Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1856-01-16
WHOLE NO. 2Io.

alarm was Immediately given, and sew
leral citizens hastened to the house. Clot-
ted blood aud hair lay upon the door
around him, and several pools of blood
were found near his head. II was truly
IAN awful scene to witness. The throat
was cut nearly from ear to ear. and his
head seemed to be nearly severed from
his body. It's evident that he could not
have committed the deed himself from
the nature Of the wounds. They were
doubtless made by hatOhet or some
heavier and moro powerful instrument
than knife or razor. A small rope was
found on the floor and marks of rope
were discovered on his wrists. and it was
evident that the wrists had been bound
by this rope.
The house was thoroughly searched
and bloody clothes were found, and marks
of blood upon both sides of the door lead
ing to the room in which the body was
discovered. A common butcher-knife
was found in . small box or chest, well
sharpened and having the appearance Of
being used recently, but NO hatchet was
found, except one SO dull and rusty that
no use could have been made of it.
The following persons wore arrested
during the afternoon and lodged in Jail,
charged with committing or in some way
being accessory to the crime Israel
Wooding, Almeron Sanford aud wife,
Abigail Sables. Thankful 8. Hersey, the
widow WakemAn. (the prophecies, Sam
uel Sly and oolore oman named Jo-
siah jackson.
Subsequently coroner's inquest was
held when Some most singular facts were
elicited. A. Sanford testified as follows:
Invent to tho house Of Mr.. Sly with my
wife about dark. on Sunday evening. We
found Josiah jackson, Wooding, Miss
Hersey, Miss Abby and Samuel Sly thoro.
found them in the chamber singing and
praying. About IL O'Clock Matthews
came to the house. Widow Wakeman
said she was hunted by Matthews-the
man of power" with an evil spirit
When Matthews came he went into The
front room where there was fro. Rho.
da WakemAn wanted Matthews TO como
to tho meeting, SO went to SEQ him and
he seemed willing to como. When he
came, my wife tied handkerchief over
his forehead. and they tied his hands be.
hind him. the Same as they would the do
vii. l told him he had bad spirit, and
he wanted to give it up. Jackson and
Wooding were with him, and ho talked
with them about the evil spirit. Widow
Wakemau said he was drawing terrible
power over her. Mr.. Wooding told Mat.
thews that he ought to be killed, and
Matthews said he was willing to die TO
quench the evil spirit Wooding and
Jackson said Matthews must be got out Of
the way. They told him no must die.
1t was about O'Clock when heard q
noise. Wooding. Sly and Miss HsrGey
were up stairs praying with us, but dod.
ged down stairs, and soon heard them
say down below. " He's killing tho mos.
senger-he'S killing the messenger" l
heard noise, and several blows followed.
and started towards the door but they
pulled mo back, saying. " II he is killing
himself, he'll be raised" heard O CIR.
Cling noise, and cries Of F." Oh oh ohE'
then went up stairs TO sing and pray.
When reached the door, found il fAS-
toned and something braced against ii in
side. could not get into the room bO.
low. This occurred about 12 o'clock aud
l left the house twenty minutes past four.
As Wooding and Sly lodged out in
such q manner l think they might have
helped 10 kill Matthews. l think Mat
tbews was willing to die. Sly said he
thought he ought TO die. After l heard
tho noise and cries below, Sly came run.
ming up stairs and kneelod down aud
seemed to be praying. thought be
could not pray much, for l thou ght he
would not feel much like il then. They
believed that il widow WRkeman (tho
prophecies should die the world wou!d
be destroyed. should think that from
appearances he did kill himself. II they
(Wooding and Sly did kill Matthews Il
was to keep him from enchanting widow
Wakeman, who was disturbed by his evil
spirit.
Josiah Jackson. coIored, who was also
at the house Of Sly ON Sunday night,
testified:
told Matthews he was killing the old
woman, and that would not let him into
my house sooner than would q mad
dog. asked him il he know that he had
bad spirit in him, and said that no
ough. TO renounce this evil spirit. He
said in tho name Of God he toould re.
nounce it. Amos Hunt gave tho old
lady (WidoW Wakeman, come poisonous
cakes, with arsenic in them, and wanted
to make way With her. i think Matthews
got tho evil spirit from Amos Hunt.
Widow Wakeman is woman who pro-
fesses TO have died and 1osO again, and
came on earth TO teach the way to Hea.
ven. believe that she is prophet, and
she is what she processes. Itold Sanford
to take Matthews away from the house,
or widow Wakeman would certainly die
believe that If the widow WskemHn
should die the Millennium would come
and she world would be destroyed. Ibe.
lieve that Matthews was haunting Ars.