Indiana Palladium, Volume 6, Number 12, Lawrenceburg, Dearborn County, 27 March 1830 — Page 1

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DEVOTED TO JVEIVS, POLITICS, IKDUSTRY, MORALITY, LITERATURE, AA'D AMUSEMEJVf. - Volume VI. LAWRENCEBURGIT, (INDIANA ;) SATURDAY, MARCH 27, 1830. Number 12.

BY AUTHORITY.

4. XAWS OP TEE UNITED STATES, JPASSED AT THE FIRST SESSION OF THE TWENTY FIRST CONGRESS. Public No. 10. AN ACT to continue io force ao act authorizing the importation and allow anc of drawback on brandy in casks of a capacity not less than fifteen gallons. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives if the United States of Atnericain Congress assembled, That the act eotitled "an act to authorize the importation of brandy in casks of a capacity not less than fifteen gallons; and the exportation of the same for the benefit of a drawback of the duties," approved second March, one thousand eight hundred and twenty-seven be, and the same is hereby continued in force. Andrew Stevenson, Speaker of the House of tteprcsentatives. John C. Calhoun, President of the Senate. Approved, February 27, 1830. ANDREW JACKSON. Public No. 11. AN ACT making appropriation for the Indian Department, for the year one thousand eight hundred and thirty. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, Thai the following sums be appropriated, to be paid out of auy unappropriated money in the Treasury,for the Indian Department for theyearone thousand eight hundred and thirty, viz: For pay of the Superintendant of I?di an Affairs at S.Louis, and the sev eral Indian Ageuts, as authorized by law, twenty-nine thousaud five hundred dollars. For pay of sub agents, as authorized by law, nineteen thousand and fifty dollars. For presents to Indians, as authorized by the act of one thousand eight hundred and two, fifteen thousand dollars. For pay of Indian interpreters and translators employed at the several superintendences and agencies, twenty one thousand five hundred and twenty $ve dollars. For pay of gun and blacksmiths and their assistants, employed within the superintendeticies &, agencies, under trea ty provisions and the orders of the Secretary of War, eighteen thousand three hundred and forty dollars. For iron, steel, coal, and other expenses attending the gun and blacksmith's shop, five thousand four hundred and twentv?ix dollars. For expense of transportation and dis tribution of Indian annuities,nine thousand nine hundred and fifty-nine dollars. For expense of provisions for Indians at the distribution of annuities while on visits of business with the different superintendants, and agents, and when assembled on business, eleven thousand eight hundred and ninety dollars. For contingencies, of the Indian Department, twenty thousand dollars. Approved, February 27, 1S30. Public No. 12. AN ACT making appropriations for certai0 Fortifications for the year one thousand eight hundred and thirty. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of Imerica in Congress assembled, That the following sums be, and the same are hereby appropriated, to be paid out of any unappropriated money in the Treasury, for certain Fortifications, viz: For Fort Adams, one hundred thousand dollars. Eor Fort Hamilton, eighty-six thousand dollars. For Fort Monroe, one hundred thousand dollars. For Fort Calhoun, one hundred thousand dollars. For Fort Macon, in North Carolina, sixty thousand dollars. For Fort at Oak Island, North Carolina sixty thousand dollars. For Fortifications at Charleston,South Carolina, twenty-five thousand' dollars. For Fort at Mobile Point Alabama, ninety thousand dollar.

For Fort Jackson, Louisiana, eightyfivethousand dollars. For Fortifications at Pensacola, in Florida, one hundred and thirty thousand dollars. For contingencies of Fortifications, ten thousand dollars. For purchase of a site for a Fort at Cockspur Island, Georgia, five thousand dollars. Approved, February 27, 1 030 NEW-YORK LEGISLATURE. IN SENATE, January 27, 1830. OF THE SPECIAL COUNSEL ON THE SUBJECT OF THE ABDUCTION OF WILLIAM MORGAN. TO THE SEKATE. Gentlemen I have the honor to transmit to you herewith, the Report of the Special Attor

