The Fox Sisters. A Matter of Belief

The Fox Sisters. A Matter of Belief

This is a story about two children that ushered in the age of modern spiritualism. Margaret and Catherine Fox. The children have been surrounded by controversy since the fateful day of March 31st, 1848 when, by pure accident, they bridged the veil and were able to talk with spirits via a method known as rapping.

Growing up as the founders of spiritualism, their lives were under continuous scrutiny. And, of course, both the Fox sisters and the 1848 event are still under scrutiny today, even after 70 plus years of investigation.

A Summary of Events:

In March of 1848, Maggie and Kate Fox spoke to a spirit haunting their home. First, they commanded the spirit to count to ten, and it responded with ten knocks. Then, their mother asked how many children she had. The spirit correctly knocked six times. Mrs. Fox invited her neighbours over, and they were shocked when the spirit answered the girls’ questions with a series of knocks. By tapping twice for yes and once for no, the spirit told them that he was a once peddler who had been murdered and buried below the house. Newspapers reported the ghostly encounter and folks across town came to see the girls who could speak to the dead ...

The main controversy around this story is simple. Did the children fake the original event that ushered in the age of spiritualism? If you go looking for answers to that question, you’ll find no definitive answer available. It all depends on what website you go to, what article you open, and what book you read. So, it truly is a matter of belief with regards to the tales authenticity.

In order to set the stage for this story though, I’ll start at the beginning, which involves giving some history surrounding the house and the family first. After that we’ll get into more details about the night in question.

The House

Located 35 miles east of Rochester, New York the town of Hydesville was established in 1790. The town was named for Dr. Henry Hyde, one of the early pioneers who established it. Dr. Hyde also built a house there, which was used by tenant farmers in the 1800’s. That house is where the 1848 event occurred.

The Fox family were the last residents of the house. After the events of 1848, the family moved away and the house was purchased by a resident of Lily Dale. That person relocated the house to Lily Dale and in 1955 the house was destroyed by fire. A replica of the house was built on the original property in Hydesdale and that replica was also destroyed by fire.

The house was a one and a half story structure, located on the crossroads of the town. Today both the town and the house no longer exist. The only thing left of the house are the original foundation stones.

There are some stories which suggest the house was haunted prior to the Fox’s living there. It seems as though originally, it was the location that was the conduit for paranormal activity and not the girls themselves. Below are three stories which lends credence to that fact:

#1: Mrs. Hannah Weekman.

We have lived in this place about five months. I have heard about the mysterious noises that have been heard in the house now occupied by Mr. Fox.

We used to live in the same house; we lived there about a year and a half, and moved from there here. About a year ago, while we were living there, we heard some one, as we supposed; rapping on the outside door. I had just got into bed, but my husband 'had not. He went to the door and opened it;·and said that there was no one there; and he came back and was about getting into bed, when we ·heard the rapping upon the door again. He then went to the door and opened it, and said that he could see no one although he stepped out a little ways. He then came back and got into bed, He was' quite angry: he thought ' twas some of the neighboring boys that were trying to disturb .us, and said that "they might knock away, but they would not fool him," or something of that kind.

The knocking was heard again, and after a while he got up and went to the door and went out. I told him not to go out doors, for perhaps somebody wanted to get him out and hurt him. He came back and said. he could see nothing. We heard a good deal of noise during that night; we could hardly tell where it was; it sounded sometimes as if someone was walking about in the cellar. But the house was old, and we thought it might be a rattling of some loose boards, or something of that kind.

A few nights afterwards, one of our little girls who slept in the bedroom where the noises are now heard, woke us all up by screaming very loud. My husband and I and our hired girl, got up immediately to see what was the matter. She sat up in the bed crying and screaming, and _it was some time before we could find out from her what the matter was. She said that something had been moving around over her head and face,-that it was cold, and she did not know what it was. She said that she felt it all over her, but she appeared to be more alarmed at feeling it in her face. She was very much frightened. This was between twelve and one o'clock at night. She got up and got into bed with us, and it was a long time before she could go to sleep. It was several days before we could get her to sleep in that room again. She was eight years old at that time. There was nothing else that happened to me during the time that we lived there; but my husband told me that one night he heard some one call him by name, somewhere about the house; he did not know where; but could never find out where or what it was. I was not at home on that night.

