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

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About This Book

The narrative presents an authorized, confessional account by two women who were central to the rise of a spiritualist movement, tracing how childhood mimicry produced mysterious knockings that were shaped into a widespread phenomenon. It reconstructs the sequence by which handlers and promoters developed and monetized the signs, offers examples of garbled testimony and scientific scrutiny that challenged the claims, and records the women's public renunciation and repentance. Organized into sections on renunciation, history, and repentance, the work aims to expose methods of deception and to explain how personal remorse and public and legal pressure contributed to revealing the fraud.

About the Author

Davenport, Reuben Briggs portrait

Reuben Briggs Davenport

Reuben Briggs Davenport was an American author and skeptic known for his critical examination of spiritualism in the late 19th century. His notable work, "The Death-Blow to Spiritualism: Being the True Story of the Fox Sisters," delves into the origins and practices of the Fox Sisters, who were pivotal in the rise of spiritualist movements. Davenport's writings contributed to the broader discourse on spiritualism, challenging its legitimacy and advocating for rational skepticism. Through his work, he aimed to expose what he viewed as deception within the spiritualist community, making him a significant figure in the history of American skepticism.

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