From the New Haven Palladium, Dec. 24, 1855
Our city has become the scene of another atrocious crime, the effect, it would seem, of professed religious belief. A Mrs. Rhoda Wakeman, a woman some 70 years of age, residing in Beaver Street, near Dixwell, is the seer, prophetess, or leader of a small band of believers in Millerism, or something similar, and the meetings of the members of that faith were held in her dwelling. Yesterday, as usual, the faithful met, and among the number was Mr. Justus Matthews, a workman in the pistol factory at Whitneyville. The meeting was kept up nearly all night, and, about 9 o'clock in the morning, Mr. Matthews was found by his son, in the front room of the house, dead, with his throat cut from ear to ear. Near the body was a small rope, with which the hands had been evidently bound, as the wrists bore the mark of the cord.
The story told is that the deceased, although a partial believer in the doctrines held by Mrs. Wakeman, did not come up to the standard inculcated by her and the others, and therefore he was a stumbling block to the others which they were justified in putting out of the way. How this may be, we do not know, but it is evident his death was not caused by his own hand. Deceased was between 30 and 40 years of age. A jury of inquest was summoned, but they have delayed their verdict until after the post-mortem examination, which will be had this afternoon. The following persons have been arrested on suspicion of being implicated in the murder, either as principles or accessories: Israel Wooden, Almeron Sanford and wife, Samuel Sly, Josiah Jackson, Abigail Sables, Thankful S. Hersey.
Our city has become the scene of another atrocious crime, the effect, it would seem, of professed religious belief. A Mrs. Rhoda Wakeman, a woman some 70 years of age, residing in Beaver Street, near Dixwell, is the seer, prophetess, or leader of a small band of believers in Millerism, or something similar, and the meetings of the members of that faith were held in her dwelling. Yesterday, as usual, the faithful met, and among the number was Mr. Justus Matthews, a workman in the pistol factory at Whitneyville. The meeting was kept up nearly all night, and, about 9 o'clock in the morning, Mr. Matthews was found by his son, in the front room of the house, dead, with his throat cut from ear to ear. Near the body was a small rope, with which the hands had been evidently bound, as the wrists bore the mark of the cord.
The story told is that the deceased, although a partial believer in the doctrines held by Mrs. Wakeman, did not come up to the standard inculcated by her and the others, and therefore he was a stumbling block to the others which they were justified in putting out of the way. How this may be, we do not know, but it is evident his death was not caused by his own hand. Deceased was between 30 and 40 years of age. A jury of inquest was summoned, but they have delayed their verdict until after the post-mortem examination, which will be had this afternoon. The following persons have been arrested on suspicion of being implicated in the murder, either as principles or accessories: Israel Wooden, Almeron Sanford and wife, Samuel Sly, Josiah Jackson, Abigail Sables, Thankful S. Hersey.
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