Washington sentinel. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1856, 1856-01-03
and Courier gives the following additional EVIL
dence taken before the Coroner's jury

dence taken before the Coroner's Jury:
While giving the account of the whole affair,
Sly, seemed DESTROYS Of telling the truth with
out hesitation. He kept the Bible in his hand
all the time, and frequently said during the
confession, that he narrated the facts ain the
fear Of the Lord" He appeared extremely
nervous, and any noise in the room seemed to
disturb him very much. This nervousness ap.
peared to be q constitutional difficulty. He
said he was born in 1903, and is now nearly 81
years of age. He said that when four years Of
age he received a cut upon the head, which in
jured his brain considerably. In consequence
of this he seemed unable to collect his ideas as
readily rs was oftentmes desired by the Jury.
Sly had made clean breast Of the whole
affair to Sheriff -Parmelee in the morning, and
manifested desire to tell the whole to the jury.
This declaration was made to the Sheriff volun-
tarily, and without being desired to do so.
Mrs. Rhoda Wakeman 1.-THE prophetess) call
ed and sworn.
This witness is the founder of the sect called
the Mathematics and is wonderful speci-
men OF the human species. She came in
closely yelled, and is the very personifcation OF
the wonderful women that lived in Salem in
the sixteenth century.
shall be 10 years old next November-have
lived in New Haven II years-have had II
children, nine Of whom are now living; have
been a widow 20 years. formerly resided in
Green6eld-then moved to New Haven; my
brother has resided here; he is about so years
of age. have been messenger" from God
about 80 years; experienced religion at that
time and walked with Jesus Christ ever since;
first experienced religion because my husband
abused me and expected to die, and he finally
killed me. After my husband killed me was
dead md tvO
stood beside me when went to Heaven, and
touched me with their bright swords and rose
again; saw there all that was dead, and there
they we're under the cloud of death; when was
there this cloud parted; and my spirit went one
way and theirs the other; they all then held up
their little right hands, and rejoiced.
The two angels turned to me and then went
up to Heaven; there was a red light and many
white clouds there; Christ came to me when
was in heaven, with his nails in his hands, and
| spoke peace to my soul. Because he spoke
peace to my soul raised up, and another spirit
came to me and spoke, saying: MAKE your
peace with God" / then kept on praying: he
soon took me to Paradise and told me all about
Adam and Eve, and all the other spirits. This
light then came on me so that had to look up,
and the spirits said was numbered as one of
| them; was taken up to heaven from this place
|
angels; Christ had on the thorns and looked as
he was when cruciGed; then saw God sitting
upon his throne in all his glory. About the
throne were all the angels in their white robes,
and they were all happy spirits there. This
spirit then came and took me back to earth,
and when got back to earth again saw my
dead body lying on the floor. | felt bad be-
cause had come back to this wicked world to
live again. / soon saw my wicked husband,
who said, /" By God, she's raisedr
Soon after saw two angels who came to me
and spoke 10 me kindly, and then Christ ap-
peared to me and fell down before him. And
oh how happily feltl and how happy then
was! went to God with my case last night,
and had revelation from Him. That man was
in league with the devil. He (meaning Mat.
thews) got his evil spirit from Amos Hunt.
Hunt attempted to poison me. (She went on
and gave a long, rambling account Of Amos
Hunts poisoning her.) The first thing knew
of the murder, was when they came up stairs
searching for Ratchet. I knew that my
brother had stick of witch-hazel in the
house. He sells the bark and lives by so doing
was sick that night and expected to die,
and asked them to take Matthews out of the
house. He had such bad spirit that he was
taking away my divine spirit, and killing me
by-it. Amos Hunt was the man of sin, and he
let his spirit on Matthews. If should die the
judgment would come! This man of sin cursed
God, and when he died there was black spo,
on the throne of God In my revelations from
God last night, He said, if was condemned in
this case, the world would be Immediately
destroyed! In this revelation / was told by
God that my brother did kill Matthews, and
that he did it to save the world
This singular revelation here closed, and the
messenger from God" las she calls herself
was taken back 10 jail.
The jury then rendered the following verdict
We, undersigned jurors, being empanneled
and sworn to inquire of the cause and manner
J Of the death Of Justice w. Matthews, late O
Hamden, found dead at the town of New
! Haven, on the oath Of December, A. d. 1855
at the house of Rhoda Wakeman, and whose
death was by violence-having viewed the
body of the deceased, and duly and carefully
considered the evidence presented to us, do or
our oaths say that the said Justice w. Matthew,
came to his death at the aforesaid house, or
Sunday night last, December 22d or Gath, 1855
between the hours Of twelve and four o'clock
J from wounds received by him, on his neck, heac
and breast, which were inflicted upon him then
and there by a stick knife, and fork, in the
hands of Samuel Sly, of said town and the
jury also find Thankful S. Hursey, of said
town, accessory before and after the death.