The Death-Blow to Spiritualism: Being the True Story of the Fox Sisters

"ALONSO. This is as strange a maze as ere men trod, And there is in this business more than nature Was ever conduct of: some oracle Must rectify our knowledge.

"PROSPERO. Sir, my liege, Do not infest your mind with beating on The strangeness of this business: at picked leisure, Which shall be shortly, single I'll resolve you (Which to you shall seem probable) of every These happen'd accidents: till when be cheerful, And think of each thing well.--Come hither, spirit; Set Caliban and his companions free: Untie the spell." SHAKESPEARE.--The Tempest.

PREFACE.

This book has been written in extreme haste. It does not pretend to literary style. But it pretends to absolute truthfulness and a reverent regard for justice.

Its sole value is its character as a contribution to the real history of Spiritualism. As such, it is unquestionably of great importance, greater even than any work of the kind that has been published since the beginning of modern Spiritualism.

It is, in fact, what its title sets forth--"THE DEATH-BLOW TO SPIRITUALISM."

No one who does not love illusion for illusion's sake--better, in other words, than he loves the truth--can, after reading this volume, remain a follower of Spiritualism and its hypocritical apostles.

The full authorization of Mrs. MARGARET FOX KANE and Mrs. CATHERINE FOX JENCKEN for the publication of this work will be found on the next to the following page.

29th October, 1888.

[Illustration: MARGARET FOX KANE IN HER 18TH YEAR.]

[Illustration: KATIE FOX JENCKEN]

We hereby approve of Mr. Reuben B. Davenport's design to write a true account of the origin of Spiritualism and of our connection therewith, and we authorize him to make proper use of all data and material that we furnish him.

New York, 15th Oct., 1888.

Margaret Fox Kane Catherine Fox Jencken

CONTENTS

I. INTRODUCTION.

Poetic Justice of the Exposure 13

II. RENUNCIATION.

Chapter. Page

I. "God Has Not Ordered It." 25 II. The Discomfited Enemy. 39 III. A Second Blow. 53 IV. The Hand of the Persecutor. 60 V. Solemn Abjuration. 65

III. HISTORY.

VI. Origin of the Fraud. 81 VII. Garbled and Distorted Testimony 94 VIII. Development of the Fraud 102 IX. The Mercenary Campaign. 121 X. Spiritualistic Boomerangs. 131 XI. The Supreme Audacity of Fraud. 150 XII. A Scientific Jury. 164 XIII. The Unalterable Verdict. 201

IV. REPENTANCE.

XIV. The Heart Pleads for the Soul. 209 XV. From Shadow to Light. 231

INDEX. 241

I. INTRODUCTION.

INTRODUCTION.

POETIC JUSTICE OF THE EXPOSURE.

That the inventors of an infamous fraud should deal to it its death-blow, is the poetic justice of fate.

Over the creature, the creator has power of life and death.

The creators of Spiritualism abjure its infamy.

They decree its death.

They condemn it to final destruction.

They fasten upon those who continue to practice it the obloquy of history, and the scorn of mankind for all time to come.

Margaret and Catharine Fox, the youngest of three sisters, were the first to produce "spiritualistic manifestations."

They are now the most earnest in denunciation of those impostures; the most eager to dissipate the foolish belief of thousands in the flimsiest system of deception that was ever cloaked with the hypocrisy of so-called religion.