Continued…

The House Continued

#2: Mrs. Jane C. Lape

I am the wife of Henry Lape and am 19 years old. I lived with Mrs. Weekman’s folks about a year and a half ago, when he occupied the house where Mr. Fox now lives. I stayed there until the spring of ‘47. One day, about two .o'clock p.m. while I was doing my work in the kitchen, I saw a man in the bedroom joining the kitchen. The bedroom door was open, and I saw the man distinctly. I was much frightened. I had been in the kitchen some time at work, and knew that no one had gone into that room. There was only one door to the bedroom, and that opened into the kitchen. The man stood facing me when I saw him. He did not speak, nor did I hear any noise at any time, like a person walking or moving about in the room. He had on grey pants, black frock coat and black cap. He was about middling size, I should think. I knew of no person in that vicinity who wore a similar dress. Mrs. Weekman was in another part of the house at this time I was very much frightened and 'left the room, and when I returned with Mrs. W there was no person there. She thought that it was some one who had been trying to frighten me; but we were never able to ascertain who or what it was. I have always thought, and still do think, that that was a supernatural appearance. I never had been a believer in such things until saw this.

#3. Miss Lucretia Pulver

One night I though I I heard a man walking in the buttery. This buttery is near the bed-room, with a stairway between them.. Miss Aurelia Losey staid with me on that night·; she also heard the noise, and we were both much frightened, and got up and fastened down the windows and fastened the door. It sounded as if the person walked through the buttery, down cellar, and part way across the cellar bottom, and there the noise ceased. There was no one else in the house at this time, except my little brother, who was asleep in the same room with us. This was about 12 o'clock, I should think. We did not go to bed until after 11, and had not been asleep when we heard the noise. ' Mr. and Mrs. Bell had gone to Lock Berlin, to be gone until the next day.

We didn’t hear any thing more that night. We were a good deal alarmed but after awhile got over it. We thought it might be Mr. Bell, because I heard Mrs. Bell say that she had often heard somebody around the house, and that she believed it was this man, for that she thought he would steal. I heard nothing more after this but the rapping, which continued as before. One evening about a week after this, Mrs. Bell sent me down cellar to shut the outside door. In going across the cellar, I fell down near the center of it. It appeared to be uneven and loose in this place. After I got up stairs, Mrs. Bell asked me what I screamed for, and I told her; she laughed at me for being frightened, and said that it was only where the rats had been at work in the ground. A few days after this, Mr. Bell was going to Lock Berlin to stay that night. I wanted to buy some things of the peddler, but had no money with me, and he said he would call at our house the next morning and sell them to me. I never saw him after this.

A few days before the time when I first heard these noises, or any thing of this kind had ever occurred, a foot peddler called there, about two o'clock in the afternoon. Mrs. Bell told me that Mr. Bell thought they should not want to hire me any more, and that I might go home, but that if they wanted me any more, they would send for me. Mrs. Bell was going to Lock Berlin to stay that night. I wanted to buy some things of the peddler, but had no money with me, and he said he would call at our house the next morning and sell them to me. I never saw him after this.

About three days after this, they sent for me to come back and board with them and go to school. I accordingly came back, and went to school about' a week; when she wanted I should stay out of school and do the housework, as she had got a couple of coats to fix over for her husband. She said that they were rather too large for him, and out of fashion and she must alter them. These coats were ripped to pieces when I saw them.

I should think this peddler, of whom I have spoken was about 30 years old: I heard from conversing with Mrs Bell about his family: he told how many children he had, in answer to her inquiries. I do not recollect now how many he said he had. Mrs. Bell told me that he was an old acquaintance of theirs; that she had seen him several times before. A short time after this Mrs. Bell gave me a thimble, which she said she had bought of this peddler and paid him fifty cents for, About three months after this time I visited her, and she said that this peddler had been there again, and she showed me another thimble which she said she had bought off him. She said that he had cheated her; that he sold it to her for pure silver, but that it was only German silver. She also showed me some other things, which she said she had bought of him.

I did not know what to think of those noises which I heard. I did not know but what it might be rats, as Mrs. Bell said. I didn’t think it was anything supernatural at the time· their dog would sit under the bed room window, sometimes most all night, and howl; and this made me think that there was somebody about there that wanted to steal.

Mr. and Mrs Bell appeared to be very good folks, only they were rather quick tempered. I never had any difficulty with them during the time that I stayed there. This peddler carried a trunk, and a basket, I think, with vials of essence in it. He wore a black frock coat, and light colored pants.

Continued…

The Fox Family

Information on the family itself is hard to come by as the stories about them and their history are up to the interpretation of the writer. But, the “facts” that I can gather are as follows:

Mr. and Mrs. Fox’s history begins in Rockland county, New York, in the year of 1812. Mr. Fox was a blacksmith and made good money at it. But, he also had a drinking problem. After these two facts, the waters get a little murky.