ney, appointed to prosecute the abductors of William Morgan. E T. THROOP. Albany, January 27, 1830. To bis Excellency Enos T. Tbroop, Acting Governor of the etate of New-York: The act of the Legislature, passed on the hlteenth of April, 1828, and contin ued by an act of the last session, by vir tue of which the undersigned was ap pointed to institute inquiries concerning the abduction of William Morgan, 'and his fate subsequently, and all incidents connected therewith," eeems to contem plate, that the result of those inquiries, and the proceedings had under the act, should be from time to time communi cated to the government. The practice of my predecessor, and the interesting nature ot the subject, would indicate the propriety of such a course, even if it be not directly required by the act. The numerous errors produced by mis apprehension in some cases, and by in ten'ional misrepresentation in others can be effectually corrected, only, by accurate and authentic accounts of the facts elicited. The deep and commen dable interesf felt by our fellow ci izens in the vindication of the laws, which have been so grossly violated, seems also to require a public report of the meas ures which have been adopted to obtain that object. And it would be vain to attempt a concealment or evasion of the fact, that an institution, veiling itself in secrecy and mystery, which has long ex isted in this and other countries, and which counts? amng its members a large proportion of our fellow citizens many of whom are among the most res pectable in society, is directly implica ted as having, by its obligations, and the very nature of this organization, produced the outrage in question. It is therefore due to the numerous and respecta hie members of that institution, as well as those who do not belong to it, that the facts and circumstances which are supposed to establish its connection with the violence practised on Wm. Morgan, should be fully and accurately known. It has appeared to me, that a detail of the material parts of the evidence which has been discovered and produced before grand juries, and on the different trials, commencing with the first information on the subject, and continuing it to the present moment would be best calculated to furnish a clear and distinct view of the whole matter. Jus tice to those persons implicated, who have not already been tried, requires that their names should not be exposed unnecessarily. The names of such individuals, and circumstances of no other importance than as they affect those individuals, have therefore been omitted. Where the evidence in the following statement is not given in full, it is referred to, and the testimony of the witness as delivered in some public trials is annexed in an appendix to this report. Minute circumstances and details, collateral to the main inquiry, or not materially bearing upon it, have been omitted with the view of presenting more distinctly the history of the principal transactions. In the spring and summer of the year eighteen hundred and twenty-six, "William Morgan, a citizen of this state,' resided at Rochester, and at Batavia, but chiefly at the latter place. His occupation was that of a brick-layer and stonemason. His family consisted of a wife and two children, and his circumstan ces were indigent. In the summer of that year it became known that he was preparing a work, in which the obligations, secret signs and ceremonies of freemasonary, were to be published. This seems to have excited great commotion among the members of the fraternity in that vicinity, particularly among those residing at Batavia. Con

sultations were had among them, res

pecting the means which should be adopted to prevent the publication of the contemplated work. Persuasion and advice were resorted to in the first instance, and hope9 seem to have been entertained for a time, that they would beetlectual. these expectations, however, were soon dissipated, and other means appear to have been adopted. William Morgan had been arrested in some civil suit, and had given bail. In the month of August, his bail in that suit surrendered him to the shenffof the county, and he was closely imprisoned in jail from Saturday until the ensuing ! xuonaay. in tne meantime, oy virtue of some pretended process, search was At 1 .1 . a made at his lodgings for the manuscripts of the obnoxious publication, whic h appears to have been unsuccessful. It was known that some progress had been made in printing the book, and violent measures appear to have been determined on to suppress it. Arrangements were made for the assembling, at Batava, on the night of the 8th September, of members of the fraternity from different and distant places. It is distinctly proved that a party of fifteen or twenty persons from Buffalo and its vicinity, assembled at a tavern about four miles west of Batavia, in the afternoon and evening of that day: they remained there until eight or nine o'clock in the evening , when they went towards Batavia. At thp same time a party came to Batavia from Lockport and its vicinity. It is in proof that this party was composed of persons, some of whom had been selected for the express purpose of goin to Batavia, there to assist in measures to suppress the book, and to separate Wm. Morgan, from the individual who was printing involuntarily if possible, forcibly if necessary. That his forcible removal wa contemplated, would appear from the testimony of Hiram B. Hopkins, & of fcli tfruce. M. rS. Hopkins testifies that he was told by Eli Bruce, at a time near the eighth ol September, that William Morgan was to be taken from Batavia, for revealing the secrets of masonry, and that he would be sent away. It was thought then, that he would be sent to Niagara through Lockport, and Bruce desired him to prepare a cell in the jail for the reception of Morgan, which was prepared accordingly. He then distinctly understood from Bruce,that there was a plan for the removal of Morgan. nis testimony is substantially corroborated by that of Eli Bruce. There is evidence that communications were had, previous to the tenth of September, between members of the fraternity at Batavia and their brethren at Rochester, respecting the means to be adopted to suppress the manuscripts of William Morgan, and to prevent his threatened publication. On the evening of the eighth of September already referred to, a large par ty assembled at Stafford, six miles east of Batavia. These persons came from Canandaigua and other places east of batavia: in the course of the night they proceeded to Batavia, with the declared purpose of seizing the manuscripts of Morgan; W hat other purposes were contemplated, if any, are to be inferred from the other circumstances. This formida ble assemblage of so large a number of persons from buffalo, Lockport, and various places east of Batavia, seems to have eventuated in no positive acts of violence. The printer of the obnoxious manuscript had collected some friends and weapons for defence; whether this circumstance deferred any further prosecution of the enterprise,or whether it was voluntarily abandoned by those engaged, there is no evidence to determine. The assemblage dispersed, and the persons composing it returned to their respective homes. The distance from Batavia to Canandaigua is forty-eight miles; and which by the ordinary means of conveyance, would require the day of me nintn ol September lor any of the party that were at Batavia to travel to Canandaigua. On Sunday morning, the tenth of September, between 9 and 10 A. M. Nicholas G. Chesebro called on a magistrate at Canandaigua, to attend at his office to issue a warrant. He accordingly attended, when Chesebro came with Ebenezer C. Kingsley, who made a complaint against William Morgan for having taken away a shirt and a cravat, which he had borrowed of Kingsley. Upon Kingsley's oath the justice issued a warrant for Morgan. With his warrant N. G. Chesebro, accompanied by a constable, & three or four others, immediately proceeded on the same dav to Batavia: and on the

