This controversial, and fully illustrated book forms a cornerstone of the mythology surrounding anti-Freemasonry. Captain William Morgan, was a disenchanted Freemason, based in Batavia, New York. After he was ejected by the local lodge, he announced he would publish a book exposing the secretive Masonic rituals. Shortly before the book was published in 1826, Morgan disappeared, and three Free Masons were later convicted of kidnapping. Although there were claims that Morgan had been murdered, others say that he was forced to leave the country. The incident led to widespread hostility towards Freemasons in the United States.