John and Margaret shared a common bond in their faith as devout Methodists. Margaret Smith Fox differed from her husband in being an adventurous soul, though she usually displayed a calm dignity of being. She was also noted for her unimpeachable character.

The Fox’s first child, Emily, was born in 1813 and passed on in infancy. The following year, Ann Leah joined the family. Subsequently, Maria, Elizabeth, and David were born, at two-year intervals.

Eventually, Margaret Fox separated from her husband, unable to tolerate his alcoholism any longer. At age fourteen, Leah married an older man with the surname of Fish. After the birth of a daughter, the father deserted, and Leah turned to music as a means of livelihood.

Little is recorded of the Fox family for a period of about fourteen years thereafter. The next recorded event was the reunion of Mrs. Fox with her reformed and sober husband. In 1834 Margaretta Fox was born, followed in 1836 by the birth of Catherine Fox.

John and Margaret Fox decided they also would settle where their family lived. First they went to Rochester and lived with Leah for a brief period. Then, in search of a rural environment, the family moved on to Hydesville, where, on the land adjoining an old uncle’s property, John Fox commenced building a new home for his family. On December 11, 1847, the Fox family temporarily moved into a cottage next to the smithy where Mr. Fox had his business. 

After the death of Emily, Leah was now the oldest. She lived in Rochester and supported herself by giving piano lessons in her home. David fox was living in Hydesdale with his wife when Mr. and Mrs. Fox had decided to move there.

That is really all the information I could find on the Fox family as a whole. Yes, there were some more lengthy reads that explained the life and times of early settlers but, for just the facts on the family itself, this is what I was able to find.

And, I have to be honest here...this is just the best version of the “facts” that I could find. In some articles Mr. Fox is a farmer, in some articles he is building on David’s property, and some state the older children were born in Canada, left to venture out on their own, and then Mr. and Mrs. Fox moved back to the states and had the two youngest girls.

So, that’s all I’m gonna give in this section because I really don’t know how accurate it is and I can’t truly verify any of it. But, I felt you needed some history on the family itself. Best I could do...

Continued…

The Event

According to eyewitness statements and reports, About mid March in 1848 the Fox family started to hear strange rapping sounds at night in their residency. The next few weeks the family tried to determine what was making those sounds and could come up with no reasonable conclusion. It wasn’t until March 31st (the day before April Fools) of 1848 that they were able to establish communication with, what they determined to be, the spirit of a man who was murdered in the house by a previous tenant.

Mrs. Fox gives the most detailed and complete testimony about what happened on March 31st, 1848. So I’ll be using her written statement as the base to paint a better picture of that evening.


Mrs. Fox’s Written Statement:

We moved into this house on the 11th of December, 18471 and have resided here ever since. We formerly resided in the city of Rochester. We first heard this noise about a fortnight ago. It sounded like some one knocking in the east bed-room, on tho floor; sometimes it sounded as if the chair moved on the floor; we could hardly tell where it was. This was in the evening, just after we had gone to bed. The whole family slept in that room together, and all heard the noise. There was four of our family, and sometimes five. The first night that we heard the rapping, we all got up and lit a candle; and searched all over the house. The noise continued while we were hunting, and was heard near the same place all the time. It was not very loud, yet it produced a jar of the bedsteads and chairs, that could be felt by placing our hands on the chair. or while we were in bed. It was a feeling of a tremendous motion, more than a sudden jar. It seemed as if we could feel it jar while we were standing on the floor. It continued this night until we went to sleep. I did not go to sleep until nearly 12 o'clock. The noise continued to be heard every. night.

On Friday night, the. 31st of March, it was heard as usual, and, we then for the first time called in the neighbors. Up to this time we had never heard it in the day time, or at least did not notice it at all.

On Friday night, we concluded to go to bed early, and not let it disturb us; if it came, we thought we would not mind it; 'but try and get a good night's rest. My husband was here on all these. occasions, heard the noise and helped search. It was very early when we went to bed on this night; hardly dark. - We went to bed so early, because we had been broken so much or" our rest that I was almost sick.

My husband had not gone to bed when we first heard the noise on this evening. I had just laid down; It commenced as usual. I knew it from all other noise I had ever heard .in the house.

