On the evening of Tuesday 12th a neighbor of Morgan’s called at the Canandaigua jail and asked to see Morgan.  The jailer was absent.  His wife permitted the man to speak to Morgan, and the man said that he had come to pay the debt for which Morgan was committed and to take him home.  Morgan was asked if he were willing to go; he answered that he was willing, but that it did not matter particularly that night, for he could just as well wait until morning; but the man said “No,” that he would rather take him out that night, for he had run around all day for him and was very tired and wished to get home.  The man offered to deposit with the jailer’s wife five dollars as security for the payment of the debt and all costs, but she would not let Morgan out, saying that she did not know the man and that he was not the owner of the judgment.

The man went out and was gone a few minutes, and brought back a well-known resident of the village of Canandaigua and the owner of the judgment; these two men said that it was all right for the jailer’s wife to accept two dollars, the amount of the judgment, and release Morgan.  Taking the money, the woman opened the inside door of the prison, and Morgan was requested to get ready quickly and come out.  He was soon ready, and walked out of the front door between the man who had called for him and another.  The jailer’s wife while fastening the inside prison-door heard a cry of murder near the outer door of the jail, and running to the door she saw Morgan struggling with the two men who had come for him.  He continued to scream and cry in the most distressing manner, at the same time struggling with all his strength; his voice was suppressed by something that was put over his mouth, and a man following behind rapped loudly upon the well-curb with a stick; a carriage came up, Morgan was put in it by the two men with him, and the carriage drove off.  It was a moonlight night, and the jailer’s wife clearly saw all that transpired, and even remembered that the horses were gray.  Neither the man who made the complaint nor the resident of Canandaigua who came to the jail and advised the jailer’s wife that she could safely let Morgan go went with the carriage.  They picked up Morgan’s hat, which was lost in the struggle, and watched the carriage drive away.

The account given by the wife of the jailer was corroborated by a number of entirely reliable and reputable witnesses.

A man living near the jail went to the door of his house and saw the men struggling in the street, one of them apparently down and making noises of distress; the man went towards the struggling man, and asked a man who was a little behind the others what was the matter, to which he answered, “Nothing; only a man has been let out of jail, and been taken on a warrant, and is going to be tried, or have his trial.”