The Mary Vennum Case

By Crusader1307

 Mary Vennum was born in Illinois (US), in 1864. From ''modest means'' (Middle Class), Mary around 14 years of age (1870s), began to manifest ''strange behavior''. She claimed a ''Spirit'' (identified by some as Demonic), took Mary's ''Soul'' out of Her body and transported to ''Heaven and Hell''. She claimed to have spoken to ''Angelic and Demonic Beings'' – who ''revealed'' information which Mary could not have access too. And while some of Her ''visions'' can easily be ''educated guesses'', Doctor after Doctor could find no cause for Her ''seizures and fits'', ''strange languages'' etc. Even The Protestant Church investigated Mary (but stopped short of pronouncing Her as being ''possessed'').

Mary would attract many ''quack'' Spiritualists, who tried to ''attach themselves'' to Her ''infamy''. Mary became a bit of a ''Media Star'' (being written of in many National and World Newspapers). Mary also claimed that ''other Spirits'' would appear to Her and give Her ''messages'' for supposedly ''Living Relatives''. Many of The Publci felt Mary (under Her Family's ''guidance'', was ''faking'' the whole affair) The Subject of several Period Books of the ''fledgling'' Parapsychology Field, Mary's Family was constantly harassed to place Mary into more than one ''Insane Asylum'' (which they refused). After so much attention, Mary's Family came to a conclusion. They changed their last name (''Rolf''), and simply ''vanished'' from Public. Despite many attempts to find (and learn just what ''happened'' to Mary), has become a ''Mystery of History'' (as it were).