Assume Nothing - 3. Mr Splitfoot
The story of Dr William Jackson Crawford, an engineer and teacher, who carried out a series of strange experiments with a teenage medium and her family before his untimely death on the shores of Belfast lough in 1920.
Dr Crawford’s findings were extraordinary and widely published – but was it all a hoax?
Episode 3 – Mr Splitfoot
1848, Wayne County in rural New York. Two young sisters claim they can communicate with a strange presence in their home – the ghost of a murdered pedlar who uses raps, knocks and bangs to answer their questions.
The Fox sisters become key in the creation of a new religious movement known as Spiritualism – the belief that the dead may be contacted by the living. Word spreads fast and it soon takes root in Ireland, where Spiritualism finds its way to Belfast – and the Goligher family.
Written and presented by Reggie Chamberlain King
Readings by
Dave Fleming
Lucy McConnell
Mark Claney
Stephen Beggs
Produced by Conor McKay
Editor Andy Martin
A BBC Northern Ireland Production
Published on Saturday, 16th May 2026.
Available Podcasts from Assume Nothing
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