The Union and eastern journal. [volume] (Biddeford [Me.]) 1854-1858, 1856-01-04
STRANGE FANATICISM.

MYSTERIOUS MURpER.-Nac Haren, Dec
4.-The body of Justus Matthews, work
man, was found tins morning, in the West
ern suburbs of this city with his throat Gu
and wrists tied. He was in the house o
RhOda Wakcman, and had been connected
with the Mathematics of Spiritualists, o
something of the kind. Seven of his breth
rem have been arrested on suspicion of hav
ing had u hand in the murder, and are nov
in prison.
The murder creates much excitement n
the facts become known. The people arrest
cd have all been considered inofensive PEG
pie. jackson, the gray haired porter Mt tn,
depot, is among tho prisoners. Matthews
neck was shockingly mangled. 1t is sliC
that he consented to be sacrificed, in orde
to hasten the millennium. The woman a
whose house the deed was done is about I,
years Of age. She represents herself, it ap
pears, rs Jesus Christ, and having the pow
er to raise the dead to life again. "
The New-IIaven Courier gives full nc
count of the affair, which develops mos
remarkable case of delusion and supersti
ton. The Courier says:
"There exists in the upper part Of thu
city peculiar religious sect known as tn,
: Mathematics, who have made their doc
trines known by holding meetings at thu
house of Mr.. Samuel Sly, who has no wiz
or family, but has u woman in the hous'
with him named Rhoda Wakcman, who i
the founder Of the sect called the Wake
nantes This woman afirms that she wal
murdered thirty years ago and went to Hea
ven, and for some reason came back on eartl
and founded the sect already alluded to-
She breaches and pnys, and holds meeting
at her house, giving to those who assembl,
to hear her stories, her peculiar views abou
the bible, and her experience in the spiritua
world. Among her believers and follower
are many who live in Hampden, and they ar
in the habit of coming down to her hous,
every Sunday TO attend meeting. She hclC
meeting ut her house last Sunday evening
and there were present at the meeting AL
meron Sandiord and his wife, Justus Mat
thews, Betsey Keller, Mrs. Davis, and {
colorcd man named Josiah Jackson and 9th
ers."
The meeting was kept up until late houl
Sunday night, and on Monday morning jus
tus Matthews was discovered in one of thu
rooms of the house, by his son, who wa
searching for him, with his head nearly sey'
cred from his body. y jury of inquest WA
summoned.
Josiah jackson, ono of the company pres
ent mt Mrs. Wakeman's, testified that Mat
thews came to the house about 10 o'clock il
the evening, and that during the evening
he went from chamber where he had beer
sitting with Others, to lower room, wher'
he found Matthews blindioldcd. lie said:
IL told Matthews he was killing the OLE
woman, and that would not let him into
nv house sooner than would let mad dog
| asked him if he had bad spirit in him
and said that he ought to renOuncc this evil
spirit. He said in the name of God hC
,rouH renounce it. Amos Hunt gave the
old lady (widow Wakeman) some poisonous
cakes with arsensic i'm them, and wanted e
make way with her. think Matthews got
the evil spirit from Hunt. Widow Wake,
man is woman who prOiesses to have dice
and rose again, and came on earth to teach
the way to Heaven. believe that she is O
prophet, and is what she Processes.
The second time we went down into the
room was about an hour after we went down
first. | went down and told Sandford to
take Matthews away from the house or Mrs
Wakeman would certainly die. l believe
that he was hurting Mrs. Wakcman and hi
sister by enchanting them. His sister blind
folded him last evening to prevent this en-
chantment, which is always done by thu
eyes. Nobody but his sister dared to blind.
fold him. His hands were also tied behind
him to prevent his enchanting with his evil
spirit"
Almeron Sanford. another of the party
testified that Mrs. Wakeman had said tina,
she was haunted by Matthews, {" the man Of
power" with an evil spirit. lie told Mat.
thews that he had a badspirit and Matthews
said that he wanted to give it up. Wood
man told Matthews that he ought 10 be hH.
ed. and Maithers said he irds iriHiny 10 de %
Quench the Grill spirit. Wedding and Jack.
son said Matthews must be got out of the
way; they told him he must die.
ut the session of the jury Wednesday
forenoon, Samuel Sly, the keeper of the
house, made confession of the murder OF
Matthews, with full statement of the eau
ses which prompted him to the act. He
stated that he alone killed Matthews. He
said that his sister Mrs. Wakeman was ~
distressed with the had spirit or power in
Matthews, that he thought something must
be done 10 remove it, and he consulted with
jackson in regard to using stick of hazel
wood on Matthews, to see what effect il
would have upon him. He had procured a
stick of few days previous, in anticipation
that il might be necessary to use it for the
purpose - as he thought the bark Of hazel,
in connection with alder, concocted together
into tea, was powerful to remove enchant-
ments.
With this stick, which was about an inch
in diameter and two and n halffeet in length,
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 chair blinded, over the
right temple, with such force as to bring
him to the floor, and then struck him sever
al times with the club. He then used his