Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-06-24
Some Interesting Facts About the
Three Fox Sisters.
FOUNDERS OF MODERN SPIRIFUALISM
Great Contempt for the Credulity
of Their Dupes.
FIRST SPIRIT RAPPIN g S

William B. Phillips in the Independent.
Fifty years ago modern spirrtualIsm arost
near and in Rochester, in New York.
There were three Fox slsters-namely
Mrs. Leah Fish, a young widow, who al
terward was Mrs. Underhill the wife OF
the president of a New York Insurance.
company; Margaret, better known as Mag
gie and Catherine also known generally as
Kate. Leah was half-sister, and much
older than Maggie and Kate, and evidently
an experienced woman. Maggie was born
in 1896 and therefore could only be from
twelve to thirteen years of age when the
mysterious noises were first heard at
Hydesvlle. Wayre county. n. Y. in 1913.
Kate was younger than Maggie by nearly
three years. and her age, consequently,
would he about ten years. Mrs. Fox, the
mother. stated in an interview with her
several years subsequent to the commence
neut Of the ''rappings'' that the relative
ages of Maggie and Kate were fourteen
and twelve when the noises were first
heard at Hydesville. 1t is highly probable
that this supplemented old lady spoke In
an Offhand sort of way and made a mis-
take Of a year or two. But whether she
did or not, il is certain that both the young
sisters were merely children And this TACT
is DIV cit upon by spirituallst believers as
showing that these children were TOO young
TO practice deception, and ii went far TO in
duce many intelligent people to believe
there must be some foundation for the
manifestations exhibited afterWard Oy the
little Fox girls.
All three Leah. Maggie and Kate, are
dead. Although Leah was much less known
10 the public in the inception and progress
of spirituaIism than her sisters. in fact, not
processing to be medium, she had never
theiess most to do with working up and
carrying on the so-called spirit manifesto
tons She was a shrewd cunning and de-
termined woman. Her little sisters were
completely under her control, as also was
the mother. who was a plain, uncultivated,
goOd-ndtured and credulOus country wo-
man.
Remarkable CreduIity.
Maggie. in later years, speaking one day
to me of the credulity of the old spiritual
ists,'' as she called them. told me that her
mother even was believer in spiritualism,
and died believing in it. well were the
secret practices OF her children kept from
her. Then people sometimes hear or tell
lies so long and persistently that they
finally forget the origin of them and believe
them to be true.
The so-called phenomena arose at the
house of Michael Weekman, village of
Hydesvilfe, Wayne county, n. Y. Week
man. it was said, heard mysterious noises
knockings at his door. 1t old,
dilapidaJed building. He left ii in 1917, and
then the Fox family went TO live there. the
rent being low and they being poor. They
reported mat mysterious sounds were heard
by them in the house in March, 1913.
When Mrs. Fox. some years after, spoke
of the matter she said: The noises seemed
To be in one of the bed rooms, and sounded
as If some one was knocking on the floor
or moving chairs. On Friday night we con-
Guided 10 go to bed very early, because We
had been broken of our rest so much. l
had just laid down in bed when the noise
began. 1t commenced as usual l knew it
from all other noises had ever heard. The
girls. Maggie and Kate, who slept in the
other bed OF the room. heard the noise and
tried to make a similar noise by swapping
their fingers. As fast as the youngest one
made the noise with her hands or fingers
the sound was followed up in the room, it
making the same number of noises the girl
did. When she stopped it stopped. The
other girl then spoke in sport and said:
Now, do just as L do-count one, two
three, four. etc. she striking one hand in
the other at the same time The blows
which she made were repeated as before
blow after blow. She then began to be
Startled. L then said to the noise, Count
ten in the same way, it making ten
strokes The ages of the children were
raped out l asked If IL were a human
being making the noise. but no response
came. l asked if it were a spirit to signify
by two sounds, and Two were made
Public Manifestations.
A few months after these alleged
manifestations the Fox family removed
from Hydesville to Rochester. where they
resided with Mrs. Leah Fish, the half-sis-
ter OF the TWO little girls. The rappings
continued in that city and other people be-
gan TO have like rappings. Generally the
rappings OF the Fox sisters were only heard
when they were together. They went to
Auburn and other places in that section OF
New York, where in 1919 they made their
manifestations before an audience in a
public hall.
In May. 1880, they went TO New York city,
where their proceedings became the topic
OF much public discussion. AT the same
time spIriIuallst mediums sprang I'D in
many different parts of the country the
business having become too entlcIng with
prospects OF profit, TO escape adventures IN
it.
When spiritualism had become a flourish
ing business Maggie and Kate used to
make noises by swapping their toe and fin
ger joints Maggie especially was an adept
IN thus making distinct and sharp sounds
Besides every skilled conjurer knows there
are Inherent ways of producing sounds or
rappIugs the source of which would he I'M
known 10 audience.
While the family remained at HydesviIIe
the sensation was only local, and inyesti-
cation did not go far but when thraa
hohthS after, they left the haunted,
mousse and went 10 live at Rochester with
Lean ISM quite spiritualistic revival
commenced Mrs. Fox the motbar nrac
ticaly disappeared and only knew what her
daughters did or proposed to do lust as they
thouSht proper to tell her. Leah perceivad
al once evidently, that by proper manage
meht the sensation that had been started
could De made profitable by bringing her
sen as well as her sisters TO more nrornt
hence IN HE and in getting money. Having
tahvh charge OF Maggie and Kate she had
absolute control over them After entering
upon "a course of deception they could moi
Tor their own sakes confess they were or
Edu been deceivers- Certainly Maggie ana
nate dared not do so while under the firm
manu- Of Leah The progress of SPIRITUAL
Ism atter having been thus started is known
generally and need not be related here.
Coed Looking Girls,
Both Maggie and Kate were good looking
or as some would say. pretty: short in stat
ure and slight in figure. but with WELL
rounded forms. Their features were regu-
lar but small. Their childlike. wipsome
manner and good nature when they first
came into public notice won for them the
FAVOR OF the people in general
DR.. Kane. the celebrated arctic explorer.
met Maggie in the second year of her ap-
pearance before the public, when she was
about sixteen or seventeen years old. fell
In love with her, became engaged to her,
and made arraugemeurS m nranare k,.1r -,