The girl, who slept in the other bed in the room, heard the noise, and tried to make a similar noise by snapping their fingers. The youngest girl is about I2 years old, she is the one who made her hand go. As fast as she made the noise with her hands or fingers, the sound was followed up in the room. It did not sound any different at that time, only it made the same number of noises that the girl did. ·when she stopped, the sound itself stopped for a short time

The other girl, who is in her 15th year, then spoke in sport and said "Now do-this just as I do. Count one, two, three, four," etc.., striking one hand in the other at the same time. The blows which she made were repeated as before. It appeared to answer her by repeating every blow that she made. She only did so once. She then began to be startled ; and then I spoke and said to the noise, "Count ten," and it made ten strokes or noises. Then I asked the ages of my different children successively, and it gave a number of raps corresponding to the ages of my children. I then asked if it was a human being that was making the noise and if it was, to manifest it by the same noise. There was no noise. I then asked if it was a spirit and if it was, to manifest it by the same sound I heard two sounds as soon as the words were spoken.

I then asked, if it was an injured spirit to give me the sound and I heard the rapping distinctly. I then asked if it was injured in this house and it manifested it by the noise. If the person was living that injured it and got the same answer. I then ascertained, by the same method that its remains were buried under the dwelling, and how old It was. When I asked how many years old it was it rapped 31 time, that it was male; that it had left a family of five children that it had two sons and three daughters, all living. I asked If it left a wife? and it rapped. If its wife was then living ? no rapping; if she was dead? and the rapping was distinctly heard how long she had been dead and it rapped twice.

About this time I asked, will this noise continue if I call in my neighbor that they may hear it too? It answered me by the usual sound of rapping"· My husband went and called Mrs. Redfield, our next door neighbor. She is a very candid woman. The girls were then sitting up in bed, somewhat terrified and clinging to each other. I was as calm, I think, as l am now. ...

Continued…

The Event Continued

Friday night was the beginning of a whirlwind of events that continued on through the weekend and into the weeks ahead. It is said that on Saturday, there were near 300 people that visited the Fox house.

The written account talks about how the spirit revealed to Mrs. Fox that he had been murdered in the house by a previous occupant. During the first 3 days (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday) the main objective of the folks who visited was to find out who murdered the man, how he was murdered, and where his body was. They did this by asking questions aloud and then listening for “rappings” to get the answer.

Through this method they were able to determine that the man was murdered in the bedroom, with a knife, by Mr. Bell, for $500 dollars (sounds like the board game Clue, doesn’t it?). They also determined where the Peddlers body was (the cellar) and tried to dig him up several times. About two feet down they ran into water and could never clear enough of it out in order to continue the dig.

After that weekend, people continued to visit the house and try to contact the spirit. E.E. Lewis showed up and started collecting signed testimony from the witnesses of the event. In the document it states that he spent several days in the community investigating the phenomenon and taking statements.

Because so many people were able to witness and communicate with the spirit themselves, the news spread quickly to the nearby city of Rochester. And, that was when the eldest sister, Leah Fox, enters the scene.

Leah Fox

Leah Fish Fox was the eldest of the children and was living in Rochester, New York at the time of the 1848 event. From what I can gather, Leah heard about the whole thing through one of her students reading a newspaper article aloud in a teaching session. The time line is not firm but, this seemed to happen about one to two weeks after the March 31st event.

Leah then traveled home and did some investigating herself. She brought the two girls back with her to the city and in just 2 short years all three of them became famous mediums. The “rappings” seemed to follow the girls wherever they went. And now, the girls were not limited to talking with just the Peddler, they were able to make contact with anyone that was “on the other side”.

This was how a new industry was born. Kate, Leah, and Maggie would hold private sessions and charge people to talk with the dead. They traveled around the US and to other countries using their skills to make some cold, hard, cash.

The family made over $100 a day, an impressive sum for a time when the average worker made $1 a day

The trio were put to the test several times by scientists and they failed quite a few of them. But, people just wanted to believe. This was a movement by that time. It wasn’t just three girls anymore. Millions of people had embraced spiritualism and many had made it their profession.

The girls opened up the world to spiritualism and made it socially acceptable to be part of the “woo woo” arts. People were making money. Lot’s of money. And no one could really afford to have the famous trio who started the movement debunked.

One of the mysteries here is how Leah herself became a medium just a few shorts months after discovering that Kate and Maggie were gifted. Was Leah always able to talk with the dead and the event in Hydesville just opened the door for her (and other gifted people) to do so openly? I did find a statement in the book A Magician Among The Spirits which hints that this was the case.

