Trending
It was back on Sept. 25, 1935, when Clinton County resident William Neff petitioned the court for parole after being sentenced to six months for stealing... lard. Did he deserve a second chance?
Here is what The Express said in ’35 about how he got himself into trouble:
It should be noted that Pennsylvania was right in the middle of the Great Depression and with the election of President Franklin Roosevelt, he had been working to pull the country out.
But some people fell through the cracks. Could Neff have been one of those people?
“Neff... is serving a six (month) sentence in the County Jail for breaking and entering the Mill Hall Manufacturing Company and stealing some tools and for stealing a can of lard and a ham at the farm of Fred Nixon, (of) Lamar,” the article said.
Neff, along with his daughter, Clair Barner, were arrested on June 11 for the crime. According to The Express, on Dec. 10, 1934, the Manufacturing Company would supply people electricity “from the Pennsylvania Light and Power Company.”
It was located at the Axe Factory dam, which was “formerly the property of the Mann Tool Company on Fishing Creek.”
The 1934 article added “the plant has the power enough to supply the city of Lock Haven with lighting power...(along with) Mill Hall, Flemington and Allison Township with power and light continuously.” The plant featured “turbines, generator, governor and other equipment…all housed in a new brick building which contains a storage room, a washroom and office in addition to the main or machinery room.”
What does this have to do with lard?
“Lard, a versatile and time-honored culinary fat derived from rendered pork fat, was cherished for its unique properties that enhanced flavor and texture and extended the shelf life of various foods,” writer Kimberlee Chaffee said on the website entitled “Depreciation Lands Museums” in an article entitled “The Timeless Tradition of Lard.”
According to other sites, it was also used for bread toppings instead of butter in the 19th Century.
“Practical Machinist” magazine said lard was also used “in machining... for its cutting properties and lubricating qualities. It is a type of oil... known for its ability to reduce chatter and increase the lifespan of drill bits. Lard oil is often mixed with mineral oils to enhance its effectiveness for various machining operations.”
Neff did admit to returning the tools, and he was ordered to pay restitution.
“He testified that all the goods except a few small tools had been returned and that if he were released, he could restore the remainder of them,” The Express writer said.
He pleaded for his release because he had “four children ranging in age from four years to 12 years; and that his wife was in poor health.”
Neff was ready to hit the ground running with an occupation to pay what was owed.
“He said he had a job the moment he was released,” the article explained.
Deputy Sheriff Harris Nestlerode confirmed it had been reported that Eugene Heckman would employ Neff.
Neff’s wife was on hand to testify, and she begged for his release.
“She needed her husband to aid with the work (of the home) and said that he could support the family if released. She said the county commissioners were now aiding them to the extent of $3.75 a week,” she said, which would be the modern-day equivalent of disability or unemployment.
But was it enough to get him released?
Well, apparently, he turned over a new leaf.
It said in the April 10, 1936 “Express”, in the social page, that Neff and his daughter, Barner, “were Lock Haven shoppers on Friday” April 10. He does appear in other social notes a few more times in 1936.
However, in November 1936, he suffered another setback when, according to The Express in its Nov. 24 issue, “suffered a stroke while sitting in his automobile in front of the home of his sister-in-law... on South Jones Road shortly after (3 p.m.)”
He was there to pick up his daughter, Barner, and her two children “he was getting ready to start the engine when he was stricken.”
The article said, “the attack affected his speech, and he had not regained normal use of his voice” by the next morning. Yet the article did say he was rushed to the Lock Haven Hospital and was said to be resting comfortably.
However, according to public records on Find-a-Grave, William Neff, who was born in 1889, passed away in 1943. He is buried at Cedar Hill Cemetery in Mill Hall and was honored for his time as a veteran in World War I where he served as a private in the 21st Regiment.
What can be gathered from Neff’s life?
It seems that thanks to a good family and a good community, he was able to turn his life around. The people of Lock Haven did not forget his service in the war, as is seen on his tombstone.
In fact, he was one of several veterans honored at a candlelight vigil memorial service at the First Evangelical Church that honored the William Marshall Post of the American Legion.
This was mentioned in the May 24, 1943, edition of The Express.
It was mentioned that “through Christ,” human nature can change from the base to the noble.
It appeared that Neff did so in the final years of his life.
-- -- -- --
D. Everett Smith is a freelance writer and history columnist for The Express.