The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1900-04-19
THE flIssT SPIRIT KAPPINGS.
The Fox Sisters Were the Mtdiums
and the Originators OF Modern
SDiritualiSm.

The Fox Sisters Were the M,diums
Spiritualisn.
Spiritualists all over the world culc-
bratcd March 81 as the ami versHry Of
the origin OF modern spirituali>m, and
it was tho pleasant little village OF
Hydcsville, Wayne County. New York,
which gave it birth in 1913. 1t WAS in
one OF these frame houses, still pointed
out to visitors, that in 1917 occurred the
first manifestations Of mCdcrn spiritual.
ism familiar to tho present believers in
that faith.
Though the Fox sisters, Margarctta
and Catherine, through whom the first
revelations Of supposed spirit pUwcr
we're made, have recently admitted the
fraud, and though they have stated
that the SO called esprit rappings,"
which created sucn an immense scnsa-
lion SO many years ago, were produced
by voluntary crack ing OF their toe
joints, tho faith OF believers in spiritu
aliSm is In no wise shaken.
The latter say that though the FOX
sisters may DC impOStCrS, as they have
declared themselves, yet tho great
truths and principles OF modern spirit
ualism stand rs TRINITY and shine AS
brightly rs ever. They say that these
date back far beyond The timo Of the
Fox girls. Even in that low, rambling
two. story house in which these mcnda-
CiOus young women first cracked their
toe joints it is claimed that genuine
spiritual phonOmcn~ wCl 6 observed be.
forC the Fox girls ever Inhabited IL.
In lSlI tho house waS occupied by
one MiChae. Wcckman anu his family,
u poor, ignorant labOrCr. he and his
family were soon troubled by mystic.
rious rnps heard In all parts OF their
dwelling, especially at night, an annoy
ancc that increased TO such an extent
that sleep became impossible.
During all this time the Fox sisters.
then mere children, aged eleven and
nine years, lived with their parents
several miles away, 10 that they could
not possibly have had a hand or Is toe
joint in the mysterious rHpptnEs at MIR.
WcCkmun'S house. t WAS this con.
stantly increasing annoyance OF loud
rnpa which, though diligently invGst.
gated, could not be traced 10 any hu-
man agency, that soon caused Mr.
Wcckman to abandon his rCaidruco.
Then IL WAS on March | lSlS, John
u. Fox and his family became its occu-
pants. The mysterious ruppings still
continued. The nCighbors were called
in on several occasions and every posi-
bic ctlort made 10 trace their origin,
but in vain. 1t WAS ON the night Of
March 81 OF that same year in ISIS Lhmt
the mysterious raps first gave evidence
of being directed by some controlling
intelligence. The family had retired
during a brief hull in the mysterious
rappinE, when suddenly it began again,
| occurring this lime near the bed OC.
! cupird by the two little daughters,
| Margarctta and Catherine. The latter
| h,,tT hn, ia INIT ti,,,,
OF the sounds which Immediately re.
| spondcd.
Now. do rs Co., sho cried, "COunt
|, >, 3, 1, >, e." at the samo time strik
ing her hands together. Mrs FOX, the
girls mother, then desired the unseen
agency to count ten, and that number
Of raps Immediately followed.
Tell us the ago Of Cathy the
younger daughter, by rapping once
for each year." said the mother, and
ten distinct raps were heard. Startled
by these manifestations, Mrs. Fox
asked If it was u human being who WAS
rapping, but no answering sound wa,
he ard. "lf you arc a spirit mako twt
| distinct sounds" she said and two lone
raps responded.
Kate Fox, IN her exposure OF spirit
ualism, has declared that she and he
sister were producing these mystCriou
raps while lying in bed and almos
choking with laughter at the clever i'm
position they were practicing on thci>
mother. The power OF cracking til,
toe joints, by which they produced
their esprit rappings," they had &C
cidcntally discovered and had prac
ticcd until they had acquired grca
proficiency. BE that rs it may, thcs,
supposed manifestations 0! spirit power
| created intonsc excitement. The fam
| lily rose from thcir beds and search ed
every portion Of the house without rc,
suit. The neigh bOrs were called in and
numerous questions were asked. TO
which answers were received from the
mysterious raps.
by sunrise the whole village was on
the spotand the little house was crowd.
cd in every part. Finally the spirit
was askcd to spell out his or her name
! by rapping at the correct letters AS
the alphabet WAS repeated. AS a re
! suit the name OF Charles IS. tOsma
was obtained, ana the spirit said be
! was a pcddlcr, who had been murdered
| in the house IL few years before.
At length the alleged spirits com
muncatcd TO the Fox girls their desire
| that there should be held Il public
meeting AT which committee OF in.
vcstigHtiOn chosen by the audience
| SllUnIu ucLcfllllIc WncJDcf JnGy were
genuine spirits and produced their so
called manifestations without human
! aid.
Such meeting was accordingly holt
! at Corinth ian Hall, Rochester, in No
vcmber, lS43. The Fox sisters up
pcarcd on tho stage and the spirituA
phenomena, being freely manifested
were investigated by committee o
prominent gentlemen, who. after con
tinuing their researches for scvcra
days, reported their inability to trace
them to any human aid.
The fame OF tho Fox sisters became
national and when they appeared in
New York in the following May, an
nOuncing themselves as spiritual me
diums, phrase which originated with
them, they created an Intense lurore'
These two young girls had thus found
ed q new faith, to which they gave the
, name OF spiritunlism.
Humble as was its origin and insig'
niGcant as was the character OF is first
manifestations, it soon found Il multi