1933

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SHORT TALK BULLETIN - Vol.XI   March, 1933   No.3

THE MORGAN AFFAIR

by: Unknown

Perhaps the most romantic story of Freemasonry, the fuel which the 
alleged abduction and murder of William Morgan supplied to the anti-
Masonic hysteria of a hundred years ago, and the gradual emergence of 
the Ancient Craft from the cloud which threatened to extinguish it, 
is a tale which all Freemasons may ponder to their enlightenment.
William Morgan, a brickmason, lived in Batavia, New York, from I824 
to 1826. Accounts of him differ widely, as they do of any notorious 
person. Few are so wicked as to be without friends; few are so good 
they have not their detractors. from the estimates of both enemies 
and friends, the years have brought an evaluation of Morgan which 
shows him as a shiftless rolling stone; uneducated but shrewd; 
careless of financial obligations: often arrested for debt; idle and 
improvident; frequently the beneficiary of Masonic charity.
That he was really a Mason is doubtful; no record of his raising or 
Lodge membership exists, but it is certain he received the Royal Arch 
in Western Star Chapter R. A. M. No. 33 of LeRoy, New York;.  It is 
supposed that he was an “eavesdropper” and lied his way into a Lodge 
in Rochester by imposing on a friend and employer, who was led to 
vouch for him in Wells Lodge No. 282 at Batavia. Judge Ebenzer Mix, 
of Batavia, a Mason of unquestioned reputation, wrote of this alleged 
Masonic membership: “There must have been a most reprehensible laxity 
among the Masons both of Rochester and LeRoy; for there was no 
evidence educed, then or afterwards, that he ever received any 
Masonic degree save the Royal Arch, on May 31, 1825, at LeRoy.”
At any rate, he visited Lodges, was willing to assist, made Masonic 
speeches, took part in degrees. When Companions of Batavia asked for 
a Royal Arch Chapter, he was among those who signed the petition. But 
suspicion of his regularity began to grow, and his name was omitted 
as a member when the Charter was granted.
Just how much this incident inspired the enmity he developed for the 
Fraternity is only a guess; doubtless it had much to do with it. 
Enemy he became, and it became known that he had applied for a 
copyright on a book which was to “expose’ Masonic ritual, secrets and 
procedure. In spite of the deep resentment which this proposed expose 
created, Morgan entered into a contract (March 13, 1826) with three 
men for the publication of this work. These were: David C. Miller, an 
Entered Apprentice of twenty years standing, stopped from advancement 
for cause, who thus held a grudge against the Fraternity; John 
Davids, Morgan’s landlord; and Russel Dyer, of whom little is known. 
These three entered into a penal bond of half a million dollars to 
pay Morgan one fourth of the profits of the book.  Morgan boasted in 
bars and on the street of his progress in writing this book. The more 
he bragged, the higher the feeling against him ran, and the greater 
the determination engendered that the expose should never appear. 
Brethren were deeply angered.  fearful that were the “secrets” of 
Freemasonry “exposed”, the Order would die out. Feeling ran high.
Matters came to a head in September, 1826. Morgan was arrested for 
the theft of a shirt and tie. Of this he was acquitted, but 
immediately rearrested for failure to pay a debt of $2.68, and 
jailed. After one day behind bars, some one paid the debt. When he 
was released he left in a coach with several men, apparently not of 
his own free will. He was taken to Ft. Niagara and there confined in 
an unused magazine. Then Morgan disappeared!
What happened to William Morgan? Enemies of the Craft said Freemasons 
had kidnapped and murdered him, to prevent the publication of his 
expose. Freemasons, of course, indignantly denied the charge. As time 
went on and Morgan was not found, members of the Craft disavowed any 
approval of any such act, if it had been committed. Governor Clinton, 
Past Grand Master, issued proclamation after proclamation, the last 
one offering two thousand dollars reward “that, if living, Morgan 
might be returned to his family; if murdered, that the perpetrators 
might be brought to con dign punishment.”
It was not too difficult to discover that Masons were concerned in 
Morgan’s hundred and twenty five mile journey to Ft. Niagara. Three 
members of the Craft—Chesebro, Lawson and Sawyer—pleaded guilty to 
conspiracy to “seize and secrete” Morgan, and, together with Eli 
Bruce, Sheriff, and one John Whitney, all served terms in prison for 
the offense.
But murder could not be proved for no body was found.
In October, 1827, a body was washed ashore forty miles below Ft.  
Niagara. Morgan’s widow “identified” the body, although it was 
dressed in other clothes than her husband had worn alive; was 
bearded, although Morgan was clean shaven; had a full head of hair, 
although Morgan was bald ! Thurlow Weed, Rochester Editor, was 
accused of having the corpse shaved and of adding long white hairs to 
ears and nostrils, to simulate the appearance of Morgan. The first 
inquest decided that this was, indeed, the body of William Morgan.
Three inquests were held in all. The third decided, on the 
unimpeachable evidence of Mrs. Sara Monroe, who minutely described 
the body, its marks, and the clothes it wore, that the corpse was not 
William Morgan, but Timothy Monroe, of Clark, Canada, her husband.
Commonplace and unexciting truth seldom catches up with scandalous, 
electrifying, remarkable falsehood! William Morgan had disappeared.  
Freemasons had been convicted of abducting him. A body had been found 
and identified as Morgan. That better evidence and a less excited 
jury had later reversed this identification was anti-climatic. The 
stories of Morgan’s “murder” persisted. Thurlow Weed, whom history 
shows as an unscrupulous opportunist, no matter what the exact truth 
of his activities with the body may have been, added fuel to the 
flames.
Weed died in 1882, On his death bed he stated that in 1860 (twenty-
two years before) John Whitney, who had been convicted in the 
conspiracy charge, confessed to him the full details of the murder of 
Morgan. According to this alleged confession, Whitney and four others 
carried the abducted Morgan in a boat to the center of the river, 
bound him with chains, and dumped him overboard. Weed stated—and here 
his memory failed him—that Whitney had promised to dictate and sign 
this confession, but died before he could do so.

