The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-04-11

| opposition Of tho relatives OF Mills, the Bond
street house might have become the homo OF the
dupos duringfour years, but the end Of his impos,
ture was nigh. Persons relatives were about TO
legal proceedings sgsins! Matthias to
their influence began to show symptoms of re.
covcry from his delusion. Mount Zion was
again rcopened, and there one morning Plcrson
died in c%onvulsions with overy sign, of metallic
poisoning, He was prepared for the grave by
hastily inferred. The county authorities imme:
diatcly instituted an investigation. They found
that .Matthias Ind prepared the coffee on the
other members of the community, noticing tho
queer taste Of the coffee, had declined TO drink
had refused TO n allow Wis a physician ," to be called
and had himself claimed to DO able to
euro euro Plerson By the laying on Of hands Ids.
daughter of Matthias, who had contracted q real
liking for Folgcr; The latter was q man q re.
alto and boorish. Mrs. Folgcr's affection for her
husband seemed TO return, and being released
from ,orro her SpI %rGMli a fh,, t"nIHt ia,,rs she nTI5 now c9 McS we'd
cured from Matthias's former dupes to author.
ige an indictment by. the Wcstchester Grand
The body WINS %eXhumoa, and a white powder dis
covered In tho stomach was pronounced b. tho
This ended Mattbins's hold on his victims.
Matthias had long declared that at his will ho
could disappear into heaven. but his dnpes saw
him compelled to linGcr In the common Jail.
whore he hcapcd blaspl!cmy npon blnsphemy IN
comparing himself to Christ, prosecuted. Folger
his jailors by launching divine wrath upon them.
Meantime his daughter tnow returned like Mrs.
o !" i sr,,r 10 ne ar ,aT hsn, mus o IN IN moS SSn CdH", II hnr
father, and he was also Indicted for assault.
After much dcley. during which Matthias was
the relatives Of Mills. tho trial for murder was
e ollie s on -4Apri, 10; J, %h in p ihg Wts .iol"
ticc Rugglcs and lay side Judges: among whom
was tho famous William jay. Matthias. with
s %Pinff isa THAT h. h. h %es aSnrdSd Il, SnSnsGSS o% as S Y"rs
t TRIAL. file and plea Jury Of ua a,00 imp 'nssnS for G5
try that initial defence. The prosecution called
as experts Dr.. Martin Payne, afterward ono Of
loge OF Medicine, and the notable Or. David L.
Rogers, the. greatest. family physician OF that
old ,hiN New ,M, YORK, as well ell as y, Pr; MGyeT; ,E ESch Of
knowing right from wrong. Only Or. JOHN
Wood declared Matthias insane. To DR.. Payne
"Oh thou devil. depart from mo. Thou art
p power Of the III Trinit S" pon""n, n ratsa ' IN %S. p sn"
lions, lam able to exercise Almighty WRATH,
Both DR.. Payne and Dr. Rogers hraved his
wrath and doXierously questioned Matthias. To
the latter expert, in declining to shake his hand.
/" only grasp the hands of followers. vow are
like all other men who hold hell in their
breasts. There Is no fire and birthstone. but re.
''' ''N' D..'' W
fail in the next world"
All, these experts agreed that, Matthias was
Stimulating. Matthias beratcd his counsel for
interposing such a silly plea. The jury declared
Matthias sane and the main trial began.
That Pierson died from poison was abundantlv
proved; but Judge Ruggles took the case from
the jury on the legal ground that no competent
evidence connected Matthias with the admins.
advanced on the trial Of Mrs. Maybrick by her
counsel. the now Lord Chief Justice Russell.
Matthias was therefore technically acquitted.
But during the impnnclling of the Jury
he had refused to become silent when
directed to do so by the Court. and had contin.
ucd to give realistic proof by persistent shouting
OF the validity OF his claim to nc the seventh
trumpet OF The: Apocnlypse.. Judge Rugglcs. who
personally believed Matthias morally guilty
Imprisonment of thirty days in the county jail
for the contempt of court. Matthias was next
nut on trial for the assaults on his daughter.
She declined to testify against her father, and
even signed a withdrawal OF the charge, for then
misdemeanors could be legally compounded;
but inasinuch as that withdrawal required the
concurrence of her husband and as he de
1t was shown that Matthias beat her with a row.
hide on the barred back. declaring that he was
fiagcllating Satan out of her. For this assault.
on u speedy conviction, Judge Rugglcs only
imposed three months Imprisonment. As
Matthias confronted the Judge in his now some
elongated beard. soon to come under the shears
Of n prison barber. and with his once wcll.uiled
locks falling over his shoulders in a tangle
he presented tho appearance Of IA very dilapi.
dated prophet.
After leaving prison Matthias went West and
posing the short but brilliant career OF Matthias
and his duDes.