“After I married, Dr. Kane would not let me refer to my old life—he wanted me to forget it. But when I was poor, after his death, I was driven to it again, and I wish to say clearly that I owe all my misfortune to that woman, my sister (Leah). I have asked her time and again:

Now that you are rich why don’t you save your soul?

“But at my words she would fly into a passion. She wanted to establish a new religion and she told me that she received messages from spirits. She knew that we were tricking people but she tried to make us believe spirits existed. She told us that before we were born spirits came into her room and told her that we were destined for great things...

So, there is some evidence of Leah having “the gift”. But, we must also remember that Leah’s livelihood was on the line here. She was talking with her sister who, at the time, had become a Roman Catholic and wanted to spill the beans.

According to most books and articles, Leah pretty much exploited her sisters and their “skills” all of their lives. She was not a nice person at all. I don’t want to dive too deeply here but, what I can say for the moment, is that Leah was all about the money.

"Leah's promotional efforts were motivated only by her desire for fortune and fame ...

Leah kept doing medium work until the day she died. She wrote at least one book called The Missing Link in Modern Spiritualism and honestly, I haven’t read the whole book yet. But, I linked it here for those who wish to dive deeper ...


Continued…

Kate

Catherine Fox (Kate or Katie) was the youngest of the sisters. She was 12 at the time of the event in Hydesville. She got whisked away to Rochester within a few weeks after the event and was thrown in to the life of a medium by her sister Leah.

Through those years Katie managed to perfect her art a little bit more. Learning how to perform spirit writing, manifestation, and materialization's. She remained the most active of the three sisters throughout their years in the profession.

After many years of performing, Kate and her sisters traveled to England in 1872 and Kate married a lawyer, Henry Diedrich Jencken, and had two children by him. Kate started drinking heavily after her husband died in 1881. (I honestly get the idea that she was a heavy drinker throughout her life, just maybe started to drink more excessively after her husbands death.)

A few years later (1885), Kate and Leah got into a custody battle over her two children because Leah felt Kate was an unfit mother and was no longer able to provide for them. Kate was reported to The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children and arrested in 1888.

At some point after or during all this, Maggie travels back to the United States and teams up with her sister Maggie against Leah. They both conspire to ruin Leah’s life in their last years, and eventually Kate passes away in July of 1892.

Maggie

Margaret Fox (Maggie) was 15 when the Hydesville event took place. She also went to live with her sister Leah in Rochester and became a professional medium for 30 plus years of her life. Maggie married Elisha Kent Kane (a navel officer and Arctic explorer) in 1856. Maggie converted to Catholicism in 1858, a year after her husband died.

Both the girls (Kate and Maggie) were thought to have alcohol dementia by the late 1880’s. They had all the signs. Which means they probably were life long heavy drinkers. It is interesting to note that John Fox (their father) was an alcoholic as well.

Alcohol dementia, in general, is characterized by problems with memory, learning, and overall cognitive function. A person with alcoholic dementia may often struggle with their memory to the point where they create fabricated, detailed stories to fill in the gaps. A person with a drinking problem who does not undergo an alcohol detox or treatment is at risk of developing this condition...

Continued…

Maggie Continued

The Confession

It is, near the end of her life, that Maggie decides that she is going to confess about what really happened on March 31st, 1848 in the house at Hydesville. Maggie has, for several years, been out of the medium business. As stated earlier, she converted to Catholicism and left the world of spiritualism for good.

She only enters back onto the scene to debunk the whole thing. Maggie decides to do this in a very public way. There are a few articles written as teasers leading up to the event, and then she drops the bomb on spiritualism.

This book has been written in extreme haste. It does not pretend to literary style. But it pretends to absolute truthfulness and a reverent regard for justice.

Its sole value is its character as a contribution to the real history of Spiritualism. As such, it is unquestionably of great importance, greater even than any work of the kind that has been published since the beginning of modern Spiritualism.

It is, in fact, what its title sets forth—“The DEATH-BLOW to SPIRITUALISM.”

No one who does not love illusion for illusion’s sake—better, in other words, than he loves the truth—can, after reading this volume, remain a follower of Spiritualism and its hypocritical apostles.

The full authorization of Mrs. Margaret Fox Kane and Mrs. Catherine Fox Jencken for the publication of this work will be found on the next to the following page.

29th October, 1888

And, to be sure, both Katie and Maggie endorsed the story. But, why did they do so? Many think it was for the money. Maggie got paid $1500 for doing it. Both Maggie and Kate were reaching the end of their careers and in desperate need of money.