But Whitney died in 1869 nine years after!

Whitney did indeed tell a story—not to Thurlow Weed, who was his 
accuser in the conspiracy case and whom he hated—but to Robert 
Morris. This story is both the most probable and the best attested of 
any we have, as to the true fate of William Morgan.

Whitney told Morris that he had consulted with Governor Clinton at 
Albany, relative to what could be done to prevent Morgan executing 
his plans to print the expose. Clinton sternly forbade any illegal 
moves, but suggested the purchase of the Morgan manuscript, for 
enough money to enable Morgan to move beyond the reach of the 
influence and probable enmity of his associates in the publishing 
enterprise. From some source (Masons? Governor Clinton ?) Whitney was 
assured of any amount needed, up to a thousand dollars, which was a 
great sum in those days.
In Batavia Whitney summoned Morgan to a conference in which the bribe 
was temptingly held forth. On the one hand, the enmity of all, 
persecution, continual danger—it is not improbable that threats were 
mingled with the bribe! On the other hand, money, safety, freedom 
from a plan to publish which held much of danger.  If Morgan would 
take five hundred dollars, go to Canada, “disappear”, his family 
would be provided for, and later sent to him!
Morgan agreed. He was to be arrested and “kidnapped”, to make it easy 
to get away from Miller and his associates. Whitney feared that 
without some such spectacular escape, Morgan might at the last moment 
decline to go through with the plan, fearing reprisals from his 
friends in the publishing venture.
Whitney told Morris that two Canadian Masons received Morgan from the 
hands of his “kidnappers” at Ft. Niagara, traveled with him a day and 
a night to a place near Hamilton, Ontario, where they paid him the 
five hundred dollars, receiving his receipt and signed agreement 
never to return without permission of Captain William King, Sheriff 
Bruce, or Whitney.
Later there were two other “confessions” of complicity in the 
“murder” of Morgan—neither consistent with the facts. Doubtless they 
were of the same hysterical origin which leads so many notoriety 
seekers to confess crimes which by no possibility they could have 
committed.
Did William Morgan choose the easier way, disappear with five hundred 
dollars from a dangerous situation, eliminating from his 
responsibilities a wife and family suddenly burdensome, and, in a new 
freedom, ship on a vessel from Montreal and out into the world, there 
to come to an unknown end ?
Or was he basely murdered by Masons who thought the crime less than 
the evil results to follow on the publication of Morgan’s Book.  No 
man knows. No incontestable evidence can be adduced—or was ever 
adduced—definitely to prove either solution. All that is undoubted is 
that William Morgan was apparently kidnapped and did disappear.
It is difficult, a hundred years after, to understand the extent and 
power of the widespread excitement and passions this incident 
created. For the fame and infamy of the Morgan affair spread over an 
immense territory. It was the beginning of an anti-Masonic sentiment 
which grew and spread like wild fire. meetings were held, the Order 
was denounced by press and pulpit. An anti-Masonic paper was started—
with Thurlow Weed as Editor—soon joined by the Anti-Masonic Review, 
in New York City. The many groups in Pennsylvania, already opposed to 
any oath bound society (Quakers, Lutherans, Mennonites, Dunkards, 
Moravians, Schwenkfelders, German Reformed Church) were aroused to a 
high pitch of feeling against the alleged “murderers” and 
“kidnappers”—the Freemasons.
The anti-Masonic excitement spread—and fast and far. Gould, in his 
History of Free-Masonry, thus epitomizes the spirit of that time:
“This country has seen fierce and bitter political contests, but no 
other has approached the bitterness of this campaign against the 
Masons. No society, civil, military or religious, escaped its 
influence. No relation of family or friends was a barrier to it.  The 
hatred of Masonry was carried everywhere, and there was no retreat so 
sacred that it did not enter. Not only were teachers and pastors 
