200 --> 00:20:09,520 Speaker 2: this taking the scepter of justice into the rude hands 338 00:20:09,560 --> 00:20:13,760 Speaker 2: of a mob, an unlawful assemblage at all times, is 339 00:20:13,800 --> 00:20:16,400 Speaker 2: said to have been in consequence of a book now 340 00:20:16,440 --> 00:20:20,480 Speaker 2: in progress of publication by mister Miller, containing an exposition 341 00:20:20,520 --> 00:20:24,240 Speaker 2: of Masonry. Whether this book is fully published would most 342 00:20:24,359 --> 00:20:27,479 Speaker 2: expose the Masonic Fraternity or its authors. We will not 343 00:20:27,560 --> 00:20:31,680 Speaker 2: pretend to say, but the rash proceedings of one party 344 00:20:31,720 --> 00:20:35,840 Speaker 2: can in no wise be justified by any supposed wickedness 345 00:20:35,960 --> 00:20:40,400 Speaker 2: of the other. There was a Where's Morgan campaign launched, 346 00:20:40,440 --> 00:20:43,320 Speaker 2: and groups of volunteers set out to try to find 347 00:20:43,400 --> 00:20:46,639 Speaker 2: him and also figure out who had abducted him. A 348 00:20:46,760 --> 00:20:49,840 Speaker 2: number of prominent citizens made the case that the Freemasons 349 00:20:49,840 --> 00:20:54,440 Speaker 2: should spearhead the investigation because their members were so heavily implicated. 350 00:20:55,200 --> 00:20:57,880 Speaker 2: There was also an appeal made to the state legislature 351 00:20:57,920 --> 00:21:01,960 Speaker 2: to form an official investigative committee, but that idea kind 352 00:21:02,000 --> 00:21:04,640 Speaker 2: of died on the vine. No one in the legislature 353 00:21:04,760 --> 00:21:08,000 Speaker 2: took such action. Coming up, we will talk about how 354 00:21:08,040 --> 00:21:12,840 Speaker 2: both Masons and non Masons reacted to the subduction first, though, 355 00:21:12,880 --> 00:21:15,560 Speaker 2: we'll hear from the sponsors that keep stuffiness in history 356 00:21:15,560 --> 00:21:16,280 Speaker 2: class going. 357 00:21:26,359 --> 00:21:29,320 Speaker 1: This whole series of events and the vanishing of William 358 00:21:29,359 --> 00:21:32,800 Speaker 1: Morgan led to a surge and anti Mason sentiment, which 359 00:21:32,880 --> 00:21:36,520 Speaker 1: ultimately gave rise to the Anti Mason political party that's 360 00:21:36,560 --> 00:21:40,080 Speaker 1: considered the first third party in the United States. It 361 00:21:40,119 --> 00:21:44,040 Speaker 1: also caused rifts within the Masons. There was recognition that 362 00:21:44,119 --> 00:21:48,399 Speaker 1: this entire situation reflected really badly on the fraternity, and 363 00:21:48,480 --> 00:21:52,200 Speaker 1: the men involved were chastised as acting outside the ideology 364 00:21:52,200 --> 00:21:56,400 Speaker 1: of the group. But despite public denouncement from the Masons, 365 00:21:56,440 --> 00:21:59,400 Speaker 1: there was a lot of damage to the organization's reputation. 