Lou’s View

By Lou Bernard

Random crimes are interesting. Okay, I admit I wouldn’t much like experiencing one myself. But when I’m looking through the old archives, and I stumble on a small crime that happened over a century ago, and everyone involved is now dead, there’s something a little bit fascinating about it. I like writing about these weird little slices of life from the past.

I found one of these recently, a little detail in the Clinton Democrat from May 11, 1876, simply headlined,”Robbery.” And it’s one of those interesting little crime stories that I kind of enjoy.

The article began,”A few weeks ago a tramp barber calling himself James Spear applied to the well-known artist of this city, Pete Rittman, for work. He was dead broke and had no place to stay overnight.”

Let me begin by saying that I have no idea what a “tramp barber” is. It seems to be one of those social positions that no longer exists, like canal boat conductor or telephone repair guy.

But anyway. Rittman, a local artist who owned some business interests in Lock Haven. Rittman, who was apparently a pretty good guy, gave Spear a meal and a place to stay overnight. The next morning, he put Spear to work in his laundry business on Corning Street. (Later on, Rittman also owned a furniture business and a loan office, but not at that time.)

I have to pause here, and wonder if James Spear was somehow related to Sarah Spear. In the 1830s, when Lock Haven was first founded, Sarah Spear was the only single adult woman. This led to some complaints from the men—Sarah Spear was the only woman in town old enough to marry who hadn’t already married. She was it, the entire dating pool, and I’ve never been able to find out what happened to her afterward. I assume she got married.

At any rate, James Spear sent a few weeks working for Rittman. Things seemed to be going well, until Friday, May 5. That was when, as the article put it,”The confidence that had been placed in him was destroyed.”

Rittman was out of the office, and one of his employees, Frank Heydrich, had been left in charge. Heydrich went out on a dinner break, and that was when Spear made his move.

Spear stole twenty-one dollars, which is fifteen million by today’s standards. He also stole several razors and a pair of scissors. Heydrich returned to work to find all of these items missing, Spear missing, and also his own coat, which Spear had also stolen.

Heydrich contacted the police immediately. They searched the area, and sent telegrams to Williamsport and Sunbury warning them to look out for Spear. He was described as “five feet six inches high. Wore a black suit, rather shabby looking, had black hair and a mustache and dark eyes. He wore a slouch hat and a dark brown overcoat.” (Heydrich’s, presumably.) A reward was offered for any information leading to his arrest.

Spear, however, had vanished into the wind. Though people searched for him and his description was circulated, he never did turn up, and the stolen items were never recovered. You now have his description, so keep your eyes open. The reward may still be active. Also, this all happened in 1876, so you’ll have to imagine what Spear would look like a few years older.

Rittman died in 1925. On May 13, 1921, the Clinton County Times reported that a man named Spear, of Milesburg, had died and had relatives in the area. They offered remarkably few details, including a first name. So this could be the same guy, lying low all that time. And if it is, Rittman outlived him by four years, so you can see who had the last laugh there.