The Arkansaw traveler., 1883-05-26
SOME HUMAN SACRIFICES
Instances in America of Insane Imita'
 tors of Old Abraham.
1Neu York World.

instances AmSAtCa VI AhSeAN AA1As@-
 tors of Old Abraham.
 
 New York World.
 Even four years after the commission of crime. it seems, public interest Tn the case of the Pocasset murder has not abated. Few. however. of many thou- sands of people who have been thrilled by the terrible tale of the offering up of little Edith Freeman arc aware that sim liar human sacrifices have been by no means infrequent in the United States. One of the earliest crimes of this descnp- tion was committed at Gardiner, Me. about the beginning of the century by James McCausland. a revolutionary sol dier living at Pittston, on the opposite side of the kennebee. He was day-la- borer. and unable to read or write. There was an Episcopalian church at Gardiner which he sometimes attended. but his re- ligious conversion was effected by an itineran, preacher, and # turned head not of the strongest. It became inn pressed upon his mind that he could only obtain salvation by making burnt offering and blood-afonement. ard. breeding over the subject, he at last felt he received divine revelation that the church at Gardiner was the appropriate altar and woman living on the banks of the Cohosecanti, few miles above the village, the predesined victim. His mind, however, was not fully decided un- til on visiting the church at midnight he heard a celestial voice: Young man push on-' This removed all his doubts, and hating saved the holy things" as he called the bible, prayer-book and the pulpit cushion, which he removed and con- cealed under the roots of fallen tree, he carried a shoe-full of live coals to the church and set it on fire. It was soon consumed, and launching his canoe he padded upstream 10 the house of the woman selected as the sacrifice. There fingered some doubt upon his mind. but he went in the beliefthat God would show him sign and provide him with an in- strumenr. Opening the door he found two men lying on the floor of the log hut asleep, and the woman sitting by the bed. in which was a sick person. A flash from among the embers of the fire on the hearth revealed butchers knife sticking in log just above her head. Ths sohei the doubt, and stepping over the sleepers he took down the knife and drew IL across the throa, of the nodding victim. who awakened in eternity then he made his way to the canoe and back 10 Gardiner. where he gave himself up, ,esaiying to the innocence of man who had been ac- cused of burning the church by showing where he himself had concealed the holy things" McCausland was con- victed on his confession, which he insis- ted on making. but was never executed. or even sentenced, bu, remained in prson until his death, nearly thirty years after wards. He felt no sorrow for his deed. as through it his sins. he felt, had all been forgiven, and hence he argued, if he should be released he would not re- peat the act-indeed, there could be no further revelation.
 A more horrible instance of human sacrifice lives in the annals of New Haven. where in 1855, was a small sect of fanat- ics-the Wakemanites, SO called from their prophecies, Mrs. Rhoda Wakeman, a woman of seventy. She had convinced her followers-respectabl farmers and farmers wives living in the outskirts of the city that thirty years before she had been killed by her husband and received into heaven. where she had remained seven hours, being finally sent back 10 earth by God to prepare the way for the second advent of Christ Among her fol- lowers was one Jus,us Matthews, who. having been irregular m attending the prayer-meetings Of the sect, was declared by the prophecies to be the man of s,n
 mentioned in scripture The evil spirit which possessed Matthews was, she said. very annoying 10 her: mt only did I, hinder the coming of Christ. but it might cause her death. and so bring on imme- diateiy the judgment of all mankind. without any millennium at all. Matthews himself became convinced of the truth of this and avowed his willingness to submit to proper treatment tor the removal of the fiend. On the evening of Sunday, December 3. he went to Mrs. Wake mans house, where were gathered most of the 6nafics. including his sister. Mrx Wzkeman's halfbrothex, Samnd Sly. and Miss Hersey. When . prayef-meeung was held in the upper ssory Ma1hews was placed h rooa oa the gEound floor, where fire vas built for his com6oa, his sister blindfolding his eye and tying his hands behind him. From six o'clock till one in the morning he remainedin that condition, while the others occupied them selves in prayer, visiting him from time to time and pleading with him to renounce the evil spirit Finally they persuaded him of the necessity for sacrificing him, and Sly, going into the room where he was sitting. brained him with club of hazel wood, which he had procured as rnSse<S;nr <snorf,r sfT-1rv ayainzs e..,ii