366 00:22:00,320 --> 00:22:02,960 Speaker 1: The governor of New York at the time was DeWitt Clinton, 367 00:22:03,080 --> 00:22:05,440 Speaker 1: who was a Freemason, and he put up a one 368 00:22:05,480 --> 00:22:09,720 Speaker 1: thousand dollars reward for the capture of Morgan's abductors. This 369 00:22:09,840 --> 00:22:12,679 Speaker 1: award was announced in the papers as a proclamation, and 370 00:22:12,720 --> 00:22:15,760 Speaker 1: it wasn't one lump sum. It was allocated out for 371 00:22:15,840 --> 00:22:19,920 Speaker 1: different pieces of information. According to the printed notice, Clinton 372 00:22:19,960 --> 00:22:22,480 Speaker 1: was offering quote, a reward of three hundred dollars for 373 00:22:22,520 --> 00:22:25,240 Speaker 1: the discovery of the offenders and a reward of one 374 00:22:25,320 --> 00:22:27,920 Speaker 1: hundred dollars for the discovery of any and every one 375 00:22:27,920 --> 00:22:31,080 Speaker 1: of them, to be paid on conviction, and also a 376 00:22:31,119 --> 00:22:34,720 Speaker 1: further reward of two hundred dollars for authentic information of 377 00:22:34,760 --> 00:22:38,080 Speaker 1: the place where this said William Morgan has been conveyed. 378 00:22:38,520 --> 00:22:41,560 Speaker 1: The governor also added quote, I do enjoin it upon 379 00:22:41,600 --> 00:22:45,359 Speaker 1: all sheriffs, magistrates, and other officers and ministers of justice 380 00:22:45,680 --> 00:22:48,479 Speaker 1: to be vigilant and active in the discharge of their 381 00:22:48,560 --> 00:22:54,280 Speaker 1: duties on this occasion. Some people viewed this proclamation as insufficient. 382 00:22:55,000 --> 00:22:57,840 Speaker 1: A different column in the same paper states, quote, the 383 00:22:57,880 --> 00:23:00,640 Speaker 1: reward offered for the discovery and a rest of those 384 00:23:00,680 --> 00:23:04,639 Speaker 1: who have violated the laws is sufficiently ample, but the 385 00:23:04,680 --> 00:23:08,240 Speaker 1: one proffered for the discovery and recovery of William Morgan 386 00:23:08,560 --> 00:23:12,400 Speaker 1: is not considered large enough. We live in a government 387 00:23:12,480 --> 00:23:16,760 Speaker 1: of laws, and shallaman under such government, no matter whether 388 00:23:16,840 --> 00:23:19,720 Speaker 1: he be certified to be the pattern of all the virtues, 389 00:23:19,840 --> 00:23:23,399 Speaker 1: or whether he be maker of certificate upon certificate, whether 390 00:23:23,480 --> 00:23:27,440 Speaker 1: he be guilty of the most gross instances of ingratitude, 391 00:23:27,800 --> 00:23:30,560 Speaker 1: whether he be guilty of crimes the recital of which 392 00:23:30,600 --> 00:23:33,440 Speaker 1: would shock the feelings of an ingrate, or whether he 393 00:23:33,560 --> 00:23:36,600 Speaker 1: be guilty of such behaviors, as to suffuse the cheek 394 00:23:36,640 --> 00:23:40,120 Speaker 1: of modesty and wring the hearts of his friends. We say, 395 00:23:40,320 --> 00:23:44,240 Speaker 1: to wrest a man from his family, his friends, from society, 396 00:23:44,359 --> 00:23:47,720 Speaker 1: or from his country, by no other warrant or mandate 397 00:23:47,840 --> 00:23:52,000 Speaker 1: than that of infuriated passions, is an assumption of power 398 00:23:52,200 --> 00:23:56,800 Speaker 1: and authority unknown in the administration of government, repugnant to 399 00:23:56,840 --> 00:24:00,000 Speaker 1: the feelings of men, and diametrically opposed to the less 400 00:24:00,400 --> 00:24:04,000 Speaker 1: the spirit and the genius of our institutions, and cannot 401 00:24:04,240 --> 00:24:08,840 Speaker 1: will not be permitted with impunity. The volunteer groups that 402 00:24:08,880 --> 00:24:11,920 Speaker 1: had assembled were able to track down information that led 403 00:24:11,960 --> 00:24:15,840 Speaker 1: to the arrests of Edward Sawyer, Nicholas G. Cheesebrow, Lowten Lawson, 404 00:24:15,920 --> 00:24:20,080 Speaker 1: and John Sheldon. All four men were tried for kidnapping 405 00:24:20,080 --> 00:24:23,840 Speaker 1: and were found guilty. Lawson was sentenced to two years 406 00:24:23,840 --> 00:24:28,120 Speaker 1: in jail. His penalty was the most severe. Cheesebro got 407 00:24:28,119 --> 00:24:31,800 Speaker 1: a year, Sheldon got three months, and Sawyer got just 408 00:24:31,880 --> 00:24:33,920 Speaker 1: one month of jail time as his sentence. 