The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-12-28

made Of the bark Of the Witch hassi
The confession Of Samuel sly here ended, and
count Of the whole affair, he seemed DESTROYS Of
telling the truth without hesitatiou He kept the
in hi bis hand ~ he time and said
in the fear Of the Lord" he appeared extremely
pervous and any noise in the seemed to disturb
stutonal difacuy he said he was born in lsoe and Is
now nearly So Of age he said that when four years
Z. in he
unable TO collect his ideas ~ readily ~ was oftentmes
desired BY the jury sly had made clean breast q the
infested desire to tell the whole to the jury this decs
ration made to the Sheriff Voluntarily and without
being desired TO do so.
Mrs Rhoda wakeman (the prophetess) called and
sworn. This witness Is the founder OF the sect
called the !" wakemanites, and IS wonderful spe
eimen Of the human species She came In closely
yelled, and is the very persorfcation Of the won
dertul women that lived in Salem in the sixteenth GEN.
lived In New Haven il years have had II children nine
Of whom now living; have been widow 20 years;
formerly resided in Greendeld-thea moved to New Ha,
years Of age; have been messenger" from God about
so years. experienced religion at that tie and walked
because my husband abused me, and expected to de,
and he finally killed me. After my husband killed me,
to
their ght swords, and rose again. saw there all that
dead and there they under the cloud OF death
way and theirs the other they all then held up their
little right hands, and reoiced the two angels turned
light and many white clouds there Christ came
to when l was in heaven, with his nails in
his hands, and spoke peace to my soul because
spirit came to me and spoke, saying: "Make your
peace with God = then kept on. praying; be soon
and all the other spirits this light then came me so
that had to look up and the spirits said was number
place Of light and then saw Christ and ali the holy an
gels Christ had on the thorns and looked as he was
when crusded then saw God sitting upon his throne in
all his glory about the throne were all the angels in
their white robes ard they were all happy spirits there
this spirit then came and took me back to earth; and
when got back to ear h again my dead body lying
the floor; felt bad because had come back to this
wicked world to live again; soon saw my wicked huE-
band, who said "By God she's rased soon after saw
two angels who came to and spoke to kindly and
then Christ appeared to me- and fell down before him.
and OH how happy felt, and how harry then was;
ton from Him. that man was league with the devil;
he (meaning Matthews) got his evil spirit from Amos
and gave long rambling account of Amos Hunts poi
soning herr The first thing knew of the murder
when they came up stairs searching for ha'chet;
knew my brother had stick OF witch hazel in the
house, he sells the bark and lives by doing; was sick
that night and expected to ee and asked them 70 take
he was taking away my divine spirit and killing by
IT. Amos Hunt the Of sin and he put his spirit
on Matthews; If should die the judgment would come;
this man of Fin cursed God and when he died there
black spot the throne Of God in my revelations from
cd last night He said If was condemned in this case
the world would be Immediately destroyed in this
laion was told by God that my brother did kill Mat
thews, and that he did it to save the world.
This singular revelation here closed, and the 'taessen
ger from God" las she calls herse taken back to
The jury then adjourn ed to 2 O'Clock p. NJ.
WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON.
The jury met at O'Clock pursuant to adjournment
Before proceeding With the testimony, statement
Sly afi, med TIA = had thrown the hazel stick with
which he killed Mi1hews.
She 1T Parmaee stated that Mrs. wakeman, the 'mes-
To he n OF
men were convicted Ct the crime of which they were
charged the world would be Immediately destroyed.
The ba Eel stick lin two peces) exhibited to the
jury, also the knife vito which he committed the deed
The blade Of this knife was not quite two inches In
length. Hair was disc ,vered on the hazel sticks
Ameron Sanford recalleT wish to state that Jackson
said to Matthews, You know that you are killing the
and oa know that you ought to be killed
tsksn;" he further said, You know you should die;
then went up stairs, and in about FIVE minutes
heard this noises Woodng was then away then tried to
get into the room, but they pulled me back, and sald
sop, stop, il he killing himself he'll be raised;'
trusted that he was committing suicide have fami
y in Ilanden, of seven children; the oldest but l6
years Of age.
Mrs Ameron Sanford recalled-I have been in the jail
in the with Mrs. Wakeman the 'smessenger3'
she told me last night that she had revelation from
God and what II was.
Justice Bennett here discharged Mr. and Mrs Sanford
end told them they could go home and advised them
to 60 the house Of Sly any more.
Thankful :. Hersey recalled saw Samuel Sly tear OH
the sleeves from his shirt and put them in my tove
him have stick in his hand that night heard him
say thing about the hazel stick before that night did
TOT know that this stick In the drawer; told him
where he could wash his hands that night; had some
conversation with sly about the STICK cannot tell whether
advised him to bury 1t in the cellar not do not want
to say any thing against that poor manuncle Sammy
think, however had SEINE conversation With him about
putting the hazel stick in the cellar his hands
bloody, and blood his shirt knife in
his hand Mt that tme got the wash basin Tor HIM, and
be then went out of the door; what have stated
recollection Of the bloody hands of sly aud his bloody
shirt sleeves do not wish to crminate him say any
thing against him; think heard him say that he
gopg down after the stick supposed that he going
TO silence that evil spirit with the stick he asked for
light TO go into the cellar with, and gave him one
thought heard groanipg in the ROOM but Mr. Sanford
made 80 much noise could not hear distinctly; think
Jackson in the room when talking with sly,
but no one else was present. no one was in the room
with me when sly came in With bloody hands; had my
fears that sly had killed Matthew's we then went up
stairs to pray, and there prayed that the Millennium
would come; We also prayed for the evil spirit in Mat
thews; prayer for him just the as though
he alive: the messenger was very sick up stairs
Ss evil and va
tculafy afraid OF his eyes, he always enchanted
through his eyes and for this reason we blindfoded
him. when sly out of the after killing Mat
thews re gave the idea that he dead aud tha-
he Gly) had killed him. Qhe witness here hestated
End did not eem disposed 10 testify against Sly but Just
tce Bennett told her that sly had confessed the crime
and told al the eircumst2nces) Witness then
back to jail and seemed somewhat agitsed and rather
nervous
The shoes belonging to sly were here exhibited to the
jury. They covered with blood dried the lea.
blood upon it.
A witch hazel stick, about four feet long was also
shown the jury, from which the stick was cut that
Sly used TO kill Matthews with.
Josiah jackson recalledl do net know anything about
the case more than have already stated; would say,
however, that at the time about the heard the
noise. Woodifg had gone home before he went urged
him to stay TO whether this spirit lin Natthe ws)
should be snbdued not. ] stayed outside the room
when the neise being made, Mrs Wakeman was up
stairs and said she sbonld die i've minutes Matthews
not removed from the house, she said the judgment
would come she should die; did not take hold Of San.
ford to draw him back from the door when he
tried to beat II in l believe that witch hazel will
keep away evil spirits; they gave walking stick
Of witch hazel TO keep away the evil spirits
some persons think that colored people have kind
Of coujuraton powers, but | got this idea from
white folks; when was down In the room with Mat.
the~s he said he wanted the evil fpiri. out he said
"fou he'd better Kill me-; said, "No, Mr.. Matthews;
will not do that Uncle Sammy sad, owe had better
take ttick snd knock this evil spirit out Of him.
4 III him, 1--WE had better not and will not listen 10
the proposition did suppose that Matthews was
dead, but did not know tina. sly killed him: Mrs. San,
ford said that she he his ham M