York Chief of Detectives Charles S. White celebrated Lincoln’s Birthday a hundred years ago by jailing a jewel thief named Harry St. Clair. White went to Baltimore to pick up the 16-year-old criminal, who had been arrested there.
The Gazette reports that St. Clair was charged with:
“The theft of enough jewelry to start a small store.” The display of loot taken in York, Baltimore, and Atlantic City was impressive. The more valuable items were two diamond rings, two pocket watches, a ladies solid gold watch and chain, two revolvers, and a gold ring. There were lots of “trinkets of more or less value,” so St. Clair must have just grabbed whatever he could.
Miss Adaline Sponsler, of the Hotel Codorus, identified one of the diamond rings, which she had reported stolen in September. St. Clair may have already been a suspect in the case.
St. Clair was from Lancaster County, and he had reportedly already “spent a year in the Maryland Industrial School for incorrigibility.” This time he was probably headed to the reformatory at Huntingdon, PA.
Harry makes most 16-year-olds of today look pretty angelic, doesn’t he?
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