Online Reference For Body, Mind & Spirit

Term: Margery

DEFINITION:
The name used by Mina Crandon (1888–1941) during her time as a medium. Her husband, a doctor during WWI, was fascinated with the possibility of life after death. She experimented with séances and became a powerful medium. At the time (1924), Scientific American magazine was offering a prize for anyone who could prove psychic ability. After testing, they were ready to give her the prize, but they contacted Houdini, who also tested her. The tests were controversial, with a claim that Houdini had planted false evidence on her. Houdini’s assistant verified this, but Houdini denied it. The award was not given.

Her specialty was producing voices and a substance known as ectoplasm. Later, she was able to produce fingerprints in wax. She claimed they were those of her late brother, but they turned out to be those of her dentist. Debunkers use this a proof of fraud while defenders say that originally she had been real but later faked some things.