The morning call., 1893-03-22
MARGARET FOX KANE.
RecOlIections of the First Spiritual
Medium al Her Old Home.

AhSNiIiIi al OIu tlOIIlSs
Rochester Union and Advertiser
The announcement this morning Of the
death in New York City of Margaret Fox
Kane, famous as the first medium Of mod
ern spiritualism, excited much comment
and called up many recollectons among the
older residents of this city who witnessed
the remarkable performances and heard the
mysterious rappings of this parsonage here
forty years ago. Mrs. Kane died III poverty,
broken in health, a victim Of Incorporate
habits and with her W Onderful powers COM
pletely gone.
The Fox family sprang Into prominence
from the village Of Hydevile, Wayne
County. 1t is said that John D. Fox, the
father of the famous sisters, was a broken
down sporting man, who left New York
early in the '40'S to bury himself in the
quietness of country life. The family was
much respected by the neighbors as honest,
upright people. MIR. Fox, though lie en-
gagged in no pursuit in the infant village,
seemed TO have plenty of money to live on.
The tw 0 younger Observation-Disclosures, then
u years old, ana Kate, 9-lived with their
parents. SOOn after the family had taken
up its residence at Hydeyille, in December,
1917, they began to hear knocking IN the
house, which, toward the end of the follow
ing March. increased in lOudnesS and fire.
quency. Mr.. Fox and his wife got up u ight
dlLtI HlEuL, III Il cAuQIt anu LuOTOuHuIY
searched every nook and corner OF the house.
but discovered nothing.
When the raps came on door Mr. Fox
would stand ready TO open IL the moment
they were repeated, but though he opened
the door Oh the instant he could detect moth
Ing, and no one was to be seen, nor could he
obtain the slightest clew TO the cause Of
these distuT Dances. But through all these
annoyances Mr.. and Mrs. Fox chung to the
belief that some natural explanation Of
a 3 IA
don this hope till the last night Of March,
1S4S.
he story Of how the 3Ist of March, 1913
became an eYentful day in splriiualism is
interesting. Worn out by a succession Of
SleeplesS nights the family had retired early
to rest en- this evening. The house was
awakened by an uproar at midnight. and
the mysterious manifestations of the alleged
power began. TIE window pRnes and doors
In the room in which the family had hud-
dled together were shaking like mad
strange and mouruful noises, loud and long
blows re-echCed on all sides of the apart
ment Without terrific March gale was
raging
The parents as usual investigated un-
availjngly the causes. Finally young Mar
garet, who had been gesliculating at an I'M
seen object in the corner, announced that it
was spirit that could see and hear. Only
look, mother" said the child, "as often as /
motion 1t raps." This at once arrested the
inOAltL : AlkGuliuu. NDuUl tel. sue Sull I,
ten strokes were distinctly given. How
old is my daughter Margaret?" Twelve
strokes responded. And Kate?" Nine.
''What can all this mean ?" was Mrs. Fux's
thought. Who was answering her? Was
it only some mysterious echo Of her own
thoughts.
The family was thrown into consterna-
tion by the discovery Of the child Margaret.
After cOunseling together, the husband and
wife decided to call In outsiders and see If
the manifestations continued. Accordingly.
Mrs. Redheld, farmers wife, was sum-
moued, and came, laughingy.
Inc spirit was tmporiuned and her mirth
was turned to JOY. The answers to Ter
questions were as prompt and pertinent as
they had been TO those of Mrs. Fox. She
was struck with awe, and when. in reply to
question about the number of her children,
by raDplng four, instead of three, rs she
expected, 1t reminded her of little daugh-
ter, Mary, whom she had recently lost, the
mother burst into Tears. or course a
knowledge OF these things could not be kept
sec ret. Excitement and curiosity followed
the exposure, and tile sect OF spirltualists
grew amazingly.
The rappings continued at the Fox cot
tage, and as they were more marked when
the children were about Margaret and Kate
were sent on visit to Mrs. Fish, a married
sister AT Rochester, in the hope that these
anDoyanCes would cease. The only result
was that while the rappings did not cease
at Hydeville. new and more extended
scene oil operations was given them at
Rochester. whittier they had followed the
sisters. This was the origin of modern
splTltuaism, and from such a humble be-
ginning IL has spread throughout the world.
The power welded by the sisters in
creased. They are said To have exercised it
in discovering murders. forecastng events
early in life, but as they became older their
energies were devoted to holding commune
cations with persons departed this life.
Se2nees were given everywhere in this
country and in Europe. Committees of
reliable citizens were invited to Investigate,
and they reported that they could trace the
demonstrations TO no physical or earthly
cause.
In 1856 Margaret Fox met DR.. Elisha
Kent Kane, the Arctic explorer, and IL is
said, was married TO him according to the
Quaker rite. Tie marriage was not ac-
knowledged by his relatives. After lis
death, year later, Margaret Fox Kane
published book entitled The Love Life
of DIR. Kane" in proof of her claim. She
lived for number OF years on what her
husband left her, but her medumistic power
decreased and the great Margaret Fox Kane
fell into obscurI;y
In 1858 she published an exposure of splr-
itualism. explaining that the rappings we're
produced by dislocating the big toe on one
foot. She had practiced this, as had her
sisters, until an audible noise like tap
ping upon a slate could be produced at will
The alleged communication with the spirit
world, she acknowledged, was fraudulent.
This expose was subsequently retracted.
Mrs. Kane fell lower and came to abject
poverty.
Reuben D. Jones of this city, who has
been firm believer in spiritualsm for the
past forty years, and who was intimately
acquainted with Mrs. Kane, stated this
morning that the latter lady had been sub
lected to much trouble and abuse of late
years, which for a time unbalanced her
mind. I'm 1885," said he "she became
very poor, and on her return from England
agreed to renounce the spiritualislic doc
trlne and write an exposure for large sum
of money. The story was concOcted by
some newspaper men and given out after
she had signed it. Mrs. Kane afterward
deeply repented her action, and acknowl-
edged that size had been party to the lie.
The faith In spirilualism was mistaken by
her action, and the converts have steadily
increased in numbers"
If you go out early in the morning you may