Sandy Run, PA (near Hazleton, just north of Eckley)
January 1903, Andrew Green’s beloved wife took ill. Her husband and children did their best to attend to her needs. Day by day, Mrs. Green's health continued to deteriorate until sadly she gasped her last breath and closed her eyes for eternity. She was gone only a few weeks after showing initial signs of the sickness. The Green family mourned not just the loss of a wife but also a mother.
A miner by trade, Andrew toiled away to support his family in the patch of Sandy Run, not far from Hazleton, just north of Eckley.
The strain of working, raising five small children on his own, and mourning the loss of his wife took its toll on Andrew.
Soon after his wife’s demise, Andrew became romantically involved with another woman. The romance apparently blossomed quickly. One month after burying his wife, Andrew was remarried.
Surely eyebrows were raised by this rapid change of events in the small community. However, Andrew was adamant he took the time he needed to mourn and wanted help to raise his five young children. Thus, vows were exchanged. Andrew’s hope was that life would quickly get back to normal. Unfortunately for him, his dearly departed wife had other ideas.
Soon after the wedding, Andrew began having haunting experiences. One quiet evening, Andrew was outside his small home. He looked up, while tending to chores, and to his bewilderment, he saw a woman at the edge of his property staring directly at him. Andrew's eyes became large. The woman staring was his wife who had been buried several weeks before. Andrew locked eyes with the apparition. Terror welled up within him. The reason for his terror and not joy: His dead wife had a look of displeasure that was easily recognized by her former husband. He had witnessed his dead wife’s look of anger many times before.
Over the next year, Andrew witnessed his departed wife walking the grounds outside and inside his family home. Each time the atmosphere changed and her displeasure and anger was obvious to her former husband. The sightings seemed to be more frequent as time went by.
Andrew was the only person to see his dead wife. His current wife and the children never had an inkling anything was wrong. Andrew’s demeanor changed and his health began to go sour. The miner’s strain was obvious to his family. Just when it seemed Andrew’s life could not get worse, it did.
In late March 1904, Andrew was outside his home chopping wood. It was an unseasonably warm day. The sun was glowing in the sky as Green labored away at his task. Without warning, Andrew sensed he was not alone. He slowly lifted his gaze and, standing just a few feet away, was the apparition of his dead wife. A scowl was upon her face. Anger shone within her eyes. Startled, Andrew’s gaze lowered towards the apparition’s right hand. His dead wife seemed to grip some sort of item. Within a blink of his eye, Andrew was knocked to the ground. Stunned, he looked up and, staring at him, was his wife’s ghost. A club gripped tightly in her hand. A smile upon her face. Green claimed his dead wife’s ghost continued to “belabor” him with the weapon made of cord wood. He showed the bruises he had attained from the otherworldly beating to his horrified family.
News spread quickly of the ghostly assault. Newspapers around Pennsylvania reported the paranormal occurrence and people responded with fervor. People were shocked, but also incredibly intrigued by what had happened and why?
The spirit of Mrs. Green seemed to have accomplished her goal, showcasing her displeasure and exacting revenge upon her former husband. Her soul seemingly could now rest.
What happened to Andrew and his family after the ghostly assault has been lost to history.
Why the ghost exacted revenge on her former husband could never be completely explained.
Perhaps she was upset over the marriage taking place so soon after her death?
Perhaps seeing another woman with her five children caused her soul to be uneasy?
One thing is certain, the vows “Till death do us part” was not the case with the Greens.
West Schuylkill Herald - April 7, 1904
The Plain Speaker - March 26, 1904
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