Also, Maggie and Kate were very close. This confession came along around the same time of the custody battle between Leah and Kate. Katie was, understandably, very hostile towards Leah at the time and would’ve liked nothing better then to ruin her. Confessing with Maggie would be one way to do that.

Whatever the case, it was a full confession. They not only stated how they did the rappings but demonstrated it in front of a large crowd as well. Afterwards, they did, for a short period of time, do engagements continuing to debunk spiritualism but never made much money by doing so.

It didn’t take long (about a year) for Maggie to turn sides again though.

Recanting Her Confession

A year after The Death Blow to Spiritualism came out, Maggie recanted her confession. I can not find the actual confession in print. According to a few articles, this is the statement she supposedly made:

“At the time I was in great need of money and persons… took advantage of the situation,” she said, “The excitement, too, upset my mental equilibrium. When I made those dreadful statements I was not responsible for my words.” ...

But, even after she recanted her statement, the Fox sisters never gained back any of their fame or fortune.

No one really knows what Maggie believed, if she was actually gifted, or just a charlatan. She made too many opposing statements, which ruined her credibility within the spiritual community as well as everywhere else. But, there is one tidbit of testimony that still leaves you wondering if Maggie was actually gifted or not.

This is a report from the doctors who tended to Maggie in her final days while she was crossing over:

Maggie remained a Spiritualist to the end of her life; physicians attending an immobile Maggie at her deathbed spoke of hearing continual knockings emanating from the walls, ceiling, and floor, providing evidence she ultimately remained faithful to her Hydesville spirit claims...

Maggie dies a year after Kate in 1893.


Continued…

Loose Ends

So, it seems like the whole spiritual movement was based on a lie. But, I can not state that for sure. Some points to remember are:

Margaret did recant her story before she died.

Alcohol dementia had taken hold of both Katie and Maggie in their later years. It makes people act erratically, causes confusion and degrades memories.

Even though there were many studies done on the girl that proved deception, there were also many studies done on the girls “gifts” where no deception could be found

Mrs. Fox’s side of the family does have a history of sixth sense. I didn’t mention it in the main thread but here’s a pic with that info in it:

Then there is the matter of the murdered peddler. Remember him? The dude Mr. Bell killed in the bedroom with a knife then buried 10 ft. under the cellar? The grave was never found while the girls were alive but in 1904 the son of Dr. Hyde found the remains of a body in the walls of the house.

And lastly, there is the matter of the trunk the peddler had with him. It was found buried in the cellar as well in 1942.

So, for me this story has no definitive conclusion because, as long as there is just a bit of doubt, it’s still an open case.

Final Thoughts

I did my due diligence. I spent days researching and verifying facts. I found that most “facts” were not facts at all. Not within the scope of the original event. Many people grabbed facts from Maggie’s confession or from books that were written many years after what happened at the house in 1848. I read page after page of people saying the girls were 15 and 18 or 7 and 9. That the father was a blacksmith or a farmer. That he owned land in Canada (which, his wife’s family actually lived in Canada and she moved in with them during a few years of separation because John Fox was an alcoholic).

All these things were stated as fact. None of these things have anything to do with the base story. The base story is how did two very young girls usher in the age of spiritualism? The base story is how they, mere children, were able to build such an incredible movement from such humble happenstance? The Base story is was the spiritualist movement born from a lie?

While researching, the story changed over and over again. The facts changed over and over again. So, I had to determine what was the most logical place to get the facts from. And, it was only through the E.E. Lewis Pamphlet that I was able to do so.

Because, at the end of the day, those are the statements that were taken when the event was fresh in the minds of the people who gave them. Time takes it’s toll on memories. And, because those statements were made within a week or two of the event, they have to be the most accurate account of what occurred.

And, within those accounts, the truth will be found.


Continued…

The ATS Challenge

Below I have linked the Pamphlet. Actually, I’ve linked two so you can use them both to verify statements (one is a little grainy and old). I am hoping that we, together, can bring this tale to a conclusion.

How good is ATS at using “just the facts” to solve a mystery? How much can you discern from the witness statements to help definitively prove this case, one way or another? How sharp are your deductive reasoning skills?

I am asking my fellow ATS members to post any key information they find via the pamphlet that would debunk or confirm the Fox Sisters story. Are there any discrepancies that need to be resolved? Are there any timelines or statements that disprove or prove a certain fact?

And, if you have the time, it would be nice if you could explain the evidence you found so that we can all see things from your viewpoint.

