The Margery Mediumship Case (Mina Crandon)

Record summary

Mina Crandon, who used the séance name Margery, became one of the best-known American mediums of the 1920s. Investigators reported alleged telekinesis, automatic writing, and communications attributed to “Walter,” while other investigators suspected fraud or concealment. The case drew attention from Scientific American, Harvard-affiliated researchers, and Harry Houdini, who strongly rejected the paranormal interpretation. It matters for comparison because it combines alleged spirit manifestations, controlled-test disputes, celebrity investigators, and adversarial publication. The exact evidentiary status of individual séances remains contested and depends heavily on procedural details.