Epilogue Summary and Analysis

Part 1: The authors talk of the fallout of the trial and the resultant texts that were critical to their research. Many penny press editors expressed outrage that a harsher sentence was not rendered. A man named William Leete Stone, in conjunction with Benjamin and Ann Folger, published a volume which catalogued Matthews' cruelties, but which went out of its way to portray the Folgers in the best light. Therefore, its accuracy is suspect. Margaret Matthews published her own account, in which the chief villain was Benjamin Folger. An independent editor named Gilbert Vale also wrote an account, which was heavily relied upon by the authors. He was aided by Isabella Van Wagenen, who was slandered in the Stone account and who wanted the truth to come to light.

The story of Matthews, aka the Prophet Matthias, was quickly forgotten in favor...