Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-03-06
MARGARET FOX'S POVERTY.
Destitution of a Once Famous and Beautiful
Woman.

The tenement house at No. 456 West 9TH
street, New York, is deserted now, except one
room. from cellar to roof. That room is occu-
pied by a woman nearly sixty years old an OBJ
ject of charity, a mental and physical wreck,
whose appetite is only for Intoxicating liquors.
The face, though marked by age and dissipation,
beautiful
This wreck of womankind has been a guest in
palaces and courts The powers of mind, now
almost imbecile, were the wonder and study of
scientific men in America. Europe and Aus
tralia Her name was eulogized, sung and rid
iculed in a dozen languages. The lips that ut
ter little else now than profanity once promul-
gated the doctrines Of new religion, which
still numbers the tens of thousands of enthusi-
astic believers.
Yesterday afternoon there was a meeting of
the First Society of Spiritualists of New York.
One man arose and stated in the course OF the
exercises that this woman was about to be
turned out of her lodgings. The landlord had
ordered the house vacated preparatory to leas-
ing il exclusively to negroes. That something
must be done before Tuesday, on which day
the room would be ready for Its new tenants
II thought the best thing could do" con-
tinued the speaker, was TO have her committed
to some hospital.
Never" interrupted a richly dressed young
woman IN the auQlence, mot While nave d
dollar left that can call my own
storm OF applause greeted these remarks.
dozen men and women, all speaking ex-
citedly at once. re-echOed the sentiment.
Somebody suggested a collection, not the
first for that purpose, and everybody there con-
tri5uted willingly and generously.
Mrs.. Emily Z. Ruggles of 492 State street,
Brooklyn. said: Il shall carry her to my own
home. There she will be cared for and want
for nothing. She must not be removed to a
hospital
The object Of all this discussion, the invalid
in the 57th street tenement house. is Mrs
Margaret Fox kanc. widow Of DIR. Elisha Kent
Kane. the Arctic explorer. last OF the three Fox
sisters. who founded modern ''Spiritualism.''
Communications from the spirit world were
alleged to be transmitted by rappings and Sc
ances given in New York before the war were
attended by the most prominent men of learn
ing in the country. Tine fame of the sisters
spread They found devoted believers in all
the large cities Of the United States and later in
Europe. Their seances were attended BY no
bility. Books. almost withoG: number. we're
written about them Societies were organized
disciples and imitators came forward every
where. The eldest sister died in November
1sgO. The second died in June, 1892. All had
married.
Explorer Kane and Margaret Fox, her friends
Say. were married in the Quaker faith few
months before his death in 1851. The mar
rage after kares death denied by his
brothers Tney finally offered her an interest
In his estate upon the condition that she would
stop giving seances- She continued her exhi-
billions a medium and the conditional pay
ments were stopped
In September. lsss, Mrs. Fox-Kane published
an exposure of spiritualism. exp laining that the
rappings were produced by dislocating the big
toe on one foot. She had practiced this. as
had her sisters. until an audible noise. like a
tapping upon a slate could be produced at will
The alleged communications with the spirit
world she acknowledged were fraudulent The
exposure created a great sensation and subse-
quently she retracted II since then she has
lived in comparative Obscurity. Mrs. Fox
Kane vii be removed todayi II she IS well enough
70 be carried 10 the home OF Mrs. Ruggles IN
BROOKLYN.