409 00:24:34,800 --> 00:24:39,159 Speaker 2: Immediately, stories spread about what people thought had happened to 410 00:24:39,240 --> 00:24:43,800 Speaker 2: William Morgan. The most popular and most widely accepted was 411 00:24:43,840 --> 00:24:46,800 Speaker 2: that he had been dumped into the Niagara river to drown, 412 00:24:47,480 --> 00:24:50,040 Speaker 2: and people speculated on the way he might have been 413 00:24:50,119 --> 00:24:53,680 Speaker 2: murdered and whare But a lot of rumors also sprang 414 00:24:53,760 --> 00:24:56,600 Speaker 2: up that suggested that some people believed he had not 415 00:24:56,720 --> 00:25:00,560 Speaker 2: been killed and had either escaped or been set or 416 00:25:00,600 --> 00:25:04,680 Speaker 2: maybe even had staged the whole thing himself. Among the 417 00:25:04,760 --> 00:25:07,399 Speaker 2: rumors were stories that he had decided to live a 418 00:25:07,400 --> 00:25:10,560 Speaker 2: better life and went somewhere to start fresh, free of 419 00:25:10,600 --> 00:25:13,159 Speaker 2: his creditors, which would mean that he left Lucenda and 420 00:25:13,200 --> 00:25:17,320 Speaker 2: his children behind that does not make much sense. Or 421 00:25:17,320 --> 00:25:20,399 Speaker 2: that he wandered into Quebec and became a drunkard, or 422 00:25:20,520 --> 00:25:22,560 Speaker 2: somehow ended up with a lot of money and was 423 00:25:22,600 --> 00:25:26,800 Speaker 2: living in Maine, or had been transferred from one Freemason 424 00:25:26,840 --> 00:25:29,760 Speaker 2: lodge to another until he was in Texas and then 425 00:25:29,880 --> 00:25:33,320 Speaker 2: managed to escape and fell in with an indigenous tribe there, 426 00:25:33,760 --> 00:25:37,760 Speaker 2: Or that he moved to the Caribbean or Australia, or 427 00:25:37,760 --> 00:25:41,040 Speaker 2: that he went into hiding in Turkey and taught English 428 00:25:41,080 --> 00:25:45,359 Speaker 2: and French there under the name Mustafa. This one actually 429 00:25:45,359 --> 00:25:48,520 Speaker 2: had a lot of traction for decades. Decades is gonna 430 00:25:48,520 --> 00:25:50,840 Speaker 2: come up again. There's also one that he lived in 431 00:25:50,880 --> 00:25:55,080 Speaker 2: the Cayman Islands. There were obviously no end of ideas 432 00:25:55,160 --> 00:25:58,280 Speaker 2: and rumors, and some of these stories people told just 433 00:25:58,400 --> 00:26:02,399 Speaker 2: certain that they were the truth. Also, because William Morgan 434 00:26:02,520 --> 00:26:05,240 Speaker 2: was a common enough name anytime it showed up in 435 00:26:05,240 --> 00:26:08,240 Speaker 2: the papers, even if it was in a far distant country, 436 00:26:08,600 --> 00:26:10,720 Speaker 2: it seemed like people started to think that they had 437 00:26:10,760 --> 00:26:14,679 Speaker 2: stumbled onto the real story of what had become of him. 438 00:26:15,080 --> 00:26:19,399 Speaker 2: A periodical called The Morgan Investigator was launched as the 439 00:26:19,480 --> 00:26:23,800 Speaker 2: search for clues continued. Colonel Miller supplied an article for 440 00:26:23,840 --> 00:26:26,600 Speaker 2: it the year after the abduction, and he mentioned that 441 00:26:26,680 --> 00:26:28,800 Speaker 2: in the months leading up to the fire at his 442 00:26:28,960 --> 00:26:33,480 Speaker 2: office in William Morgan's disappearance, he knew he was being watched. 