The Death-Blow to Spiritualism: Being the True Story of the Fox SistersDavenport, Reuben Briggs
History
The Death-Blow to Spiritualism: Being the True Story of the Fox Sisters
Davenport, Reuben Briggs
Fox, Margaret, 1833-1893; Jencken, Catherine Fox, 1836-1892; Mediums -- New York (State) -- Rochester; Spiritualism
The disclosures regarding the notorious Madam Diss De Barr had offended
Mrs. Kane more than anything which had occurred in Spiritualism in a long
time, for they presented the enforced association of her name and the
simple, childish origin of the "Rochester knockings," with the gross and
revolting frauds which had been their outgrowth. So imbued had she become,
by this time, with the idea that the developed system of Spiritualism was
something to be loathed, as Milton loathed the hideous creature who sat by
the inner portals of hell, that words could not express her utter scorn
and hatred of this common woman, who posed as an agent of sacred
communications between the living and the dead.
The New York _Herald_ of May 27, 1888, contained this letter, written by
Mrs. Margaret Fox Kane in London:
THE CURSE OF SPIRITUALISM.
GOWER STREET, BEDFORD SQUARE, W. C.,
LONDON, MAY 14, 1888.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD:
I read in the _Herald_ of Saturday, May 5, an account of the sad
misfortune that has befallen my dear sister Katie, Mrs. Kate Fox
Jencken, and in the article it is stated that I am still a resident
of New York, which is a mistake. I sailed for England on the 22d of
March, and I presume my absence has added to my darling sister's
depressed state of mind. The sad news has nearly killed me. My
sister's two beautiful boys referred to are her idols.
Spiritualism is a curse. God has set His seal against it! I call it a
curse, for it is made use of as a covering for heartless persons like
the Diss De Barrs, and the vilest miscreants make use of it to cloak
their evil doings. Fanatics like Mr. Luther R. Marsh, Mr. John L.
O'Sullivan, ex-Minister to Portugal, and hundreds equally as learned,
ignore the "rappings" (which is the only part of the phenomena that
is worthy of notice) and rush madly after the glaring humbugs that
flood New York. But a harmless "message" that is given through the
"rappings" is of little account to them; they want the "spirit" to
come to them in full form, to walk before them, talk to them, to
embrace them, and all such nonsense, and what is the result? Like old
Judge Edmonds and Mr. Seybert, of Philadelphia, they become crazed,
and at the direction of their fraud "mediums" they are induced to
part with all their worldly possessions as well as their common
sense, which God intended they should hold sacred. Mr. Marsh's
experience is but another example of hundreds who have preceded him.
No matter in what form Spiritualism may be presented, it is, has been
and always will be a curse and a snare to all who meddle with it. No
right minded man or woman can think otherwise.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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