The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1879-06-14

nounce the evil spirit. Finally they toll
him that he ought to die, because thu
evilspirit might cause the death of Mrs
Wakeman, and in that way bring upo1
the world the general Judgment. HI
said be was willing to die if his deatl
was thought necessary. The prayers il
the upper room ceased at 4 a. M, anl
one of the disciples brought word thai
the evil spirit would certainly kill Mrs
Wakeman unless Matthews should b,
killed. Some went home, others remained
upstairs, and sly, Woodin and jackson
went into the room adjoining that where
Matthews was sitting. In short time
those upstairs heard blows and groan,
coming from Matthews room. Mr.. and
Mrs. Sanford and Mrs. Davis went down
and tried to get into it, but the doors
were locked. Apparently feeling sure
that the evil spirit had been removed
they returned to the upper room, and,
after short season of prayer, left the
house. Sanford went to Matthews house
and returned with Matthews son.
They forced the doors of the room. and
found the dead body of Matthews lying
ON the floor The mans throat had
been cut, and in his abdomen were
twelve wounds, evidently made with a
common table-fOrk. The sheriff was
informed of the murder, and all who
had been in the house that night were
arrested and lodged in Jail. "A ,coroner's
jury began an inquest the same day, and
continued to hear testimony on Christ
mas day. On the following day Samuel
Sly confessed to the jury that he had
murdered Matthews. He had become
convinced. he said, that something must
be done to remove the evil spirit A
few days before he had procured hazel
wood stick, knowing that when used
with alder wood it was powerful to
remove entertainments This stick, one
inch in diameter andttwO and q halt feet
long, he hid in the cellar until Sunday
night. That night he went into the
room where Matthews sat, locked the
door, and struck him on the temple
with the stick. Having thus felled him
he took out his pocket-knife and cut his
throat. Then he made the holes in the
abdomen with a table-iork, SO that the
evil spirit could get out. After half an
hour he Joined Miss Hersey, who washed
the blood from his clothes. They burned
his bloody shirt, cut the stick in three
pieces and hid it, with the knife, in a
yanlt. Then they Joined some of the
other disciples upstairs in prayer. Mrs.
Wakeman unfolded her doctrine to the
Jury, told them about her visit to
heaven, and promised that, if Sly were
convicted, the world would be at once
destroyed. The jury-One of the jurors
being John ID. Candee, now editor of the
Bridgeport Standard-found Sly guilty
and declared that Miss Heisey was
accessory before and after the fact. Sly
was not hanged because he was adjudged
insane. He was confined until his
death, which occurred about five years
ago.
While in Jail, Sly, ,conversed rhapsodi.
cally about his belief, and gave the
geneal0gy of the 'fman of sin" The
power of all departed spirits since the
fall of man had entered in the husband
Of Mrs Wakeman. When Wakeman had \
died this power had gone into Eben
Gould, atterward into Amos Hunt (now |
a practicing ,clairyoyant in Fair Haven,
who gained some notoriety by his So
Jailed revelations concerning tine murder
If Mary Stannard lin Madison, last iall),
rom whom it had been transferred to
Matthew's. Upon the death oil Matthews
.he power returned, Sly said, to Hunt, |
Ind when Hunt should die the milIen>
,ium would come in the twinkling of an
we.
But there were to he more horrible
tragedies arising from the teachings OF
Mrs. Wakeman, and the hands of her
disciples were to be laid upon upright
men outside OF her little band OF fanatics.
rhe next victim was Ensch Sperry, 8
,ood man, without an enemy in the
world, and the father of the Hon. A.
D. sSperry, for many years postmaster
i New Haven, and al that time
secretary of state
anoch Sperry lived on a faem
n the town of Woodbridge On New
Years day (January i, 1860, week
Ifter the murder of Matthews he started
o drive into this city. When short
distance from his home he met Charles
sanford, ttwenty-eight years old, "a dis
'ipleOf Mrs. Wakeman, the nephew of
he widow of the murdered Matthews,
md also thelnephewOf Almeron Sanford, /
Who tied Matthews hands, and who is
low living near this city. Young Sans
ord had an AK on his shoulder. With
his, without warning, he struck the old
nan on the head, bnrying the blade in
lis brain He then took the body from
he sleigh and cut Its head of. Leaving
he remains by the side of the road, he
'roceeded to the ihou Q of another old
armer and mnch-respected man, Isaac
Jmbsffield. Meeting him in the house
le engaged him in conversation, and
nddenly killed him with his AK. UNI
'erfield's head he also cut of. He was
DON captured, but after desperate re-
lstance. The spirit, be said, had told