The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-04-11
MATTHIAS THE IMpOSTOR.
A FALSE PROPHET NOTORIOUS IN
NEW YORK SIXTY YEARS AGO.
Threo New York Merchants or Standing sis
CHER D~npes-Thc Free Lovo Community ne
Established Mt sing SinR-Accused OF Muir.
der-MIIN Ennnnnrc. TrInI. and nnNnnrnII.

thrso New YORK Merchants OF Htnnutng His
Chier D~npes-The Free Lovo Community re
Established Mt sing sinE-Accused or MUIR
der-His Exposure. Trial. and Downfall.
New York city and its suburbs have been tho
scene OF many imposturcs, and scores of pre-.
tenders ofmnny criminal varieties have figured
from timo to time among It's residents, but no
impostor and no prctondcr ever approached in
audacity and ineSplicablc success tho career
during tho far away years of 1884 and 1885, in
this city and westchcstcr county, Of tho self.
styled Prophet Matthias. Now and then some
secondhand book stall will exhibit an old wood.
cut Of him as he might have been seen by New
Workers Of that day turning into Broadway from
Bond street, the most fashionable street OF sixty
years ago. He was tall and we'll formed, with
dignity and studied imprcssivcncss In his
carriage and micn. He wore q scmi.clcri.
cal waistcont mud n cloth robe, with sleeves
rhthcr than n coat, with exaggerated
skirts reaching to tho instcp Of his eighteenth
century buckled shoes: while brown curls hung
about his neck AMI shoulders after the style in
tho paintings Of Christ by old matters, and a
thick brown beard reached to his whist. When
over Matthias, with his impassivo face and as
numcd benign smile, turned thus out of BOND
street hc had just left the mansion of tho
wealthy Philo Mills. who was ono OF his dupcs.
This aposto.iclookinE man was born in Wash.
ington county. in this State, and when he
reached manhood In one of its picturesque vii.
lagos he exercised tho trade Of n Joiner, and
married n farmers daughter named Anna
White. His real namc was Robert Matthews.
He became notorious Mt the beginning o: tho
Mormon dclusion. when Joe Smiths saints wcrc
travelling through rural districts seeking
proselytes. Matthews seemed to be attracted
by the religious novelty and attended some Of
the Mormon gatherings in tho village. These
meetings usually took place on tho side OF some
creek or brook. which the Mormon leader would
liken to tho River Jordan. comparing himself to
John the Baptist. Tho leader whom Matthews
met affected an Oriental appearance. and inva.
riably wore a shovel hat. He insinuatcd that rs
a Mormon preacher he had received the gift Of
healing from a Bishop OF the church at Sauvoo.
Matthews was n shrewd man. and finding that
the new religion was actually believed in by
some OF his neighbors. and perhaps perceiving
how readily men and women could be secured
"a dupes. he conceived tho idea Of calling
himself Matthias and setting up rs a prophet
with religious doctrines of his own creation. He
allowed his Internationally %curly-to grow into
locks. and his beard AMI mustache to assume
Esau-likc proportions. Hc dropped to the VII
layers mysterious hints as to having boon d.
vincly commissioned, but only met ridicule.
and tho common remark came to be that Bob
Matthews has gone daft" He therefore con-
cluded to leave his birthplace. and went to Al
bany, where he soon proclaimed himself a
prophet commissioned to reform the world.
But his beginnings at Albany were slow and
cautious. He and his wife went to live with her
brother. a worthy and Industrious Albanian
named Andrew White. Two boys and a girl
were born TO tho Matthews couple. and tho
family practically lived on the bounty Of Mr..
White for two years. During that time Mat.
thews's claims grew so monstrous and he became
such a nuisance that his brother.in-law and even
his wife finally lost faith in him. At last he
added to his doctrines the theory Of free love
and denounced ceremonial matrimony as a
sin. He claimed that he had been directed
in a dream to assume the nam Matthias
and to have received the mission of putting
down corrupt institutions. Matthias also
claimed that emanations OF the Divine wrath had
boon committed to his discretion. and he called
down all manner of evil on his wife and brother
in.law for their want OF faith in him. His wife
and her brother were thinking Of putting him
in the county lunatic ward when he vanished
from Albany. He had long before told his wife
that he held power to dissolve marriage ties. He
without scrip and having only a staff; for l
go about my Fathers BUSINESS"
There Is a gap IN his history from This time
when he was heard Of at Sing Sing. in the resi-.
dence of a rich and reputable New York mcr-
was domiciled there as the head OF a little reii.
Rious community of which he was called the
There wero at that time three New York mer-
chants OF means who were bosom friends. all
Workers OF that period will recall it as one
strongly tinctured with the revival feeling. Some
he holding what were sVt9 termed sd'S anxious ,nSh SsH seat %eei,
inRs, and the Catholics we're called. upon to
sauits upon it. made by an escaped nun named
Maria Monk and by a vigorous clerical assail-
further eNcite1 by the almnaf frantic aDneala NJ
a revivalist named Elder Knapp. who gathered
in converts by the hundred in a church ut the cor
ner OF Houston and Thompson streets. The
three friends referred 70, were benjamin II, Fol,
ger, Philo Mills. and Mahlon Piers9n; The home
Bond street. and PieFson at 8 Third street.
Al were engaged together in religious work.
Matthias made the acquaintance first OF Foiger
and then Of Person, and with Mrs. FoIger. her
Foieer's house. Mr.: FoiRer e]onveyed Bis house.
his wife. who was even more Of IN enthusiast
Than the men, joining In relinquishinR her dover.
dell, lei her husband and her mother st AlbanS
and joined the apostolic community" with full
aionr the II h sWo 's sons of M Ma,ihiss. her sne b SGGRsn,
who were nrchins and whom the impostor had
named John and James after the two apostles.
Matthias Mount Zion. Plerson also decided
to Matthias M,I his Third stree, rec house in Now York
The impostor now arraycd himself in richer
habiliments, some parts of which were embroi-
dered by Mrs. Folger. Rich lace adorned his
coat cuffs and his shirt fronts--for then was the
era OF rutled shirt bosoms. His long beard and
curly locks were carefully oiled. and altogether
Matthias presented, what the old masters among
painters might have styled n holy appearance"
Matthias was thus well calculated 10 excite at
tention and deceive unbalanced minds. He at
first endeavorcd to exhibit himself in the streets
OF Sing Sing. to which as yet the prison had not
been removed from its site at the foot of Chris
topher street In New York; but the Sing Sing
people booted and reviled him till he was fain
10. hug the walls " his Mount Zion.
He made frequent trips 70 the city, dur
ing which he spent much time with Mills. who
would have sQuandered all his, fortune Oh the
prophet If nc had moi been guarded and watched
by relatives. There may be yet living u few men
and women who recall having. in their early
youth seen Matthias on Broadway In his re-
inarIIab.o costume, Walking arm Ia arm with
Mills. or the TWO riding together our on tho
! WooiulIsdnlc road in Mills's gors cous T. spring
baronche-the coachman and harness md ham
NOR cloth noticeable Tor their scarlet dressings,
| for Matthias reversed tho plan OF tha early
fathers In rayorins inngniiccncc. The Mills.
Pi.rson, and FUlgcr equipagcs were kept In con