Lou’s View: THE POLITICAL PICKPOCKETS

By Lou Bernard

There have been interesting crimes in Clinton County throughout its history. In the 1870s, the Alley Bird of Renovo dressed up in a bonnet and chased women. In the 1950s, in Lock Haven, the Match-Light Burglar broke into buildings using only matches to light the way. I enjoy discovering these oddball criminals, and writing about them.

Now we can add another one to the list. They weren’t given a cute name, so for the moment, I’m going to call them the Political Pickpockets. At least two of their victims were mayors of Lock Haven, targeted at a political event.

In 1894, William M. Singerly of Philadelphia was running for governor against Daniel Hastings, the incumbent who had been born in Salona and lived in Centre County. The Clinton Democrat was very open in their support of Singerly, running an article that said,”Vote for Singerly, the frank, outspoken candidate; rebuke Hastings, the despicable calamity howler.” I have no idea what “calamity howler” means, but I love it. I plan on calling someone that as soon as I get the chance.

So Singerly was holding a political rally on a train, and without a doubt, it was a fundraiser as well. A group of criminals decided to use it to raise their own funds—On November 1, 1894, the Clinton Democrat reported,”At Williamsport during the large Democratic and Republican mass meetings it is reported that several gentlemen had their pockets picked.”

Mayor William Mayer and former Mayor John W. Smith attended the train ride. Mayer served as mayor from 1893 to 1899, and Smith had been Lock Haven’s second mayor in 1874 and 1875. They boarded the train at Lock Haven, shaking hands with Singerly. Smith later said that he saw a couple of suspicious-looking men in the train car, and felt someone brush up against him, but he didn’t think too much of it at the time.

During the ride, Mayer discovered that he was missing a diamond pin that had been on his shirt front. The newspaper reported that he valued it at $450, which is about eighteen billion by today’s standards. The Democrat reported,”Saturday morning while alighting from the car with the Singerly party, Mayor Mayer had his costly diamond stolen from his shirt front.”

Smith didn’t notice the loss until he arrived him, but he had also been victimized by the pickpocket. The article said,”Hon. J.W. Smith was also a heavy loser, his hind pocket being picked of a pocket book containing forty-five and valuable papers and receipts….Mr. Smith states that when the train began slowing up when approaching this city he noticed two or three suspicious looking men making their way through the Singerly car. As Mr. Smith alighted with the candidates, he felt someone pushing him from behind and shoving against him, but he paid no attention to it, thinking that he had been jostled in the crowd. He now believes that was the time when his pocket was picked. He did not discover his loss until he arrived home.”

Though it was reported to the police, to the best of my knowledge the pickpockets were never caught. Police Chief Keller took it seriously, but had his hands full warning people about a forger who was passing through Lock Haven at the time. The forger didn’t have a cool nickname, but went under the names of Frank Smith. J.C. Smith, or Septon, and faked certified checks to trade to merchants for cash. He hit the area at the same time as the pickpockets, so the police had to prioritize.

So the pickpockets who preyed on Lock Haven mayors were never caught, as best I can find out. Singerly lost the election. Mayer and Smith went on with their lives….Though it may have been refreshing to have their pockets picked before the election, and not after a victory. Take that, all you calamity howlers!