Florence Cook - Ghost Talker (10 photos)

With the advent of the fashion for séances, which embraced society, starting from the middle of the XIX century, like mushrooms after the rain climbed scammers of all stripes, seeking to make money on human misfortune and curiosity. But among them were figures as ambiguous as entertaining.





The British medium Florence Cooke (1856-1904) managed to attract to the attention of aristocrats, researchers and even representatives ruling dynasty.



Florence Cook

According to her mother, from a young age, the girl demonstrated unusual abilities, which caused fear and rejection among others. IN in full force, the girl was able to show her gift at a meeting with classmates at home. Flo managed to summon the spirit during séance, who eventually raised the table with the medium in air.

The fame of the girl's abilities began to spread throughout London. People started signing up for sessions with her. during which There were also various incidents. One day the table again unexpectedly rose into the air, and another time the spirits tore off Cook's clothes.



From that moment on, rules were introduced for the sessions: the girl sat on kitchen tied to a chair. And visitors could watch the progress session through a small window made in the closet.

One of the clients is the influential lawyer Charles Blackburn. provided Cook with annual maintenance. And now the medium has a the opportunity to completely immerse yourself in your favorite business, not thinking about bread urgent.

Pirate's daughter and universal recognition



The case of 1872 became a furore. The spirit of a woman came to the session, who called herself the daughter of the pirate Henry Morgan Katie King. And announced that she returned to the world of the living to pay for what she had done during her lifetime villainy.

With each new session, the incorporeal spirit acquired more and more clear outlines. And then he completely acquired a kind of flesh - to Katie you could even touch. Cook was declared the best materializer of his time.

It is clear that it could not do without skeptics. Lawyer William Folkman, eager to expose the fraudster, wanted to prove that Cathy is Florence in disguise and make-up. And grabbed her hand. But the angry ghost literally vanished into thin air, and Florence showed up where it was supposed to be - in the kitchen in the unconscious condition, tied to a chair.



Photo by Katie King

Folkman's actions gave rise to the so-called ectoplasmic blow - a phenomenon of rapid retraction of the released by the ghost energy into the medium's body. which can lead to serious problems health and even death.

But everything worked out. And attracted by the story of the phenomenon, people poured into the sessions literally like an avalanche.

I believe-not-believe



Just after the hype with Katie, a prominent woman became interested in scientist, physicist, chemist, member and in the period 1913-15. head of the London Royal Society William Crookes.

He purchased an apartment for Florence in London and became a regular attend sessions to understand if Cook is really a medium, or is it all in a competent theatrical performance.



William Crookes

Crooks brought in bystanders and tightened the rules conducting sessions. To the point that Florence's hair several times wrapped around a nail driven into the floor. These preventive measures influenced the arrival of the spirit: Florence remained in the kitchen, and Cathy paced around the room where the audience gathered. The obvious resemblance cannot be denied. women, which prove the few surviving photos of the spirit. But the same Arthur Conan Doyle, who was very fond of the ideas of spiritualism, described it's like this:

This phenomenon is one of the mysteries of materialization, requiring study, not ridicule. The faces of ghosts that have only recently appeared in our world, often resemble the faces of mediums. This is explained by the spiritual shell of the medium becomes the basis for the embodiment of the essence spirit, however, when they gain their own strength, their true faces.



Katie King, Florence (on the floor) and William Crookes

During the sessions, the pulse of both women was measured. He was different. They even cut off a section of Katie's hair. She turned out to be bright, while Florence herself was a bright brown-haired woman.

After a detailed report by Crookes in the scientific community a scandal erupted. The scientist almost lost his membership in the Royal society. He was (and not unreasonably) accused of having an affair with Florence, in connection with which William covered up the fraudulent activities of his mistresses.

But he vehemently denied everything:

It is expressed openly and directly, and I never noticed even the slightest attempt to cheat. Of course I'm sure cheating couldn't succeed with all her desire; I would immediately notice that something is wrong, because she is by nature incapable of lying. Suggest that a fifteen-year-old schoolgirl is able to think for three years to successfully carry out a swindle of this magnitude, while agreeing to for any test, undergoing a thorough examination, resignedly undergo an examination both before and after the sessions, and at the same time show in even more amazing things in my house than in my parents' house, realizing which is under close scrutiny... Common sense makes rather believe that Katie King really was who called herself, rather than that her appearances, which took place on for three years, were the result of a swindle.

In 1874, at a séance, Cathy's spirit announced that time is over. And it's time for her to leave. Florence woke up and went into hysterics. She gave up spiritualism, got married, and for several years led an ordinary life.

New round and exposure



Katie King

But a few years later she returned to her former activities, presenting the ghost of the girl Mary at the session. In 1880 one of participants grabbed Mary by the hand and at the same time opened the curtain, behind which the medium was hiding.

As expected, Florence was not there. And she was a ghost herself. Cook's reputation was irretrievably lost. True, her defenders argued that this happens when the spirit takes over the body medium in a trance state.

But she no longer had faith. And although in the following sessions she involved observers, popularity gradually faded away. In 1904 the woman died of pneumonia. Leaving rich food for disputes about personality of Florence Cook.



What do you think, who she was - a medium or a talented a conjurer seeking to capitalize on people's curiosity and trust?