driven from their stations, but the children of Masons were excluded 
from the schools, and members from their churches. The Sacrament was 
refused to Masons by formal vote of the Church, for no other offense 
than their Masonic connection. Families were divided. Brother was 
arrayed against brother, father against son, and even wives against 
their husbands. Desperate efforts were made to take away chartered 
rights from Masonic Corporations and to pass laws that would prevent 
Masons from holding their meetings and performing their ceremonies.” 
Reverend Brother John C. Palmer, Grand Chaplain of the Grand Lodge of 
the District of Columbia, says in his little classic of the Craft, 
Morgan and anti-Masonry (Volume 7 of The Little Masonic Library, 
published by The MASONIC SERVICE ASSOCIATION in 1925):
“The pressure was so strong that withdrawals by individuals and 
bodies were numerous. In 1827, two hundred and twenty-seven lodges 
were represented in the Grand Lodge of New York. In 1835, the number 
had dwindled to forty-one. Every Lodge in the State of Vermont 
surrendered its Charter or became dormant; and the Grand Lodge, for 
several years, ceased to hold its sessions. As in Vermont, so also in 
Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut; and in lesser 
degrees in several other states. The Masonic Temple was cleft in 
twain; its brotherhood scattered, its trestleboard without work; its 
working tools shattered. Thus Masonry endured the penalty of the 
mistaken zeal of those fearful brethren who thought that the 
revealing of the ritual to profane eyes would destroy the Order and 
who hoped to save it by removing the traitor within the camp.”
Space here is not sufficient to retell the interesting, often 
exciting, and always varied story of the political campaigns which 
were predicated on, and took much of their ammunition from, the anti-
Masonic excitement which followed the Morgan affair. It is not to be 
supposed that the abduction and alleged—never proved—murder of Morgan 
was the sole cause of this outburst, any more than was the 
assassination in 1914 the sole cause of the World War. Both were 
triggers which set off guns which, in turn, caused other explosions.
Suffice it here that a wave of hysteria was seized upon by able 
politicians, fanned by demagogues, increased by the righteous 
indignation of good men and true who saw not beneath the surface, 
helped onward by press and pulpit with the best of intentions but 
little understanding, until the whole east flamed with passion and 
Freemasons were spit upon in the streets, lodges threw away their 
charters, and Freemasonry bowed its head to a storm as unjust and 
undeserved as all religious persecutions have always been.
Like any other hysteria, this passed. Passions wore themselves away. 
A few sturdy and brave men stood staunchly by, a few Grand Lodges 
with high courage and the strength of the right never ceased to 
proclaim their allegiance to the principles of the Order. Little by 
little, Freemasonry raised its head; one by one, lodges took heart; 
brother by brother, Craftsmen returned to their Altars.
After a period following almost twenty years of more or less complete 
eclipse, the sun of Freemasonry shone again, and the world was 
treated to a spectacle that has been a heartening lesson to millions 
and will be to counted millions yet to be born anew at the sacred 
Altar of Freemasonry—the strange sight of an Order many had thought 
dead, suffering from uncounted thousands of stabs to the heart, 
coming again to life to grow and thrive and attract to it then. as it 
had in the historic past, men of the highest character.
It is for this that the Craft of today can offer thanks to the Great 
Architect for the Morgan affair. Dreadful as it was to the men who 
lived through it, terrible in its consequences to the brethren who 
suffered, it demonstrated again—and it may be hoped and believed, 
once for all—that the underlying faith of Freemasonry, its Ancient 
Landmarks, its foundation upon Deity and the Great Light. together 
are stronger than any evil, more lasting than any calumny, more 
enduring than any human passions.
Forever and forever, So mote it be !