Something like this:

The statements made by Lucretia Pulver and Jane Lape re: The peddler

On April 17th, 1848 Jane Lape gives her description of a “ghostly encounter” with a man who just happens to dress and look exactly like the peddler.

On April 11th, 1848 the first description of the peddler and what he is wearing is given by Lucretia Pulver

It is possible that Jane spoke with Lucretia within those 6 days and was able to give corroborating testimony? It was a very small town and this was still a hot topic of conversation.

The Pamphlet #1
The Pamphlet #2

There are many discrepancies in the statements. Combined, without any further evidence, we should be able to prove or disprove this case once and for all.

If you would like to see more cold case mystery threads like this, please let me know and I’ll do them.

Have fun and thank you for taking the time to read my ramblings.

Let the Game Begin! (or not..that's up to you)

Thanks,
blend

Additional Pics





Links:
*Psypioneer online pdf
*Research Gate Article
*The Missing Link in Spiritualism
*The Mystery of The Three Fox Sisters
*The Haunted Museum, The Fox Sisters
*The Rochester Rappings PDF
*Encyclopedia.com
*Hydesville Story of The Rochester Knockings PDF
*Evening Star, June 28th, 1899
*The Death Blow To Spiritualism
*Mediums, Spirits, and Spooks in The Rocky Mountains
*Very Mysterious: The Fox Sisters and The Spiritual Movement
*Signed Confession Of Margaret Fox Kane, October 1888
Democrat and Chronicle
Hydesville in History
Did The Peddler Exist?

So, I married a fox, she is directly related. I know a lot about them.

[Insert marrying a witch joke here]

a reply to: blend57

How old were the children in 1848?

originally posted by: theatreboy
So, I married a fox, she is directly related. I know a lot about them.

[Insert marrying a witch joke here]

There is some good news! Hopefully you can help clear up some of the confusion, and maybe your wife has some old familly pics you can share...

originally posted by: Topcraft

a reply to: blend57

How old were the children in 1848?

The children, according to Mrs. Fox's original testimony (I think I quoted that in the thread somewhere) were 12 and 15. There is some major confusion on the girls ages though. Just to give you an idea as to why, here is a quote from psypioneer which shows how hard it is/was to pin down their ages:

Nandor Fodor: Encyclopedia.
22
There is a reference to a letter stated to have been sent by Mrs. Fox to the President of the anniversary meeting held in New York in 1868. According to this, the ages of the children were incorrectly rendered in the first printed report, Kate being 7 and Margaret 10 years old at the time.

One would like to know more about this letter; since according, to Mrs. Leah Underhill, “our dear mother passed from this life to the next on the 3rd August, 1865.” (See The Missing Link, page 95)...

Leah Underhill is Leah Fox's married name. That's why I am going with Mrs. Fox's testimony which was given within two weeks of the event.

Thank you both for taking the time to comment.

blend

I'll post something of value later, after I go through some of my files here at home on this case. I'm pretty sure I have stuff on it.

At any case, I think this "Cold Case Review" is a great idea for future content. As for this Fox Sister's case, I think if they didn't garner so much attention (and money) from their antic, then the whole Spiritualist movement wouldn't have taken off.

That's just my opinion though.

a reply to: blend57Hey blend! Amazing!

a reply to: blend57

Para-Peeps like you are why an ATS online a/v stream is already successful in my perception.

I have a bias towards "weirdos have superpowers and so can you", just so everyone knows.

But, in the case of the in-famous Fox Sisters, a concerted effort will take us to the same conclusion(s).

a reply to: blend57

Gef the mongoose might have somethin' to say about this...

"Gef"

Forget him. S&F for this, I was posting a few of these tales before-as my aunt put it-"could've died" so I was away from here for a long time.

After six weeks in hospital without a computer, It gave me time to think. I always left the readers to come to their own conclusions, I read about this tale and being a man with one blinder on, Believe it when you see it, and i've seen things no one will believe. I have in my possession possibly the worst ever UFO footage that I captured myself, I would upload it for a chuckle, so dismissed 'grainy old 'footage' should not be pooped away so quickly.

As for this case...I'm not buying. These were the days when ARG's were local legends, Creepypastas were campfire stories...Thor was Norse mythology first, Marvel a distant second.

But if you want a positive to take from this-as the phantom menace one told us-"every saga has a beginning" so let's find that beginning.

originally posted by: Guyfriday
I'll post something of value later, after I go through some of my files here at home on this case. I'm pretty sure I have stuff on it.

