Clik here to view.
A sensational suicide in Lavelle
With a population of approximately 750, the tiny village of Lavelle in Schuylkill County is easy to miss. There are no traffic lights or Walmart Supercenters, just a few scattered houses and a couple...
View ArticleClik here to view.
My encounter with a Gettysburg ghost
On July 1, 1863, the first shots of the Battle of Gettysburg were fired, thus writing the preface to the bloodiest chapter of the Civil War. Today, hundreds will begin their journey to Gettysburg in...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The strange grave of Richard Slyhoff, the man who tried to hide from the devil
At the edge of a farmer's field on the Firetower Road in Polk Township, Jefferson County, lies the weathered grave of Richard Slyhoff.The locals are familiar with the story about the forlorn grave next...
View ArticleClik here to view.
"Rhoda, prepare to die!": The Murder of Mrs. Moss
George W. Moss' grave at Wilkes-Barre City CemeteryOne of the most brutal murders in Wilkes-Barre history took place on October 10, 1889, inside the Moss family home at 44 Helfrich Court.Today, the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The mystery skeleton of Centralia
Photo of Centralia, circa 1906When the calendar reads April 1 and a child reports finding a human skeleton in the woods, it's easy to dismiss the child's claims as a joke or a prank. That's exactly...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Lost Children of the Alleghenies
Dedication of the Cox Monument in 1906In the spring of 1856 one of the saddest chapters in the history of Bedford County was written, after the two young sons of Samuel and Susanna Cox wandered away...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Clik here to view.
An unfortunate card game and a Chambersburg Civil War mystery
Chambersburg after being set on fire by Confederate troopsThe borough of Chambersburg plays a prominent role in the history of the Civil War in Pennsylvania. While Gettysburg receives the lion's share...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Dead man sits up in his coffin
 I'm going to guess that this was probably the most exciting thing that happened in Potter County that day. From the May 29, 1909, edition of the Mount Carmel Item
View ArticleClik here to view.
Beaten to death by two one-armed cripples
 From the May 29, 1909, edition of the Mount Carmel Item
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Mysterious Disappearance of Alice Arnold
When four-year-old Alice Arnold disappeared from her Perry County home in the spring of 1911 it sparked one of the largest search missions in the history of Pennsylvania. The search, which lasted for...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Deathbed Confession of Hetty Good
When a sweet old Mennonite woman from Bowmansville saw death standing on her doorstep after a long bout with tuberculosis, she attempted to end her life by slashing her throat. Her suicide attempt was...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The strange journey of a human skull
This strange story appeared in the Altoona Tribune on Nov. 7, 1895. I'm not quite sure which part of the story is more unusual-- that a man found a human skull and thought, "Neato! I gotta show this to...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Great Pocket Knife Duel of 1909
From the September 7, 1909 edition of the Wilkes-Barre Time Leader.
View ArticleClik here to view.
Natalie, Pennsylvania: A Murderer's Paradise
Remains of the Natalie Drive-In signWhen a miner named Michael Wanzie was murdered in June of 1905, it was evident that something wasn't quite right in the tiny village of Natalie. Although the scenic...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A Shenandoah cemetery suicide
The above clipping is from the September 19, 1921 edition of the Mount Carmel Item. Below is another clipping of the same event, from the September 22, 1921 edition of the Pittston Gazette.
View ArticleClik here to view.
Head severed by circular saw
The suicide of Hugh Malone, from the Dec. 2, 1911 edition of the Wilkes-Barre Times Leader.
View ArticleClik here to view.
A peculiar haunting in Lewisburg
The grave of Elizabeth and William Searles at Lewisburg CemeteryAfter Elizabeth Searles passed away on August 9, 1889, her body was taken to the undertaker. But strange things began to happen once the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Ghost of strangled boy once haunted historic cabin in Jumonville
Jumonville's famous cross overlooks the scene of an 18th century murderJust east of Uniontown, in Fayette County, is Jumonville, famous for its 60-foot-tall cross which protrudes from the top of...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Luzerne County Love Cult Murder of 1931
One of the most peculiar crimes in the history of Pennsylvania occurred in 1931 with the slaying of a reclusive elderly spinster from Forty Fort named Minnie Dilley. While most murders in our state's...
View Article