The Missing Link in Modern Spiritualism

ences-Mother Comes to Rochester-Calvin Brown-Devious Route of Projectiles Up-stairs

f the movement known as "Modern Spiritualism," through the three sisters of the Fox family, of whom I was the eldest, and already married when my two

n years and five months. It will be seen below how I was twice widowed before the age of twenty-four, though my second marriage wa

to his home and family. He left Rochester under a pretence of going on business to the We

he time) were in Arcadia, Wayne County, N. Y., and concluded I must be the daughter of John D. Fox. She then introduced the printer, and he commenced questioning me about my family relations. He said, "Is your mother's name Margaret? Have you a brother David?" I replied, yes. I began to be startled by his questions, and said, "For mercy's sake, what has happened?" He answered by placing the proof-sheet in my hands, which gave me the first idea I ever had of the manifestations which had be

travel by the Erie Canal packet-boat, as the direct railroad between Syracuse and Rochester had not yet been built. It took a few hours longer then than now to make that journey. When we arrived at Hydesv

ing. We begged her to hope for the best, and try to think differently; but she could not. She wished we could all die; and it was, at the time, impossibl

ghter) with us and return home to Rochester, as mother thought the former to be the one followed mostly by the so

mpanied us. Perfect consternation came upon us. I knew not what to do. We did not wish our frien

p and nearly spill the water out of our glasses; but there was so much noise on the boat going through the locks and other disturbances, that only we, who reco

nd of the whole house, as if a heavy piece of artillery had been discharged in the immediate vicinity. I was so paralyzed by fear that I could not move, and sat stupefied; again came the same terrible sound, with all the jarring, as at first; and yet again it ca

e felt a cold hand passing over her face, and another over her shoulder down her back. She screamed fearfully, and I feared she would go into spasms. Katie was also much frightened. For my part I was equally terror-st

he disturbance ceased, and we fell asleep. We did not awake until very late in the morning. The sun shone brightly, and the birds sang sweetly in the trees of the public square. (Our residence then was on Mechanics' Square.) The June roses were just out, and all nature was in her loveliest hues. We could not make the disturbances of the past night seem real to us. I doubted everything, but kept my own counsel; and as the shades of evening fell upon the scene, which had been a day of such brightness and beauty, I made up my mind that I would go on as usual

as in a perfect uproar. Tables and everything in the room below us were being moved about. Doors were opened and shut, making the greatest possible noises. They then walked up-sta

of a pantomime perf

lapping of hands followed. After this we heard nothing more except the representation of a large crowd walking away down-stairs, through the rooms, closing the doors heavily after them. It is useless to attempt to record all t

I was then living in, like the one at Hydesville, was haunted; and I presumed that in this case as in the other it must have had its origin in hidden crime. He smiled as he remarked that he "thought

ning-room to the third floor, which was one room the entire length and breadth of the house. In this last-named room we put up three beds, and one bed in the room on the parlor floor. I partitioned off a small room in one corner of the upper floor with chintz curtains. This lessened the size of the large room and afforded us

of our occupancy of this house, of an unu

r suppressing it, if it could possibly be done. She, with Margaretta, arrived the next day, and we rejoiced to tell her that we had occupied the new house one night, and no s

g, giggling, and whispering, as if they were enjoying themselves at some surprise they were about to give us. Occasionally they would come and give our bed a tremendous shaking, lifting it (and us) entirely from the floor, almost to the

e her. (Calvin Brown's mother had been left a widow when quite young. She was the daughter of Daniel Hopkins, of Canada West, and belonged to the Society of Friends. She married out of the society, which was then against their discipline. She placed her oldest child, Calvin, in a military school; and when she found herself gradually faili

sed during the past night. He promised to come and stay there at night; but he advised us to ask no

I could not resist the temptation of speaking to him as he marched around my bed. I said, "Flat-Foot,[3] can you dance the Highland fling?" This seemed to delight him. I sang the music for him, and he danced most admirably. This shocked mother, and she said, "O Leah, how can you encourage that fiend, by singing for him to dance?" I soon found that they took advantage of my familiarity, and gathered in strong force around us. And here language utterly fails to describe t

her said, "Calvin, I wish your bed was on the floor, too. We have not been disturbed since we left the bedstead." Calvin remarked, "They are up to some deviltry now. I hear them." He no sooner uttered these words, than a shower of slippers came flying at him as he lay in his bed. He bore this without a murmur. The next instant he was struck violently with his cane. He seized it and struck back, right and left, with all h

was silence; after which some slight movements were heard in the "green room." I had stowed a large number of balls of carpet-rags in an old chest standing on the floor, with two trunks and several other articles on the top of it. It seemed but the work of a moment for them to get at the carpet-balls, which came

A second slap, as if with an open hand, was administered to Cathie, when she cried out, "O, look!" We all saw what seemed to be the form of a large man, lying across the foot of our bed, breathing irregularly, and apparently in great distress. (The sheet was wrapped around him, muffled closely about his neck.) His gurgling manifestation was terrific, and produced a sensible vibration. We pitied him. He appeared like one passing through the agonies of death. While we were contemplating this figure, another slap came upon Cathie,[4] and she fell to all appearance lifeless. We were greatly alarmed at this terrible manifestation. We knew nothing of Clairvoyance, Magnetism, or Trance Mediums, at th

and she repeated twenty or thirty verses of poetry. I c

Christ is

ated, and Calvin in particular would be more disturbed than the rest of us. Once he arose from his chair and reached across the table for a heavy pitcher of water, when the chair was instantly removed and he sat down on the floor, spilling the water all over himself. He instan

ther on the floor. D, E, Beds. F, A store-room. The dotted lines, with arrows, show the route ta

now be remembered that these articles were in the cellar on the ground floor, and had to come from the rear of the cellar, through the door, into the kitchen, through the kitchen, up the stairs, into the pantry on the second floor, through the pantry into th

, they would shove the hollow sounding article about the room. (This we understood at a later day.) Often, to our utter amazement, pickets from the discarded lots in the cemetery came flying through the room over our heads, on our beds, like débris in a tornado. They came from the extreme west side of the bury

own. She was a very quiet neighbor, and sympathized with us. She was a native of England,

is. We closed our windows and did not raise our shades during the day. This seemed to annoy the Spirits more than anything else we had done, and caused them to make a change in their manifestations. Calvin had gone away with

ical delusion. But when they came to examine for themselves, and witnessed the manifestations in their own house, they began to think we were not so entirely deluded as they had supposed. As soon as they became interested, they begged permission to i

erent parts of our persons. Mother's cap would be removed from her head, her comb jerked out of her hair, and every conceivable thing done to annoy us. We resolved to rest, as best we could, during the day; but would, on

sometimes say, "I can't pra

ch was open in the parlor. The lower bass key tolled the death-knell, solemnly and distinctly, while we sat at the table, unable for a time to stir. At length I went into the parlor, closed the piano, locked it, and took

we retired to our sleeping-rooms to try and rest, if possible. We seldom all slept at once, as we were sure to be disturbed by some frightful exhibition, if we allowed our light to go out. We were getting ready for bed, when we heard a wagon drive up to the side gate and a familiar voice say "Whoa" to his horses. Mother hastened to the door, and called out, "Oh! Stephen, who is dead? We have had a terrible warning of death, all night." Stephen, my sis

hildren had brought from the new house which was being built by my father, within speaking distance of brother David's home. The communication, written in plain letters and thrown through the open window in broad daylight,

room when it was thrown in, and knew that no human power could

nds of the foot-fal

a later period the public always spoke and wrote of her as Katie, so that that appellation came practically to supersede the other. But now, while writing of the period h