443 00:26:34,200 --> 00:26:36,560 Speaker 2: He mostly use this opportunity to talk about the way 444 00:26:36,720 --> 00:26:40,920 Speaker 2: David Johns, who he refers to as Daniel, had infiltrated 445 00:26:40,960 --> 00:26:43,800 Speaker 2: their plan to print the book. He also made it 446 00:26:43,800 --> 00:26:46,399 Speaker 2: seem as though Johns was able to steal a portion 447 00:26:46,480 --> 00:26:50,040 Speaker 2: of the manuscript. According to Miller, there were multiple break 448 00:26:50,119 --> 00:26:52,440 Speaker 2: ins and thefts at the printing office in the months 449 00:26:52,560 --> 00:26:56,680 Speaker 2: leading up to the planned publication. There was a burial 450 00:26:56,760 --> 00:27:00,920 Speaker 2: for William Morgan a year after his disappearance. A body 451 00:27:00,960 --> 00:27:04,600 Speaker 2: had been found in Lake Ontario, and initial reports indicated 452 00:27:04,640 --> 00:27:07,960 Speaker 2: that it was believed to be Morgan. Once again. A 453 00:27:08,040 --> 00:27:10,639 Speaker 2: volunteer committee formed to have an inquest, and there were 454 00:27:10,680 --> 00:27:14,280 Speaker 2: public notices regarding the finding and the effort to determine 455 00:27:14,280 --> 00:27:17,880 Speaker 2: if it was truly Morgan. The body was buried near 456 00:27:18,160 --> 00:27:21,440 Speaker 2: where it was found, but was then exhumed for further investigation. 457 00:27:22,480 --> 00:27:25,679 Speaker 2: One of the investigators had been given details by William 458 00:27:25,720 --> 00:27:30,439 Speaker 2: Morgan's widow that could conclusively identify the body, in particular 459 00:27:30,640 --> 00:27:34,399 Speaker 2: a scar on his foot, his unusual habit of wearing 460 00:27:34,440 --> 00:27:37,959 Speaker 2: his fingernails long and trimmed to a point, and the 461 00:27:37,960 --> 00:27:42,440 Speaker 2: fact that he had hyperdnchia. Morgan apparently had two full 462 00:27:42,560 --> 00:27:45,840 Speaker 2: rows of teeth, a detail that was confirmed by his doctor, 463 00:27:45,920 --> 00:27:49,840 Speaker 2: a doctor Strong. Strong also gave details about a tooth 464 00:27:49,960 --> 00:27:53,440 Speaker 2: extraction that had been conducted on Morgan, and he even 465 00:27:53,520 --> 00:27:55,959 Speaker 2: had the tooth still on hand to match to the 466 00:27:55,960 --> 00:27:59,040 Speaker 2: mouth of the dead man, and according to the person 467 00:27:59,040 --> 00:28:02,360 Speaker 2: who used these details to examine the body, as well 468 00:28:02,400 --> 00:28:07,200 Speaker 2: as a coroner's jury, everything matched. The body was taken 469 00:28:07,240 --> 00:28:11,200 Speaker 2: to Batavia and buried as William Morgan, but its identity 470 00:28:11,320 --> 00:28:14,439 Speaker 2: was soon in question again. Word reached Batavia that it 471 00:28:14,480 --> 00:28:17,679 Speaker 2: was the body of a man named Timothy Monroe who 472 00:28:17,760 --> 00:28:21,840 Speaker 2: had drowned in the Niagara River. There