next morning, the 11th of September, they arrested William Morgan, who was put into a stage coach and brought to Canandaigua. In the evening of that day he was carried before the justice who issued the warrant, by whom he was examined and discharged. Chesebro then applied for a warrant against Morgan, for a debt of about two dollars, the amount of a tavern bill that he had contracted with one Aaron . Ackley, which as Chesebro alleged had been assigned to bim. Judgment was entered against Morgan for 2 dollars, 69 cents,

debt and costs, and an execution immedi ately issued, which was put into the hands of the same constable who had brought Morgan from Batavia, and by virtue of w hich Morgan was committed to jil at Canandaigua, on the same evening of the eleventh of September. William Morgan remained in the Can andaigua jail, until the evening of the next day, the twelfth September, when he was taken out undr the circumstan ces hereinaf er mentioned. It appears from the testimony of Aa ron Ackley, that on the eveuing of Mon day the 1 1th September, between 8 and 9 o'clock, and which must have been immediately after Wm. Morgan was committed to jail, Loton Lawson told the witness that Morgan was put in jail, and he, Lawson, was going to Rochester as soon as possible. Witness let him have a horse, with which he went away, and returned the next morning, saying he had been to Rochester; and soon after went to bed, telling witness that orne gentlemen from Rochester would call for him. In the afternoon two persons, whom the witness said were Burrage Smith and John Whitney, called and inquired for Lawson, who was called up, and on being informed that two persons had inquired for him, came down stairs, and went out. A number of witnesses show that Burrage Smith and John Whitney, who at that time resided in Rochester, were in Canandaigua on the twelfth of September; that they left Rochester, together that morning, in the stae;and that at Victor, ten miles north of Canandaigua, a person joined them in the stage, and came into Canandaigua with them early in the afternoon of the 12th of September. Whitney inquired at Canandaigua, for a Etone-eutter, whom he wished to employ. The circumstances under which Wm. Morgan was taken out of the jail at Canandaigua on the evening of the 12th of September, as related by Mrs. Hull, the wife of the jailor, on the various trials on which she has been examined as a witness, are these: The jailor himself was absent during the evening, in the village. .Soon after dark, Loton Lawson ame to the jail and asked if William Morgan was there ? After being informed that he was,Lawf.on told witness that he wanted to pay the debt and take Morgan away, but ehe evaded him bysaying she had not the key of the desk where the execution was. Lawson and Mrs. Hall went into the prison part of the building, and Morgan came to the door of his cell. Lawson said that he wished to have some private conversation with Morgan, and asked if he might go into his ro m? which Mrs. Hall refused to permit. Lawson asked Morgan if he would go heme with him, if he would pay the debt and take him out? To which Morgan answered that he would. Lawson said to Morgan that he did not know as he could take him out that night, as Mrs. Hall had not the keys of the desk. Morgan said "never mind then, let it be till morning," or something to that effect. Lawson said that he wished to take him cut that night, for he had been running all day for him and was very tired. Mrs. Hall and Lawson then went out of the prison part, which is separated from the dwelling part of the building by an iron door which intersects a hall that runs through the whele building. Lawson then told her that he wanted to take that man out very much, and wanted her to take the money for the debt for which he was confined; which she declined on the ground that she could not get the execution and did not know its amount. He then went away, saying he would try to find Mr. Hall. After a short time he returned in ccmpany with another, whom he called Foster, but who she thought was a man of another name, from Victor, that was confined on the limits. Lawson said he tould not find Mr. Hall, & insisted on her taking the amount of the execution, which he said was about three dollars. But she peremptorily refused. He went away and returned, reiterating his request that ehe should take the money, which she persisted inre-

