Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1855-12-29
The New Haven Murder-TerrfhIc Re-
Hulf of F.soueicssm,

| Va TIE times.
Mrs. Rhoda Wakeman, an aged lady, at
whose house Matthews was killed. is pre-
tended messenger from heaven, which place
she claims her spirit visited thirty wears since,
| and thence was sent back to the earth as a
delegate to prepare the way for the coming of
! Christ, and to usher in The millennium. She
claims also to receive from time to time rev.
| Citations from the Deity. Her followers num-
Der some ten or a dozen persons, who have
| been accustomed to make her dwelling the
place OF meeting for prare r, Sc. Matthews,
the deceased, was formerly full believer in
her doctrines, but for few months past had
seldom attended the meetings. he having, &C
cordlng to the assertions of Mrs. Makeman,
become poss essed with an evil spirit, which
was the imam OF sin, alluded to III the scrip
ture. This spirit in Matthews, the old wo-
man claimed, was source of great annov-
ance to her, intiicting upon her severe bodily
pains, while at the same time it was the great
obstacle to the immediate commencement of
the millennium. There was also danger of its
killing the prophecies, and her death would be
followed at once by the general Judgment,
without any millennium.
1t was necessary, therefore, that Matthews
should be, III some way, dispossessed OF the
devil, and as he appears to have been impress
ed with this conviction himself he visited
Mrs Wakeman's on Sunday night. for the
purpose OF seeing what could be done for him
by the believers in this singular creed. He
was resident of Hamden, where his wife
ard family are. He left home on the evening
OF Monday, and arrived at Mrs. Wakeman's
between nine and eleven o clock When he
arrived, there was in the house, awaiting his
coming, Mrs. Wakeman, Almeron Sanford
and wife, (the sister and brother-in law Of
AlafthnSVs0 MrS Iu1ia II
ford) Abigail Sables, Josiah jackson (cooed}
Thankful Hersey, "a tenant of two rooms
in the house, Israel Wooding, and Samuel
Sly, (half brother of Mr.. Wakeman1. These
persons we're engaged i'll prayer in one OF the
chambers of the house.
On Matthews arrival, he was let in by Mrs
Sanford, and taken into the front room below,
where fire had been made for him. He took
of his boots and sat down, when Mr. and
Mrs. Sanford commenced conversation with
him relative to the object of his visit, and he
expressed desire that he might be relieved
from the bad spirit which affected him, and
through him Others, and especially Mrs.
Waterman He suffered his eyes to be blind
ed with handkerchief, and his hands bound
behind with small rope. These acts wtre
done by his sister, Mrs. SANFORD, lor the pur-
poae as she says, Of having more power over
thO spun, anu W prevent h1dltHeWb from EN-
chanting any one with his eyes. In this con-
dltlon he remained alone III the room until one
or two o'clock i'll the night except that he was
visited at intervals by some of the company
up stairs, for the purpose of beseeching him
to give up the evil one. These visitors were
Sanford and wife, Jackson, Wooding, and
Sly, sometimes all together, at others, only
one or two were present.
Matthews las informed from time to time
that the spirit was intiicting severe injury up
oii Mrs. Wakeman, and that ii be did not get
rid of 1t, it would kill her. Some of them
told him that it would be better that he should
die if the thing could not be otherwise ac-
compished, than that Mrs. w. should be af-
hicted unto death and the general Judgment
ensue. There was some testimony that he
expressed willingness to die if il were nee
esSary.
Up to one o'clock, the prayers up stairs had
been continued, no one of the party having left
the house or retired. About that tia e San
ford and wife again visited Matthews, and
while there Wooding and Sly came into the
room. At this time. Jackson brought word
down. stairs, from raIs. w akenaan that unless
Mathews was taken away, the bad spirit would
certainly kill her. They all then left the room,
closing the door, Sanford and wife going up
stairs to get their things to go home with Mat
thews. Sly, Wedding and Jackson remained
below IN another room than the one in which
Matthews was. Miss Hersey was also below
at the time Within short time a noise and
groans were heard by those up stairs, proceed
ing from Matthews room, and Sanford. wife.
and Mrs. Davis rushed down stairs, and found
both doors leading into the front room locked
on the inside, and although they attempted to
force them open with the weight Of their bod.
les, they did not succeed. jackson and Her.
sey endeavoi ed to prevent them from forcing
the doors, and they all again went up stairs.
Al this time neither Sly nor Woodling were
up there, and neither were seen after the lapse
Of some time.
Without making any further attempt to see
there relative, Matthews, Mr.. and Mrs. San
ford left for Hamden about O. clock Monday
morning, and returned in the forenoon with
Matthews son. Then they went into the
room where Matthews was left and there they
found him lying on the floor, with his throat
horribly cut, there being some five or six
wounds upon it, and upon the abdomen a
dozen or more wounds, havirg the appearance
Of being inflicted with table fork which was
found in the room. TIE floor of the room was
near its center covered with blood, and the
front door was fastened by two wooden wedg-
es driven in over the latch.
The parties were all arrested, and on We'd
nesday. one of them, Samuel Sly, made a
confession, of which the following is the sub.
stance -
He says that his sister, Mrs, Wakenam,
was so distressed with the bad spirit or power
in Matthews, that he thought something must
be done to remove it, and he consulted with
jackson in regard to using a stick Of halle
wood, on Matthews, to see what the effect
would be upon him. He had procured a
stick of that wood few days previous, in an
ticipation that it might be necessary to use it
for the purpose-as he thought the bark of
hazel. in connection with alder, concocted to-
gether into tea was powerful 10 remove en-
chantments. This stick, which was about an
inch in diameter and 2 l.2 feet in length, he
had placed in drawer in the cellar, and
when he spoke to jackson about using it. j.
inquired where he kept it. Sly informed
him, and went and brought it into the lower
rear room where Jackson and the woman Her
sey were, and they knew when he went into
Matthews room with il.
When Mr.. and Mrs. Sanford went up stairs,
preparatory to taking Matthews away, Sly
went into the front room to Matthews, and
after locking the doors, struck the deceased
who was sitting in a chair blinded. over the
right temple, with such force as to briug him
to the floor, and then struck him several times
with the club. He then took his pocket
knife, which is some two inches in length,
and commenced cutting Matthews threat