was yet another inquest, 473 00:28:21,880 --> 00:28:26,440 Speaker 2: and Monroe's widow and son gave statements. Although details like 474 00:28:26,560 --> 00:28:29,159 Speaker 2: hair color and height didn't match up to the body 475 00:28:29,200 --> 00:28:31,720 Speaker 2: that had just been buried under the name William Morgan, 476 00:28:32,320 --> 00:28:36,840 Speaker 2: two specific things did match up. The clothing description down 477 00:28:36,880 --> 00:28:40,240 Speaker 2: to just the tiniest details, and then, oddly enough, double 478 00:28:40,280 --> 00:28:44,600 Speaker 2: teeth all around. Though this would seem more confusing than ever, 479 00:28:44,640 --> 00:28:47,400 Speaker 2: the body was declared to be that of Timothy Monroe, 480 00:28:48,080 --> 00:28:50,680 Speaker 2: even though there was an official ruling by a coroner's 481 00:28:50,800 --> 00:28:53,440 Speaker 2: jury to declare the body as Timothy Monroe and not 482 00:28:53,480 --> 00:28:56,360 Speaker 2: William Morgan. A lot of people still believe that it 483 00:28:56,600 --> 00:28:59,120 Speaker 2: was Morgan and that this whole Timoth theme and Roe 484 00:28:59,120 --> 00:29:04,120 Speaker 2: story was a cut. It does seem a little suspicious. 485 00:29:04,360 --> 00:29:06,560 Speaker 2: All of this honestly seems a little suspicious. 486 00:29:06,680 --> 00:29:07,640 Speaker 1: Yeah. 487 00:29:07,720 --> 00:29:10,400 Speaker 2: There were also allegations that members of the committee that 488 00:29:10,440 --> 00:29:14,120 Speaker 2: first identified the body as Morgan's had mutilated it to 489 00:29:14,160 --> 00:29:17,760 Speaker 2: fit the description that was given by Lucinda Morgan. Yeah, 490 00:29:17,800 --> 00:29:21,560 Speaker 2: there is a lot of accusations from both people who 491 00:29:21,600 --> 00:29:25,720 Speaker 2: think the Freemasons did it and people who did not 492 00:29:26,320 --> 00:29:30,040 Speaker 2: that the other side was like falsifying evidence and stories 493 00:29:30,080 --> 00:29:33,400 Speaker 2: to support their side of it. No one on either 494 00:29:33,480 --> 00:29:35,920 Speaker 2: side of the question seemed to change their position on 495 00:29:36,000 --> 00:29:39,520 Speaker 2: the matter. One witness to the body, Samuel Green, who 496 00:29:39,520 --> 00:29:41,680 Speaker 2: were going to talk about in more detail later in 497 00:29:41,680 --> 00:29:44,719 Speaker 2: this story, stated of the found body, quote, let it 498 00:29:44,760 --> 00:29:47,760 Speaker 2: be understood that the proof of his death by violence 499 00:29:47,920 --> 00:29:51,920 Speaker 2: does not rest upon identification of the body. The fact 500 00:29:52,000 --> 00:29:56,000 Speaker 2: of his death was established on evidence entirely independent of this. 501 00:29:56,680 --> 00:29:59,400 Speaker 2: The finding of the body was only a strange and 502 00:29:59,480 --> 00:30:03,600 Speaker 2: unexpected sequel. It serves to make an ending for the story, 503 00:30:03,880 --> 00:30:07,360 Speaker 2: but its beginning and middle had already passed into history 504 00:30:07,440 --> 00:30:11,520 Speaker 2: when this Danumont came, and that's where we leave this story. 505 00:30:11,880 --> 00:30:15,520 Speaker 2: Next time we'll talk about the manuscript that likely led 506 00:30:15,560 --> 00:30:20,120 Speaker 2: to the end of Morgan's life. So weird, it's weird. 