In 1826, William Morgan, who lived in Batavia, New York, advertised that he was writing a book that would expose the secrets of the Freemasons. And then he vanished.

Research:

• “An Old Story Revived.” New York Times. July 9, 1881. https://www.newspapers.com/image/20379152/?terms=%22william%20morgan%22&match=1
• “Another Morgan Story.” New York Times. July 22, 1881. https://www.newspapers.com/image/20381332/?terms=%22william%20morgan%22&match=1
• “Black Rock – Thursday Evening, October 5.” Black Rock Gazette. Oct. 5, 1826. https://www.newspapers.com/image/254877445/?terms=%22william%20morgan%22&match=1
• “Captain Morgan.” The Evening Post. Nov. 14, 1862. https://www.newspapers.com/image/40603708/?terms=%22william%20morgan%22&match=1
• “Captain William Morgan.” Black Rock Gazette. Nov. 9, 1826. https://www.newspapers.com/image/254877491/?terms=%22william%20morgan%22&match=1
• “A Good Enough Morgan Again.” The Evening Gazette. June 24, 1881. https://www.newspapers.com/image/10020603/?terms=%22william%20morgan%22&match=1
• Greene, Samuel D. “The Broken Seal: Or, Personal Reminiscenses of the Morgan Abduction and Murder.” Ezra A. Cook & Company. 1873. Accessed online: https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=dw4AAAAAYAAJ&rdid=book-dw4AAAAAYAAJ&rdot=1
• Morgan, William. “Illustrations of Masonry.” Chicago. Ezra A. Cook Publications. 1827. (Digital copy.)
• “The Morgan Monument.” New York Times. Sept. 15, 1882. https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1882/09/15/102787325.pdf?pdf_redirect=true&ip=0
• Pritchard, Samuel. “Masonry Dissected.” London. Charles Corbett. 1730. Digital copy: https://archive.org/details/MasonryDissected/page/n3/mode/2up
• “Proclamation by DeWitt Clinton.” Black Rock Gazette. Nov. 16, 1826. https://www.newspapers.com/image/254877503/?terms=%22william%20morgan%22&match=1
• “The reported discovery of the remains of William Morgan … “ Brooklyn Daily Eagle. June 27, 1881. https://www.newspapers.com/image/50402459/?terms=%22william%20morgan%22&match=1
• Riley, Kathleen L. “Lockport: Historic Jewel of the Erie Canal.” Arcadia Publishing. 2005.
• Ross, Peter. “A Standard History of Freemasonry in the State of New York: Including Lodge, Chapter, Council, Commandery and Scottish Rite Bodies, Volume 1.” Lewis Publishing Company. 1899. Accessed online: https://play.google.com/books/reader?id=-GciAAAAMAAJ
• “To the Public.” Black Rock Gazette. Oct. 12, 1826. https://www.newspapers.com/image/254877456/?terms=%22william%20morgan%22&match=1
• “William Morgan’s Bones.” New York Times. June 22, 1881. https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1881/06/22/98562253.pdf?pdf_redirect=true&ip=0
• “The masonic fraternity and others … “ Poughkeepsie Journal. August 23, 1826. https://www.newspapers.com/image/114416277/?terms=%22william%20morgan%22&match=1