What exactly happened to Molly Fancher, nicknamed the "Brooklyn Enigma", was never understood, although this omission could not be attributed to a lack of observation and survey - there were plenty of both.
According to medical observations conducted by family physician Dr. Samuel F. Spyer of Brooklyn, Molly grew up as a normal, healthy child until February 3, 1866, when she complained of dizziness and a minute later fell in the kitchen on the floor of her mother's house at Stephen Court, 60.
The mother thought that she was fainting and tried to help with the usual means, but when half an hour later, her daughter did not regain consciousness, they sent for Dr. Spyer. The doctor determined that Molly is in a trance state, the cause of which cannot be determined on a first cursory examination. The doctor was sure that by morning Molly would be well.
But in the morning she did not recover. Days, weeks, months dragged on, and Molly was in a coma bordering on death. An unexpected and deep trance took over her completely.
Dr. Spyer noted that Molly's breathing was barely audible, her pulse at times could not even be felt, her body limp like that of a man who had just died. The perplexed doctor called a medical consultation, but unsuccessfully, such a case was not noted in the practice of any of his colleagues. Doctors came, looked, examined and shook their heads.
Later, Molly became more active, began to talk, but the trance state did not leave her.
In 2002, Science and Life magazine wrote about the oddities of Molly's identity:
“Bedridden, Molly was extremely active. She embroidered, made figurines and flowers from wax, kept a diary, and wrote over 6,500 letters in nine years. And suddenly Molly confessed that she had strange thoughts and feelings.
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The wax flowers became repulsive to her. It seemed to her that it was not she who did them, but someone else. The person who has already died. Then came the moment when Molly really died, and her place was taken by another woman who did not remember anything about the events of the past nine years. Then four more I appeared, each of which got its own name.
If earlier at 11 pm Molly usually fell asleep, now at this time she went into a trance. A personality called Idol awakened in her, hostile to her daytime self and spoiling or hiding her embroideries. Sunbeam (this name was given to the daytime self) and the Idol wrote letters to each other, and their handwritings were different. Rosebud, a sporadic personality since 1875, acted like a seven-year-old girl.
Pearl (pearl) was the embodiment of spirituality. She acted like a lovely girl of seventeen or eighteen years old. Ruby was not like Pearl. It was an extremely energetic, witty creature. She recalled the tragedy of 1864, but not the incident of 1865"
Nine years later, Molly Fancher was still between life and death. Records show that she ate almost nothing during this period. In the words of Dr. Spyer, "during this time she ate as much as a normal person would eat in two days."
Modern scholars believe that perhaps Molly Fancher ate without realizing it. Since she suffered from multiple personality syndrome - as many as five different Mollys coexisted in her head - then perhaps one person ate food, and the others did not even know about it.
By this time, the case of Molly Fancher deservedly gained great prominence in the medical world, as it challenged all medicine.
However, there were still surprises ahead of the doctors, beginning with the fact that one afternoon in 1875, Dr. Spyer made an appointment with colleagues in his waiting room.
- Gentlemen! - he began. - By itself, this case is unique and unique in our practice. The physical condition of the young girl is discouraging, but I come to the conclusion that she is at the mercy of some supernatural power!
Among those present at the meeting was the renowned Boston neurologist Dr. Robert Ormiston. He openly expressed disbelief, and his voice sounded more than a skeptical hint of nonsense:
- So what exactly is this so-called supernatural power of Molly Fancher?
Dr. Spyer was prepared for anything. He invited his colleagues to meet at Molly's bedside in a few days to see for themselves what he had categorized as "supernatural." In addition, he invited the famous astronomer Dr. Richard Parkhurst and another famous neuropathologist Willard Parker from New York.
After discussing the case in detail, examining the medical records presented by Dr. Spyer, the specialists noted an unnaturally weak pulse and breathing at a low body temperature.
Then Dr. Spyer said:
“Gentlemen, this girl can describe the clothes, the actions of people who are currently miles away from us. Plus she can read sealed letters and unopened books !!!
Dr. Parkhurst and Dr. Parker went out to confer. In a whisper, they agreed to write a note, put it in three envelopes, seal them, and send such a letter to Dr. Spyer's office, five miles from Molly Fancher's headquarters. They will ask the girl to read their note in a sealed envelope, and when everyone hears her answer, compare it to the contents of the note.
After sending a messenger with a letter to Dr. Spyer's office, the doctors returned to Molly. Dr. Parkhurst asked if she could tell what was in the envelope. She hesitated for a minute and whispered:
“This letter is in three sealed envelopes in Dr. Spyer's waiting room. A piece of paper reads: "Lincoln was shot by a crazy actor."
Spyer, Parkhurst, Parker, Ormiston and others hurried to Dr. Spyer's waiting room. They opened the letter. The content of the note exactly matched what the girl said.
The messenger, 23-year-old Peter Graham, who had sent the letter from Fancher to Dr. Spyer's waiting room, was beyond suspicion. He was a personal friend of Dr. Parker and came with him for examination.
On the same day, the doctors decided to examine Miss Fancher again. They agreed to ask her to describe the appearance and clothing of one person, as well as tell what he is currently doing.
Upon returning to Fancher's house, they asked Molly if she could describe the appearance of Peter Graham's brother, Frank, his whereabouts and what he was doing.
Miss Fancher immediately answered all their questions in detail, describing Frank's appearance, what he was wearing, and even said that a button was missing on the right sleeve of his coat.
She puzzled those present with the message that Frank left work earlier than usual due to a terrible headache. A telegraph request confirmed what Molly Fancher had said, even a headache.
It is curious that in our time, when mentioning the phenomenon of Molly Fancher, they mainly focus on her incredible fasting in a state of trance, but hardly mention or mention only in passing about her ability for clairvoyance. At the same time, do not forget to add that her psychic abilities could be a fraud.
Molly Fancher lay in a trance for 46 years. Her parents and Dr. Spyer passed away long ago when she finally regained consciousness in 1912 - an incredible case. Her illness, as well as her strange abilities, no one could explain. Molly Fancher died quietly in her sleep in 1915 at the age of 73.