fusing. He asked whether, if Colonel Sawyer should come and say that Mr,

Hall snould not he injured, she would then take the money? She still replied in the negative, and assigned her rea T sons. lawson, nowever went awav and in about ten minutes returned with Col. Sawyer, who advised Mrs. Hall to take the money and let the man go; She still refused. Liwson asked her if she would consent if Chesebro would come and say that she might let him go? Lawson and Sawyer then went away and witness soon after went to the front door to look for Mr. Hall, when ehe saw Lawson and Chesebro conversing near the door. Chesebro came up to the steps, and she told him there was a mad here whom Lawson was very anxious to libeiate, and asked him whether she should let him go? Chesebro said, 'yes, he did not want any more of him,' or something to that effect. Lawson had told her, and she knew no otherwise that Chesebro was plantifT in the exe cution by which Morgan was commit" led. She returned into the house and took the key3 of the prison for the pur pose of going into it, and told a littla rbild that lived with her, to shut tha prison door after her. Lawson said there was no need of having the door chut ; she replied that it should be shut, as there were other prisoners in the room with Morgan. Lawson then, and before she bad opened the prison door, stepped to the front door and gave a single whistle. She followed to the door to see what it meant, then saw the man Lawson had called Foster, coming towards the steps She and Lawson then went into the prison hall, and the door was fastened alter them on the outside. She unlmked the door of Morgan's room, and Lawson told him to get himself ready, and he came, out. Lawson took Morgan by the arm, and went toward? the hall dcor; by her direction he rapped at the door of the prison hall , and he and Morgan wei- let out by the child. She does not recoilec Morgan's speaking after she went in the last time. Lawson took him by the arm very soon after he went out of the cell ? he did not appear to pull him, but they went out in a friendly manner. Before she could get the door of Morgan's room loc ked, she heard the cry of murder." She went as quick as she possibly could to the front door ; and saw Lawson, Morgan and the man called Foster, on the side walk, a short distance from the steps of the jail, going to the east; Mor gan was in the middle, and evidently struggling to get free; bis hat was c ff9 and he was struggling to get away with all his might; the other two had hold of him by his arms and to all appearance were dragging him aloug. VVhile they were passing on to the east, she heard a rap on the curb of the well, and about the same time heard the cry of murder once or twice, the last time in a suppressed tone like one attempting to sa 'murder,' who was prevented. The impression she had when she heard tho last cry of murder, was, that it wa3 stopped by something pat suddenly across the throat or mouth, or something of that kind. Soon after she heard the rap, a carriage, which she knew perfectly well, and w as said to belong to Hubbard3 and was usually driven by him, came lion? the livery stable or public house west of the jail, and passed on in the same direction which Lawson, Morgan and Foster had gone; in a few minutes the eame carriage relumed to the west ; this was about nine o'clock in the evening; she did not see the carriage turn, being prevented by the interposition of a house at the east of her. Richard IVelh testified, that being s physician in Canandaigua he was visitinga patient living near the jail, on the evening that Morgan was carried viTf and was about twenty rods west of the jail when he heard an outcry a hallo, like some person calling for aid. lie stopt a moment, and then advanced a few steps and heard the cry a second time. He quickened his pace towards the jail, and heard no more of the noise ; he turned around and went up to the sidewalk, where he saw Mr. Chesebro, As he was advancing, the carriage of Hubbard passed by him, going to the east ; he inquired of Chesebro about it? who said that a man had been imprisoned at his suit; that Mrs. Hall wtuid nr. let him go, unless he, Chesebro, went there to release him, and he had been and discharged him; he believed some one had a bail-piece for the man and was taking him, which was the reason of the outcry. When he heard the outcry he saw persons in front of the steps of the jail: the outcry came from thence. After a short time the carriage returned