From Fraud Spiritualism is Born by Mariela of LIPRI

In our lives we meet special people and form incredible friendships and bonds, but there is no greater bond then that of a sibling. Siblings share your memories, your sorrows, your laughter and any experiences. As the years go on your love for one another is greater than anything. So it is no surprise to hear about the incredible bond that brought the Fox sisters together. Born in Haydesville New York, Kate and Maggie were the youngest of seven children born to John and Margaret Fox. The girls loved to play together in their farmhouse and play jokes. Little did they know that their joke would be taken so seriously and bring them so far in the world of spiritualism let alone create it.

In the late 1800’s John and Margaret Fox moved into their new home with their young children. The previous tenant Michael Weakman had moved out of the house claiming he’d heard strange noises and that the house was haunted, the family not thinking anything of it moved in. The young girls were very close and loved to play pranks so they decided to play one on their mother. They began by claiming to hear strange noises and when the mother began hearing them she became very frightened. As days went on the sounds got louder and heard more often, the father not believing in ghosts dismissed the notion. When he’d heard the noises himself he would walk around the house to see if he could find the source, sometimes he’d even stand watch outside his bedroom door. But on the night of March 31st 1848, Mrs. Fox heard 11 and 13 year old Kate and Maggie talking in their room. They saw how frightened their mother was so they decided to communicate with the spirit. The girls began testing the spirit by snapping their fingers and asking the spirit to repeat after them. When the “spirit” responded back everyone was in shock, no one wanted to believe that there was a presence in the house. They began to ask it questions referring to him as Mr. Splitfoot. Supposedly it was the spirit of a 31 year old man that had died in that house a few years earlier. He told them that he had been murdered over money and buried in the cellar on the east side of the house.

The spirit was tested by the family asking him questions that only the family would know and yet somehow he was able to answer them correctly. An example was he was able to make rapping sounds of the ages of each individual Fox child. The Fox’s brought in their neighbors who also witnessed the rappings of Mr.Splitfoot, curious they also asked him questions that he was able to answer. The story of what was happening in the home spread far and wide, soon their house was constantly surrounded by people wanting to communicate with Mr.Splitfoot. Kate and Maggie began to perform séances for people, some who believed and some who were skeptic and thought they were fake. Their fame grew quickly, and they were considered powerful mediums that were able to communicate with the dead. And so the sprititualism movement began, and the girls popularity grew. Other “mediums” also came out claiming that they were also able to communicate with the dead but no one as popular as the girls. They went on the road and were soon joined by their older sister Leah, whose husband had abandoned her, she become their manager and interpreter during the séances. Now that they were together their séances began to take a new turn, tables were levitating and objects began moving. As the years passed the girls were introduced to many people always performing séances whether you believed or not.

Their personal lives were plagued with sadness, each sister married and had children, but all their marriages ended in divorce, abandonment or death. They had money and were able to travel everywhere, but were constantly plagued by a truth that was never told until October 21st, 1888. In the New York Academy of music, Maggie stepped on the stage and confessed before hundreds that the Fox sister séances were a hoax. Those who believed were shocked, many who were disbelievers were relieved. Maggie went on by describing what they did saying that they used to tie an apple on a string and move the string up and down onto the floor making strange noises. She was also able to show them how she was able to make the rapping sounds at will with her joints by cracking her toes, knees and ankles. After the big reveal their fame ended, each sister died within a few years of each other in poverty.

Years after the girls deaths the remains of a man’s body was found in the cellar in the east wing of their home in Haydesville just as the girls had said. Was this a great coincidence or were the girls really great mediums as they had originally claimed. Or was is really an innocent practical joke started by two playful girls who wanted to scare their mother? Sadly we will never know but thanks to them whether a hoax or not spiritualism began with them.