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A Skeleton's Tale: the Origins of Modern Spiritualism

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A Skeleton's Tale: the Origins of Modern Spiritualism INVESTIGATIVE FILES JOE NICKELL A Skeleton’s Tale: The Origins of Modern Spiritualism ore than half a century one, two, three, four,” clapping her after modern spiritu- hands accordingly. Four raps came Malism began with pur- in response (Mulholland 1938, ported communications from the 30–33). ghost of a murdered peddler, the Next, the peddler’s spirit began reality of the messages was allegedly to answer questions by rapping, once confirmed. A skeleton was report- for no, twice for yes. He claimed edly uncovered in the cellar of he had been murdered and his the original farmhouse where the body buried in the cellar, but dig- séances had taken place along with ging there produced only a few bones the peddler’s tin trunk. Now, a attributed to animals (Weisberg century after that, the claims are 2004, 57). again being touted by spiritual- Before long, people discov- ists who have enshrined the exca- ered that the girls could conjure vated foundation (figure 1)—sort up not only the ghostly peddler of a spiritualists’ equivalent of the but other obliging spirits as well. Mormons’ Hill Cumorah (where The demonstrations received such Joseph Smith claimed he received attention that the girl’s older sis- a book written on gold plates from ter, Leah Fish, originated a “spir- the angel Moroni [Nickell 2004]). itualistic” society. “Spiritualism” Assisted by research librarian Tim- began to take on the trappings othy Binga, director of Center of religion, with hymns being for Inquiry Libraries, I sought to Figure 1. CFI Librarian Tim Binga stands at the enshrined site sung at the opening and close of the birthplace of Spiritualism. (Photo by Joe Nickell) un cover the true facts in the case. of a session (which they called a Margaret (“Maggie”) and Katharine “séance”). Fol low ing a successful Background (“Katie”). The girls claimed the noises visit to New York, Leah took the girls Modern spiritualism began in Hydes- were communications from the de parted on tour to towns and cities across the ville, New York, in 1848. At the home spirit of a murdered peddler. After a nation. Everywhere people were anxious of a blacksmith named John Fox, strange time, on the night of March 31 (All to communicate with the souls of their rapping noises began to occur in the Fool’s Eve!), the girls’ mother witnessed departed loved ones. bedroom of Fox’s young daughters, a re markable demonstration that she However, scientists and other ratio- Joe Nickell is CSI’s Senior Research Fellow. later described in a signed report. nal-minded investigators came forth to His numerous books include Real-Life Loudly, Katie addressed “Mr. Split- challenge Maggie and Katie’s claims. Early X-Files and Adventures in Para normal foot,” saying “do as I do,” and clapping on, University of Buffalo faculty mem- Investigation. His Web site is at www. her hands. At once, there came the same bers studied the girls’ raps. The exam- joenickell.com. number of mysterious raps. Next Maggie iners excluded “spiritual causation” and exclaimed, “Now do just as I do; count asserted, curiously enough, that the raps SKEPTICAL INQUIRER July / August 2008 17 were “produced by the action of the will, on the floor, or we would drop the mourners attended her funeral. through voluntary action on the joints.” apple on the floor, making a strange Today, spiritualists characterize Mar- In a much later investigation, the “spirits” noise every time it would rebound. garet’s exposé as bogus, attributing it Mother listened to this for a time. She gave out erroneous information, and inves- could not understand it and did not to her need for money or the desire tigators caused the rapping sounds to cease suspect us of being capable of a trick for revenge against her rivals or both. abruptly by controlling Margaret’s feet because we were so young. How ever, not only were her admissions (Mulholland 1938, 34–38). At last she could stand it no longer fully corroborated by her sister, but she Then, four decades after spiritualism and she called the neighbors in and demonstrated to the audience that she told them about it. It was this that set began, sisters Margaret Fox Kane and us to discover the means of making could produce the mysterious raps just as she said (Christopher 1970, 181). The Discovery The Fox sisters had seemingly fooled The examiners excluded “spiritual causation” the world, but, after the turn of the cen- and asserted, curiously enough, that the raps tury, new evidence for their supposed genuineness was allegedly discovered. were “produced by the action of the