Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-11-13
THE WOMAN IN BLACK.
A Character That is Causing a
Sensation In Scranton.

from tte IfeD ! ore LfNteSs
SCRANTON, PA, Nov. 9.-For more
than week timid and superstitious per-
sons throu ghout the city have been kept
In constant state of trepidatiOn by the
appearance in various places and at I'M
season able hours of an uncanny figure
that is now quite generally spoken of as
Inc Woman III Black" The weird
visitor first made her appearance in the
Fine Brook portion Of the city, and was
seen by two young women who were on
their way home from Saturday night
hop" At a short distance from their
homes, where the street is spanued by the
Delaware and Hudson Canal Company's
track, the young women were stopped by
the woman IN black, who said nothing,
out assumed menaciHg attitude toward
them. The girls were terrified and started
TO run, but the woman in black overlook
one OF them and Rugged her until she
almost tainted. The other girl returned
with help just in time, and the spectre
then disappeared like flash. Since then
the woman in black has made her appear
ance in various parts of the city-mostly
in the outskirts and in the early hours of
evening. Some OF those who have seen
her declare that she fired at them, and
this having been reported to the police
they are keeping a sharp lookout for the
nocturnal disturber.
few evenings ago a workman en-
ployed near the Lackawanna Iron and
Coal Company's blast furnaces ran up to
group Of his fellow-workmen and re-
ported to them with bated breath and
buIging eyes that he had Just seen tine
woman IN black, and that she was at that
moment hiding in lumber pile IA short
way from the bank OF Roaring Brook
Immediately there was a rush In that di-
rection, and although it was rather dark
several declared thatthey saw female
ngure dressed in black emerging from
the lum Der pile and running toward the
river. Thinking they would be able to
capture 1t some of the men followed in
close pursuit, but whom they were near
the river bank the woman in black sprang
over precipice and disappeared in the
cave OF an abandoned mine. Then lamps
were procured and some of the men ven
tured into the cave and made diIgent
search, but could not find any body hiding
there. While this exciting chase was go
ing on large crowd of persons assem-
bied on the bridge which crosses Roaring
Brook at this point, land the pursuers of
the woman in black were urged not to de.
sist until they had hunted down their
game.
The girls employed in the silk mill
have, it is said, been frequently frightened
within the past few days by this twilight
visitor. whose queer antics have pro-
duced something like panic in some
portions of the city. 1t is believed oy
some that the woman in black is a crazy
individual at large, who is taking this
method OF 1ndulgIng u wild fancy. While
the more superstitious are OF opinion that
1t Is Veritable ghost. There are others
yet who suppose that the " woman in
black " Is some eVil-minded man wbo is
masQueradlng in female attire for the
purpose of frightening timid persons.
Some men whose friends have been
frightened by the spectre are looking for
the woman in black with revolvers, and
will not hesitate TO shoot in case they see
anything like the apparItion that
has been described to them. A mischiev-
Gus young man named Farber tried
TO frighten few OF his friends In an alley
in the Hyde Park portion of the city the
other night by personating the woman in
black, but he was promptly arrested by
the police and held to bail for appearance
at court. He confessed that it was his
first appearance in the character, but be
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
Sunday night near the silk mill by num-
Der Of girls, who were chased for some
distance by her. Whether the figure be
myth or reality, it has caused genuine
sensation throughout the city and there
are hundreds OF persons who fear to VEN
ture out of their homes after dark lest
they should meet the woman in black.