Slate-writing was once a popular method of supposed spirit communication popularized by American Spiritualist Henry Slade. It was popular during the heyday of Spiritualism, even in rural Hawkins County where the purposed spirit of Jack Howard wowed audiences.
The philosophy of Spiritualism is that some part of humans, be it the soul or consciousness, survives physical death and can communicate with the living. The movement began in the backwoods of Hayesville, New York, which at that time looked very much like rural Hawkins County. In the winter of 1847, mysterious knocking noises persisted in the Fox cabin until young Maggie and Kate worked out a system to communicate with what seemed to be the ghost of a murdered peddler who was buried in the basement. It wasn’t into 1904 until the full human skeleton was unearthed. After their older sister Leah began booking them with wealthy clientele, séances became a popular pastime all over the United States and Europe, especially in times of war. Unfortunately devious frauds sought ways to swindle money out of the grieving with tricks. Slate-writing can be faked in many ways and there were inconspicuous catalogues available for despicable frauds. Even though slate-writing fell out of practice before World War I, the phenomenon showed up in Rogersville to comfort the bereaved.
Tom Ford’s family was quickly outgrowing their cramped little cabin on Caney Valley Loop in Stanley Valley. In order to finish the addition of an extra room, he made the poor decision to steal windows that were propped up against the Calvinistic Plum Grave Baptist Church. He wasn’t particularly religious, but he occasionally petitioned a higher power to provide more money. He never could have imagined just how his prayers would be answered.
In the winter of 1917, something strange was going on in the cabin. As soon as 14-year-old Russ laid down for bed, bizarre scratching noises came from underneath his mattress. After a few nights without seeing a single mouse, they had to accept that they had a “haint.” As long as Russ was covered in bed, the otherworldly guest tried to communicate. They worked out a code. The poltergeist would knock for yes and scratch for no. That would certainly explain why it scratched so much when they said it was a mouse. Word quickly spread that the so-called ghost could answer any question, even ones about the future. Young women began visiting Russ’s bedside to find out the name of a future husband. Tom knew a good thing when he saw it. He began charging admissions at the front door. This tedious dialogue would have continued with odd noises had it not been for a Spiritualist from Knoxville, Tennessee who introduced himself as Mr. Koger. Unlike other customers, he didn’t ignore the teenage boy. The two spent hours together and Koger explained the process of spirit communication. He laid a piece of slate and chalk on Russ’s chest and covered him with the heavy quilt. After a few minutes, they found the message, “Hello,” written on the blackboard. Since conversations were now easier, Spiritualism became a popular philosophy in Hawkins County. Customers thought nothing of going to church on Sunday and attending séances on Wednesday.
Not everyone was convinced about the authenticity. Skeptics demanded stricter controls. Tom and his other son Dave accommodated the request by tying Russ’s hands and feet to the bed frame. Since the poltergeist was reluctant to perform anywhere but under the covers, people began to wonder if it was all a money racket perpetrated by a skilled young escape artist. Perhaps he was able to loosen his bounds, write on the slate and slip his wrist back into the loop without anyone being the wiser. Some older gentlemen decided to put him to the test. They tied him to his bed with strong ropes and impossible knots, and then laid a quilt over the slate only, leaving his hands and feet completely visible. After a few minutes, they pulled the quilt off, but were not prepared for what they saw. The message said, “Boo!” There was no way this was fraud. Mrs. Ben Rogler wasn’t a Spiritualist. She decided that if the physical phenomena could not be debunked, perhaps the messages were incorrect. She decided to act as an absent sitter. She asked her husband to write out a check, seal it in an envelope and slip it into her purse without telling her the amount written on it. The poltergeist correctly identified the amount, “$10.00,” when confronted with the challenge. She was mystified. Occasionally, the invisible presence refused to answer questions and settled on embarrassing customers, especially if there were a particularly large group present. One young man was humiliated in front of his peers when writing revealed he had, “Replaced himself for the calf’s bottle.” That particular visitor never returned to the cabin.
To the pious, the poltergeist was nothing more than a demon. Once, it drew a picture of a horned devil complete with pitchfork to oblige a fanatic when asked its true identity. Local musician Pleas Jenkins also believe the force was diabolical and was determined to exorcise it from the cabin. He went to play religious music on his fiddle to drive the unclean spirit out. At first the poltergeist violently protested. It began beating on walls and literally shook the house’s foundation. During his next visit, however, he became a convert to Spiritualism. Instead of making a racket, the poltergeist knocked in rhythm with the songs. Over time, the man became a familiar face in the household. The unexplainable force would rap excitedly before each arrival and for a time, the living and the supposed dead made an excellent duet.
Those accustom to its trickster nature weren’t detoured. It loved to shock people and would at times lie to accomplish this. One day someone asked its name and it wrote, “Jack Howard.” When asked how he died, it replied, “John Black killed me in a cave with a knife.” During the following week, Jack insisted the family bury the remains so he could rest in peace. As incentive, it promised them $4000.00. Messages revealed Jack had stashed the money in the cave before he was murdered. Father, sons and family friend Joe Whittaker began planning for a trip. The poltergeist told them which town in Southwest Virginia to go to, so the four caught a train with a basic pine box for the bones. It told Russ it would act as the guide once they got there. After stepping off the train, Russ said he saw a white hand floating nearly, pointing the way. Curiously, no one else was able to see the image. It led them to a nearby cave concealed by some brush, then winked out of existence. The men searched all day, but were unable to uncover the remains or the money. By nightfall, they realized the poltergeist had lied yet again. Or had it? When they arrived home the next day, Mrs. Ford was waiting on the porch to meet them. She was anxiously clutching a letter in her hand and tears were streaming down her face. Just as the men had entered the cave, a letter had arrived at the cabin. The couple’s eldest son had been killed in action overseas. For their loss, a check for $4000.00 was attached.
Like other poltergeist cases, the wonders in the Ford cabin stopped as suddenly as they began. Jack Howard was never heard from again.