will, As reported by the Boston Journal of through voluntary action on the joints.” Novem ber 23, 1904: The skeleton of the man who first caused the rappings heard by the Fox Sisters in 1848 has been found between the walls of the house occu- the raps. pied by the sisters, and clears them Katherine Fox Jencken confessed it had from the only shadow of doubt held all been a trick. On Sunday, October 21, Margaret explained: concerning their sincerity in the dis- 1888, the sisters appeared at the Acad- covery of spirit communication. My sister Katie was the first one to dis- The Fox sisters declared that they emy of Music in New York City. With cover that by swishing her fingers she Katherine sitting in a box and repeatedly learned to communicate with the could produce a certain noise with the spirit of a man, and that he told them nodding in agreement while a num- knuckles and joints, and that the same he had been murdered and buried in ber of spiritualists expressed their disap- effect could be made with the toes. the cellar. Evacuation failed to locate proval with groans and hisses, Margaret Finding we could make raps with our the body and thus give proof positive feet—first with one foot and then with of their story. revealed all from the music hall stage. both—we practiced until we could do She explained how she had produced the this easily when the room was dark. The Journal continued: rapping noises by slipping her foot from (qtd. in Mulholland 1938, 41–42) The discovery was made by school her shoe and snapping her toes. Placing Margaret also stated that Leah knew children playing in the cellar of the her stockinged foot on a thin plank, she building in Hydesville known as “The the spirit rappings were fake, and that demonstrated the effect for the audi- Spook House,” where the Fox sisters when she traveled with the girls (on ence. As The Evening Post reported the first heard the wonderful rappings. A their first nationwide tour) it was she reputable citizen of Clyde, who owns following day, “Mrs. Kane now locates who signaled the answers to various the house, made an investigation, and the origin of Modern Spiritualism in her found an almost entire human skel- questions. (She probably chatted with great toe” (qtd. in Christopher 1970, eton between the crumbling walls, sitters before the séance to obtain infor- undoubtedly that of the wandering 181). Mar garet went on to state: mation; when that did not produce the peddler who it was claimed was mur- I think that it is about time that requisite facts, the “spirits” no doubt dered in the east room and buried in the basement. the truth of this miserable subject spoke in vague generalizations that are “Spiritu alism” should be brought out. Examination revealed that a false It is now widespread all over the the mainstay of spiritualistic charlatans.) and unobserved inner wall had been world, and unless it is put down it Margaret repeated her exposé in built. Between this false inner wall and will do great evil. I was the first in the other cities close to New York. How- the original outer wall and near the field and I have the right to expose it. ever, explains John Mulholland (1938, center of the basement, the skeleton My sister Katie and myself were was found. It is interesting to know very young children when this horri- 43), “It was expected that this would that the false wall is composed of ble deception began. I was eight and give her sufficient income to live but stones like those used fifty years ago just a year and a half older than she. she shortly discovered that while many to build stone fences. This recalls a We were very mischievous children people will pay to be humbugged few statement made over fifty years ago and we wanted to terrify our dear will pay to be educated.” by Miss Lucretia Pulver, that Mr. Bell mother, who was a very good woman [the earlier house owner and presumed and very easily frightened. At night Perhaps not surprisingly, then, Mar- murderer] worked each night under when we were in bed, we used to tie garet returned to mediumship when she cover of darkness, carrying stones from an apple to a string and move it up needed money again. After her death on the fence into the cellar. The finding and down, causing the apple to bump March 8, 1895, thousands of spiritualist of the bones corroborates the sworn 18 Volume 32, Issue 4 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER statement made by Margaret Fox [the In fact, no one has been able to find wall in question is actually just one of girls’ mother], April 11, 1848. a single record or other proof of the four inner walls that likely represent an (qtd. in Mul doon 1942, 20–24) existence of a peddler named Charles B.
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