Evening star., 1886-11-11

The womam In rack.
| A QUEER CHARACTER THAT rs CAUSING A SEN
SATIoN IN SCRANTON.
A telegram from Scranton, Pa., November 8.
says: For more than q week timid and super
stitious persons throughout the city have been
kept in q constant state OF trepidation by the
appearance In various places and at unseason-
able hours Of an uncanny figure that is now
quite generally spoken OF as ''The Woman in
Black The " weird L. visitor nrst made her ap-
on their way home from q Saturday night
where the street Is spanned by the Delaware
and Hudson Canal company's track. the young
women were stopped by the woman in black,
| titude toward them. The girls were terrified
and started to run, but the woman in black
overlook one of them and hugged her until she
almost tainted. Tue other girl returned with
help just in time, and the specter then disap-
peared like a fash. Since then the woman 10
U1ack has made her appearance in various parts
OF the city-mostly in the outskirts and in the
early hours OF evening. Some of those who
and this having been reported to the police,
they are keeping sharp lookout for the noe
turnal distur6er.
A few evenings ago q workman EMPLOYED
near the Lackawanna from and Coal company 3
blast furnaces ran up to Il group of his fellow
workinen and reported to them with bated
breath and bulging eyes that he had just seen
the woman IN black and that she was at that
moment hiding in IL lumber pile a short way
| from Tue UdDh Oh 16OaIluS DTOOk. 1mlne0l9tey
there was rush in that direction, and although
it was rather dark, several declared that they
saw female dressed in black emerging from
the Lumber pile and running toward the river.
Thinking they would be able to capture it,
some OF the men followed in close pursuit, but
vnen they We're near the river bank the woman
in back sprang over a precipice and disal-
=, ared in tue cave of an abandoned mine. Then
lamps were procured and some OF the men
search, but could not find anybody hiding
there. While this exciting chase was going on
u large crowd OF persons assembled on the
bridge wnlcn crosses Roaring brook at that
point, and the pursuers OF the woman in black
were urged not 10 desist until they had hunted
down their game.
The girls employed in the silk mill have it ia
said, been frequently frightened within the
past few days by this twilight visitor, whose
panic in some portions OF the city. II is be-
iieved by some that the woman in black is a
crazy Individual at large, who Is taking this
method OF indulging a wild fancy, while the
more supersttious are of opinion that 1t is a
veritable ghost. There are others yet who sup
pose that the woman in black is some evil
minded man who is masquerading in female
| attire Tor the purpose OF frightening tImld per-
sons. Some men whose friends have been
frightened by the specter are looking for the
woman III black with revolvers, and will not
hesitate to shoot in case They see any thing like
| the apparition that has been described TO them.
mlschleVouS young man named Farber tried
To Irigiten few OF hIs friends in an alley in the
Hyde Park portion Of the city the other night
by personatins the woman in black, but he Was
promptly arrested by the police and held to bail
Tor appearance at court. He confessed that it
was his first appearance in the character, but he
Is rather fortunate that the police were first to
| find him or he might have been the principal
Character in funeral.
The woman in black was seen again on Sum
day night near the silk mill by a number of
girls, VINO were chased tor some disIance by
her. Whether the figure be myth or q reality
1t has caused a genuine sensation throughout
lear 10 venture out of their homes after dark
lest they shuuid meet the woman i'll black.