The Great Amherst Mystery

The Great Amherst Mystery unfolded in Nova Scotia, Canada between 1878 and 1879, centering on Esther Cox, a young woman who appeared to be the focus of violent poltergeist activity. The case produced fires, moving objects, loud sounds, and mysterious writings on the walls. It was extensively documented and became one of the most famous paranormal cases in Canadian history.

Background

Esther Cox was nineteen years old in 1878 when strange events began occurring around her. She lived in a crowded house in Amherst with her sister Olive, Olive’s husband Daniel Teed, and numerous other family members. The household was already stressed by economic difficulties and overcrowding.

The events reportedly began after Esther experienced a traumatic incident when a local man attempted to sexually assault her. Shortly afterward, she began having seizures and strange experiences that defied explanation.

The Phenomena

The disturbances that plagued Esther were dramatic and varied. She would suddenly swell up, her body inflating as if filled with air, then deflating after loud reports like gunshots. Bedding moved on its own. Objects flew through the air.

Most disturbing were the fires. Small blazes would break out spontaneously around Esther, sometimes several times a day. This terrified the household and made her presence dangerous to everyone around her.

Writing appeared on the walls, seemingly produced by invisible hands. One famous message read “Esther Cox, you are mine to kill.” The entity, if it was one, seemed malevolent and focused on harming or terrifying Esther.

Walter Hubbell’s Investigation

The case attracted the attention of Walter Hubbell, an actor and amateur investigator who came to Amherst to study the phenomena. He lived with the family for several weeks and witnessed numerous incidents that he documented in detail.

Hubbell observed objects moving on their own, fires starting without cause, and Esther’s body undergoing the strange swelling episodes. He published a book about the case, “The Great Amherst Mystery,” which brought the events to wide public attention.

Some critics noted that Hubbell had financial incentives to promote the case, as he profited from his book and later from a stage show featuring Esther. However, many incidents were witnessed by people with no connection to Hubbell.

Public Attention

The case attracted enormous attention. Newspaper reporters came to Amherst to investigate. Curiosity seekers arrived hoping to witness the phenomena. The family’s home became a tourist attraction.

The attention was not entirely welcome. The family faced skepticism and accusations of fraud. Esther was treated as either a victim, a curiosity, or a fraud depending on the observer’s perspective.

Later Developments

Esther was eventually sent to live elsewhere, as the fires made her presence in the Teed home too dangerous. The phenomena seemed to follow her to some extent but gradually diminished in intensity.

She was eventually convicted of arson after a barn fire at a farm where she was staying. She served a brief prison sentence. Whether the fire was genuine arson or a continuation of the poltergeist phenomena remained unclear.

After her release, Esther married and lived a relatively normal life. The phenomena did not return to their earlier intensity. She died in 1912, having largely escaped her former notoriety.

Analysis

The Amherst case fits the pattern of adolescent-centered poltergeist activity. Esther was a young woman under significant stress, following a traumatic experience, living in difficult circumstances. Such profiles commonly appear in poltergeist cases.

Some researchers have proposed that her symptoms were psychological in origin, perhaps dissociative episodes following her assault. Others have suggested fraud, noting the financial benefits that some derived from the case.

Believers point to the multiple independent witnesses who observed phenomena and to events that occurred in controlled conditions. Whatever the cause, the Great Amherst Mystery remains one of the most dramatic poltergeist cases in North American history.

Legacy

The case established a template for poltergeist reporting that influenced subsequent cases. Walter Hubbell’s book became a classic of paranormal literature and was reprinted multiple times.

The Great Amherst Mystery is remembered as a significant case in the history of psychical research and as a fascinating study in how Victorian society responded to claims of the supernatural.