At any case, I think this "Cold Case Review" is a great idea for future content. As for this Fox Sister's case, I think if they didn't garner so much attention (and money) from their antic, then the whole Spiritualist movement wouldn't have taken off.

That's just my opinion though.

I am excited to see those files! I would love to do a few of these "Cold Case" threads honestly. A lot of the old mysteries have new information since they were "hot topics" IIt'd be nice to get as much of it into one spot as possible, especially now that search engines seem to return a lot less unique results.

I was going to do a quick thread on a way to search google (and any other search engine) that will pull up more specific results for you if anyone is interested in that. It helps a bit when researching for new threads. But, maybe I'm a bit slow and everyone else already knows it anyways. lol..

Any interest in that thread and I'll put it together.

Thanks for your comment and whatever info you can find on the fox sisters!

blend.

originally posted by: BeNotAfraid
a reply to: blend57

Para-Peeps like you are why an ATS online a/v stream is already successful in my perception.

I have a bias towards "weirdos have superpowers and so can you", just so everyone knows.

But, in the case of the in-famous Fox Sisters, a concerted effort will take us to the same conclusion(s).

Maybe you're right about coming to the same conclusion but, well, the whole story has been twisted all the way through history in order to fit the current narrative. I would like to just get the actual facts documented. It might not happen but, I'd like to give it a shot.

Thanks for taking the time to comment!

blend

originally posted by: Thecakeisalie
a reply to: blend57

Gef the mongoose might have somethin' to say about this...

"Gef"

Forget him. S&F for this, I was posting a few of these tales before-as my aunt put it-"could've died" so I was away from here for a long time.

After six weeks in hospital without a computer, It gave me time to think. I always left the readers to come to their own conclusions, I read about this tale and being a man with one blinder on, Believe it when you see it, and i've seen things no one will believe. I have in my possession possibly the worst ever UFO footage that I captured myself, I would upload it for a chuckle, so dismissed 'grainy old 'footage' should not be pooped away so quickly.

As for this case...I'm not buying. These were the days when ARG's were local legends, Creepypastas were campfire stories...Thor was Norse mythology first, Marvel a distant second.

But if you want a positive to take from this-as the phantom menace one told us-"every saga has a beginning" so let's find that beginning.

I, too, have seen some strange and unusual things. It is in my nature to lean to that side of the fence (I want to believe). But, I've also been able to explain many of them quite easily as well. It is a matter of belief, as the title states. So, I leave everyone to draw their own conclusions.

Sidenote..I absolutely love that avatar. I can not remember who made it for you though...they did a great job. Wish avatar creations were still around. Lot's of creative people on this site.

Thanks for your comments. I appreciate them very much.

blend57

originally posted by: blend57

originally posted by: theatreboy
So, I married a fox, she is directly related. I know a lot about them.

[Insert marrying a witch joke here]

There is some good news! Hopefully you can help clear up some of the confusion, and maybe your wife has some old familly pics you can share...

originally posted by: Topcraft

a reply to: blend57

How old were the children in 1848?

The children, according to Mrs. Fox's original testimony (I think I quoted that in the thread somewhere) were 12 and 15. There is some major confusion on the girls ages though. Just to give you an idea as to why, here is a quote from psypioneer which shows how hard it is/was to pin down their ages:

Nandor Fodor: Encyclopedia.
22
There is a reference to a letter stated to have been sent by Mrs. Fox to the President of the anniversary meeting held in New York in 1868. According to this, the ages of the children were incorrectly rendered in the first printed report, Kate being 7 and Margaret 10 years old at the time.

One would like to know more about this letter; since according, to Mrs. Leah Underhill, “our dear mother passed from this life to the next on the 3rd August, 1865.” (See The Missing Link, page 95)...

Leah Underhill is Leah Fox's married name. That's why I am going with Mrs. Fox's testimony which was given within two weeks of the event.

Thank you both for taking the time to comment.

blend

Let me dig around a bit. We are going through a separation right now, things are packed away.

a reply to: blend57
Such a wonderful effort to present this to us!
I for would be honored if you would continue to produce information with such dedication!

My question on the case is the timeline of the house being moved, burned, rebuilt and burned again, and by who? If I read correctly it was the original builder of the home Mr. Hyde, who moved it originally? are there any records of this as well as the rebuilding of the home and subsequent fire?
In relation to the body which was found in the walls. was this revealed when the house was originally moved? was the body identified?
Also I would love to know if there was ever a well in the basement, as this may be reason for finding water.
Has there ever been further excavations of the grounds to find any bodies?