507 00:30:20,240 --> 00:30:22,680 Speaker 2: Do you have some listener mailer it stays weird? My 508 00:30:22,760 --> 00:30:25,240 Speaker 2: listener mail isn't weird. It's delightful. 509 00:30:25,320 --> 00:30:29,720 Speaker 1: Oh good, it's cracked me up. It's from our listener, Mary, 510 00:30:29,760 --> 00:30:32,400 Speaker 1: who writes, good morning, Tracy and Holly. I'm going to 511 00:30:32,440 --> 00:30:34,720 Speaker 1: try to do justice to the events that occurred while 512 00:30:34,760 --> 00:30:37,280 Speaker 1: listening to the Billy Burke episode with my ten year old. 513 00:30:37,720 --> 00:30:40,040 Speaker 1: She was doing her math homework while I was listening 514 00:30:40,040 --> 00:30:42,600 Speaker 1: to the episode. It got to the part about the 515 00:30:42,640 --> 00:30:47,280 Speaker 1: infidelity and she exclaims, ooh, drama, where's the popcorn. I 516 00:30:47,320 --> 00:30:50,320 Speaker 1: stopped the episode and explained that Hollywood at that time 517 00:30:50,440 --> 00:30:53,080 Speaker 1: was full of stories like this. I went about my 518 00:30:53,120 --> 00:30:56,400 Speaker 1: business without starting the episode, playing wrong thing to do. 519 00:30:56,600 --> 00:30:59,000 Speaker 1: She piped up with, mom, I want to listen to it. 520 00:30:59,120 --> 00:31:02,640 Speaker 1: This is history. I hope you get a giggle out 521 00:31:02,640 --> 00:31:06,000 Speaker 1: of her amazing reaction. Attached are pictures of my black 522 00:31:06,080 --> 00:31:09,040 Speaker 1: cat kitten who live to be twenty should passed last year. 523 00:31:09,520 --> 00:31:11,720 Speaker 1: Dante is the fluffy one who will talk your ears 524 00:31:11,760 --> 00:31:14,880 Speaker 1: off at anytime, day or night, and Lynn, the sweet calico. 525 00:31:15,040 --> 00:31:17,840 Speaker 1: Thank you for all you do, hugs, Mary. This is 526 00:31:17,880 --> 00:31:25,120 Speaker 1: such a fun story. I love the idea of you know, listen, 527 00:31:25,240 --> 00:31:28,320 Speaker 1: history is full of interesting stories. That's the whole premise 528 00:31:28,360 --> 00:31:33,280 Speaker 1: of our show essentially. So it's good that people recognize 529 00:31:34,520 --> 00:31:38,000 Speaker 1: these cats are so cute. Oh I love it. I 530 00:31:38,040 --> 00:31:40,680 Speaker 1: love a talkie kitty too, so that made me chuckle 531 00:31:41,480 --> 00:31:43,160 Speaker 1: and thank you, thank you, thank you. That was like 532 00:31:43,240 --> 00:31:45,400 Speaker 1: you have overpaid your text your cat text I have 533 00:31:45,440 --> 00:31:46,920 Speaker 1: to say, this is a lot of good cat action. 534 00:31:48,120 --> 00:31:49,640 Speaker 1: If you would like to write to us, you can 535 00:31:49,720 --> 00:31:52,720 Speaker 1: do so at History Podcast at iHeartRadio dot com. You 536 00:31:52,760 --> 00:31:55,160 Speaker 1: can also find us on social media as Missed in 537 00:31:55,280 --> 00:31:57,640 Speaker 1: History and if you have not subscribed yet, you can 538 00:31:57,680 --> 00:32:00,680 Speaker 1: do that on the iHeartRadio app. Whever you listen to 539 00:32:00,720 --> 00:32:01,560 Speaker 1: your favorite shows. 540 00:32:06,680 --> 00:32:09,800 Speaker 2: Stuff you Missed in History Class is a production of iHeartRadio. 541 00:32:10,120 --> 00:32:14,720 Speaker 2: For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, 542 00:32:14,840 --> 00:32:16,880 Speaker 2: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.