Litchfield enquirer., 1834-10-09
Fssm GAe Ntss- Rsrk J6HE~al e1' Cam~@cs. MATTHEWS THE IMPOSTER.

oA rlsSnv. under charge of thett or embezzle- .1Sn1- The following is detail of the occur feOcea. which caused it. and which exhibit 1 !nerhaDs one of the most extraordinary instan- | res OfjmpOsture on the one side, and delusiOn | lon the other, that has ever been made public. 1
 For considerable period prior to the year | 1889, Mir. Benjamin FOlger, of this city, was on terms of the most intimate friendship with Mr. Elijah PiersOn, also Of this city, whose piety and good sense he highly respected and esteemed. short time previous to the pc ! ried advertCd to, Matthews had announced tO Mir. PiersOn that he (Matthews) twas the l spirit of truth; that the spirit of truth had dis appeared from the earth at the death of the Matthias, mentioned in the New Testament, that the spirit of Jesus Christ had entercd in. tO that Matthias, and that he (the fellow now in Albany Prison) was the same Matthias, the apostle Ofthe New Testament, who had risen from the dead and possessed the spirit of Je- sus of Nazareth. That he Jesus Christ) at his second appearance, was the God the Fla ther, and that he (Matthewsl was himself God the Father, and had power to do all things-to forgive sins and communicate the Holy Ghost to such as believed in.him."
 The above tissue of blasphemy and absurd iy was, strange tO say, believed by Mr. Pier son, and regarding Matthews as the character he represented himself, he respected him ac- eOrdiOgly, and took him into his house lo re- side with him.
 In the month of September. 1882, MT. Pierson introduced MT. Folger to Mr. Mat thews, and at the same time informed him, who and what Matthews announced himself to be, and also of his (Pierson's) implicit be- lief ia the tru;h of Matthews divine attributes. Matthews having thus become acquainted with Mr. FOlger, lost no time in endeavoring to increase the number of his dupes, and re- peatedly called at Mr. Folger's counting house to announce his divine mission, and strove to convert Mr. Folger to a belief oft.
 He succeeded in impressing Mir. Folger and few others with firm belief that he was the prophet he pretended to be, and hay ing gained this point, he then began to exe- cute the true mission he came upon, and in. formed Mr. FOlger that he was very poor aud in want of money that the world per secuted him, and 1t was instigated to do SD by the deNi, because there was n0 truth now in the world except in him (Matthews.")
 Puerile and absurd as were these represen tations, they nevertheless induced Mr. FOlger to give Matthews different sums of money and the latter. encouraged by his success thus far, determined to spare neither promises nor threats to make the hest of the advantage he had gained. In addition to what he had al- ready told MT. Folger, he therefore informed him that he. (Matthews) had commenced the reign of God on the earth that Mills and Pierson had been called into the Kingdom, and although the devil had succeeded in sus- pending for a time its permanent establish ElseDt, he (Matthews) would now go on to O. verc0me the devil and to establish the King dom of God: under these circumstances he called on MT. FOlger to contribute of his sub, stance for his (Matthews) support and the promotion of the kingdom, and threatened that in case he should refuse to provide him whatever money he wanted. he would visit upon him, (which he was empowered to do,) the wrath of the Almighty, but that if he (Folger) would believe in him and obey him in all things, he should be called into the king dom, and he (Matthews) would forgive him all his sins, and he would enjoy eternal happi- ness.
 In this style Matthews continued preach ing, until by dint of downright impudence he converted, or rather perverted, Mr. Folger to the firm belief that he was the parsonage he represented himself to be.
 In the month of August 1888. Matthews went to Sing Sing, in West Chester county. where MT. Folger had furnished house. and where his family at that time resided. As Matthews brought his baggage along with him, his intention of paying long visit to Sing Sing was pretty obvious, and Mr. Folger invited him to take up his residence at his house. Having remained there a week, he got tired of such narrow accommodations, and told Mr. Folger that he and PiersOn ought to hire a horse for his own special use MT. FOlger consulted Mfr. Pierson on the sub ject, and they agyeed to comply with the very reasonable request of Mr. Matthews, and SO informed him. In the mean time the ambi- ton of Matthews had SO increased that hir- ed house would no longer content him, and he intimated to his two friends that it would be improper for a person of his character to reside in hired house. and that they ought topurchase house for him. This also Messrs. FOlger and Pierson agreed to but before they could accomplish their purpose. Mat. ttiews imparted another revelation 10 Mr. FOlger; andinf6rmed him that the house which Mir. F0lger purchased some time previous at Sing Sing. and in which he then resided, had 6eed purchased for him, Matthews, and that the spirit of truth had directed MT. FOlger in making the said purchase.
 As the house had been thus miraculously purchased for Matthews. he had of course clear right to remain in it. and he did .rsn,ain m tt without further ceremony until October 1888. when he required that Messrs. Folger and -PiersoD, who then resided with him, should give up the house to his own charge, which they accordingly did.
 In the latter part of October 1888. he re-