New-York tribune., 1906-06-24
SPIRITC ALISM
ORIGINATED MARCH 81 IS4o.
IN THIS HOUSE.

Tbera are men and women living in HydesvlHe
to-day who were at the Fox home hfty-elsht Sea S
ago. and who will readily make their aIiiu"'i' ~
they distinctly heard the mysterious idPPi"o''
which responded intelliSently. they say 10 quv -
tions put by members of the Fox FANNY. Inc
reppings became so annoying that the FOX IaiiHS
moved to Rochester, where the sisters rate anu
NarRaretta gave exhibitions in the oio COIIH'ii
Hall They created great furor' anu the m m
,estigations of several committees of skeptics dld
not result in an exposure OF Their melhous III
Nav 1s50 the Fox sisters appeared in New YORK
announcing themselves as "spirituallStlc Heuiunis
a phrase that originated with them Ihey credVeu
a sensation in the metropolis These Two young
girls had thus founded a new faith 10 wTlch theS
gave the name of Spritualism- Humble as was
its origin and insignificant the character
of it's first manifestations it soon found many De
levers in both hemispheres. Mediums appeared
all over the country and were soon numbered III
the thousands No better evidence OF the power
of the new faith the minds of men ana OF us
Dernstnity could possibly be desired than the fact
that even it's announcement as the shalioWest,
fnsiest humbuggery by those who founded H. ana
their statement that il was an out-and-out Hauu'
originated by two little girls solely in spirit OF
mischief, has been powerless to overthrow or even
TO shake it, Not even the publication Of a book
revealing the mechanism of the rappings written
by Margaretta, who afterward became the VIE
of DIR. Kane, the Arctic explorer, made any lasting
impression on the followers of the cult The ex-
were produced by the dislocation of the joints OF
the large toe. explanation that was afterward
corroborated by a committee Of prominent ply
sicians who thoroughly examined the formation
of the bones. and who pronounced the cracking
of the toe joints undoubtedly the cause OF the
phenomena.
The. latest curious sect to take root in Western
New York the Holy Rollers and the Knee Bend
The Holy Rollers organized about SIX
the story Of the rise of this strange religious sect
Is aoSurdly out OF place IN the twentetn cehHuty-
hell of sputteriRg birthstone and flames that
eternally torture. but never consume the bodies OF
does accept the faith. The creed enlbodes doc
trines which were regarded essential TO happl-
ness a hundred years ago. 1t is creed that con
verts by fear. and the writer has seen a number
the conclusion of a Holy RoIe- revival meeting.
The leaders Of the faith are MEs Mary McIntyTei
Elder James Woodworth of Syracuse, y. Y. Re
OF treatment including prayer, oathlng. ro1ing
and baptism by immersion When these remedies
the penitent is Obliged to perform what the be-
levers call the holy roll The unTessnerate lies lies
over and over like log until every one present is
times the ceremony lasts quarter OF an hour,
but If the convert has been an unusually tough
or five hours-a most heroic method Of securing
saiyation- AS the suDeSa r4is th Dy , inc Kneeans
such questions as each sees fit and the convert
lowed to rise The sins Of lifetime must be con-
fessed in detail and the innermost secrets of the
The Holy Rollers have operated extensively in
Central and Western New York, and certain small
communities in a condition OF religious excite
nlent not unlike that which marked the beginning
of Mormonsm Perhaps the strongest feature OF
this frenzy is the establishment of the srangest OF
all sects. the adherents of which call themselves
Knee Benders. The Knee Benders a small
community and live along the eastern shore OF
Seneca Lake. This sect originated about five years
ago. At that time Swedish farmer named Bur
son. man of some education, began to act in
strange manner He claimed that he had visions
and refused to assist in work on the farm, and
spent most of his time knoll near the lake.
n
quiries said that the great Jehovah had commanded
him TO remain the rest of his life in that uncom-
Portable position Shortly after receiving this in
teresttng but inconvenient revelation he began 10
preach, his themes being SOcialstic lines. Grad
ually his relatives became imbued with the sin
cerity of his preachings and espOused the strange
religion. The entire family began to live on
their knees. The enthusiasts now number about
two hundred The Knee Benders deny the existence
or punishment IN the next world, declaring that
hell will come on earth in the shape of great
sorrow to the wrongdOer Prayers made
the supreme Being. but 10 Nature. which is held
accountable for all changes in the elements and all