Morning herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1837-1840, 1838-07-16
CONFERENCE.-The Reputed Saviour--The 81
cOMd Matthias!

CONFERENCE.-THE Reputed Savi0ur--The Sc
c0Md Matthias!
| In our evening paper We shall give full history
and description of this extraordinary fanatic together
with beautifully executed portrait OF him. The fol-
Lowing is authentic account OF the late fatal riot
near Canterbury.
| THE FATAL RioT AT CANTERBuRY.-We have be.
fore given long account OF the shocking affair neal
! Canterbury, and IN which ii lives were lost We
| subjoln further particulars.
Lieut.. BENEFIT little advance of the soldiers
when Courtenay ran al him, and just as Major Arm
strong was saying, BENEFIT come back, shot him
in the sde Lieutenant BENEFIT fell dead Courtcnay
was knocked down by man who stood near BENEFIT
and soldier, Immediately as he jumped up, shot
him through the body. As he fell, Courenay ex-
claimed, ~ have Jesus in my heari" Major Arm.
strong now gave the word 10 fire. volley was
poured In amsng the rioters by which nine were
killed on the spot, two so badly wounded that one
has since died, and the other is not likely to live and
several others were severely wounded. The rioters
dispersed Immediately. Major Armstrong received
some slight centusons from the blndgcons, and his
sword bent in cutting at the rioters. Lieutenant
Prendergast was also hurt, but not dangerously by
a blow on the head
An inquest was held on Friday, on the body of Nj
cholas hcars and verdict of wllful murder re-
turned against Courtenay and five Of the rioters Zone
of whom is also dcad) recognised by the witnesses.
} The reporter Of the Morning Chronicle thus de-
scribes the appearance of the bodies of the slain:
| "In the barn of the Red Lion, at Boulton, side by
side with each other, were 10 be seven bodies in
the centre was that of Ceurtenay. He must have
been a man OF the most extraordinary personal
strength, and am told that he used 10 asonish the
vulgar people with his exhibitions IN that way. As
4 well as l could Judge from the bloody and broken
forehead, he must have had very fine countenance
and of which should think mildness was the char
acteristie; bat those who have seen him living say
they could not recognise him now, his large wins.
kers and beard, which, well the hair of his head
hay hppn anqva nj To HE
face quite different appearance TO that which it no
| presents From his personal prowess and audacity,
he certainly suited TO be the leader eff mob :
and had any attended, his Efforts most for
mldabe one he must have become, from the fanati.
clsm with which lac was able 10 inspire his followers.
Beside the corpses stretched either side of him he
| appeared as giant amongst men OF moderate size.
Tho faces Of all the dead indicated bat little pain in
| their last agony, excepting one whose eyes were
staring open his nostnls daed and the hair starting
from his head, and sull stfiened with the clotted
blood which had flowed from his wounds. II was a
hldeous spectaccto see thus flung together the sew
en- human bodies, all presenting 10 the spectator the
CHASTITY wounds which had produced their Deaths
At the head of one of them remarked artist bu-
| silly engaged IN pourtTayIRg the scene around him.
From the barn proceeded 10 the Red Lion Inn and
there in bedroom, the access 10 which careful
ly guarded, beheld the body of Lieutenant BENEFIT
| He was a small, handsome featured, dark haired
young man, apparently little more than twenty five
years of age. Except the wounds upon the mead OF
1 the hiselhDle Courtcnayt lnerc was none apparent
which could have caused his death insan taneousiy
had taken place, and, therefore, great anxiety
was expressed 10 ascertain what the number oi
| wounds inf cted on him. His forehead was greatly
dsfguTed by sabre cuts, which passed along his head
snd there wounds on his legs supposed to be bay
/ onet wounds, wound on his back from a ba yonet
but the fatal wound, il appeared from the examination
OF DR.. Chisholm, this evening, caused by ball
which entered his left shoulder through the spine
and remained in the body. In pursuing the search
for the Of the ball. the body had be eem-
| petey open in the region Of the heart"
IL appears that the seluslon among the peasanry s
sc great that they actually him 10 rise agaia,
| prophcsied. He called himself the Savior Of the
world, pointed TO Punciures IN his hands as the marks
Of the nails of the cross and ccatrice his side
| on, of which the blood and water flowed A woman
was seen washing his face, and enoeavored TO pour
water through his lips, he lay the ground. She
said that she had followed him for more than half
mile with pail Of water, bscausc he had told her
that II he fell, and she put water bewse his lips, he
should rise again in a month. One Of the prisoners
told MAJOR Armstrong, that they would have attacked
| two thousand soldiers, having been persuaded by
Courtenay that they could not be shot. The peasant
ny regard the men who fell as martyrs and Courtcnay
himself as a divinity.
When the last accounts left, the country was per.
fectly quiet Twenty seven prisoners have been sent
TO Maidstone gaol.