I don't often share too many old articles about ghost sightings outside of West Virginia, but I came across this interesting piece from Wilkesbarre, Pennsylvania in the May 16, 1915 edition of the Sunday Telegram (Clarksburg, WV) and just had to share it. It is one of the most absurd things I've read in quite awhile...and I read some weird stuff.
So, apparently, a musician/hypnotist named Joseph Androlavage suffered some type of mental breakdown. As a result, he donned a white sheet and terrorized Georgetown citizens with a gun. Yeah. A GUN. This 'ghost' was armed with a pistol.
In one incident, Androlavage stalked a man named John Daley, and gave him a letter about how his time was soon to come. The letter was signed 'Black Hand.' Four shots of a pistol into the ground were part of this exchange between Androlavage and Daley, and smartly, Daley got the heck out of there. Luckily, some young men from the area were able to safely apprehend Androlavage.
But, was Androlavage really the "ghost??"
Although it didn't make it into this West Virginia newspaper until May, the incident with Mr. John Daley actually occurred back in March of 1915 and was written about in the local papers. But, a follow-up story appeared in the March 31, 1915 edition of the Times Leader (Wilkesbarre, PA). This article, found below, states that Mr. Androlavage claims that he was NOT the ghost, nor did he even own a gun. His friends attested to his character, and believe that the false claims against him were the work of practical jokers. The author of the article seemed to agree that Mr. Androlavage was too sensible for such behavior, and since no other follow-ups can be found at this time, I guess the mystery of Black Hand remains just that: a mystery.
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