The Great Spring Run Kidnapping and Shoot Out.

In his book The Tailsman a story of transcontinental and inter dimensional travel. Stephen King refers to the leg across Northern Pa as " A place where they eat what they find laying along side the road for breakfast in the morning." The stories main character would have had easier going if his trek had been through Path valley. A place a lot like Garrison Keillor Lake Wobegon. Only what we lack in in walleyes and that cool Norwegian accent. we make up for with the abundance of road apples.


Growing up in Spring Run you could easily imagine the world was just marching right by the front door and not bothering to knock. Not much happens around here seems a common phrase . Now after living in several different places . I'll tell you a lot of nothing happens all the time everywhere. But every now and then something does happens. Anywhere !

That was our backyard summer of 73. I 'm not actually sure of the year . Harla missed it due to staying in State Collage for summer classes. So it had to be prior to 74. Not sure of the date but nothing like this happened at our place since the skull in the tater bin incident.

You can drive around the back of the property into the back yard which is kind of terraced. The section that runs along Ferrys field was secluded by a bank full of roses and other bushes gone wild on our side and trees on Ferrys side. We set up a 9 man tent there for a couple of summers and us kids lived in it.

It was late August and the fog rolling off the spring Spring Runs crick . Now the Conococheaque is a loose rock stream but the Spring Run crick is a true limestoner fed by several small springs keeping it at a pretty constant temp some where in the fifties. (I've actually checked.) Which gives off a nice layer of mist on the ground. Adds a nice erie touch to the atmosphere while searching for kidnap victims.

My brother Kris and a few of his friends decided to spend the night in the tent. I am not sure of the complete roster but it had to be more than just Brooks. Keeping with our safety in numbers policy.


I would have been in the backyard with them. Except Mom wanted to run to town for some reason and I had to help Mart with the milking in the morning .



We all were in bed after a what seemed like a normal day in the valley not knowing the rude awakening awaiting.


Around mid night we were awakened by the back door flying open and my little brother running up the steps screaming ( a word has been replaced to maintain our P.C. rating. It was not a common word in our house but Kris used it repeatedly in the following 5 min.) Daddy , Daddy get the gun , apples , apples in the back yard! That s all we could get out of him for the first couple of minutes.



My parents and I met Kris on the landing at the top of the steps at the same time. They always left the back door unlocked and the light on at the top of the steps in case of late night bail outs. There er had never been one of this magnitude or urgency before. I can still see it in my minds video. Kris bent over at the waist , knees to his chest, arms stuck between his legs past the elbows, jumping 2 to 3 feet off the ground. Screaming. Daddy, Daddy, get the gun, Apples ,Apples in the backyard. Now Apples were and still are rare in Northern Franklin County. Having anyone show up in your back yard around midnight, Apples or not. Is reason to be concerned. Witnessing my little brothers unique display of terror. We were getting kind of concerned .


A few years later I read in a psych book when young boys are extremely terrified they will bend over and protect their groin. My little brother must have been on the verge of wetting his pant. He definitely had our attention at the time.

Dad told me to walk out on the rear balcony and see if could see anything. I did and trust me that was a quick trip. I actually attempted to check things out, but did I mention it was dark, real dark.

It took a minute or too but Kris calmed down enough to answer some questions. Like , What happened. The answer Kris gave grabbed our attention in more than one way. " Ex convicts have escaped from Franklin County Prison and are looking for hostages." Roll that around a few times in your mind. It sounded odd then too. I guess if a convict breaks out of prison , technically he's an ex convict. Always seeking clarification Mom asked." Who told you that? " "Ed Bair" He replied and started the apples in the back yard Daddy get the gun dance again.


Things may not be making sense but they were starting to adding up. The mention of Eds name lowered the threat level a few notches. Still . Someone had to go sort things out in the backyard. There were neighbors kids that we needed to account for. And at least in Kris s opinion we should go well armed.



Thus a family conference convened. Dad "Get the pistol Marc." Mom." Don't you dare take a gun out there." They went back and forth while I retrieved a 22 cal revolver and started looking for shells in the gun case. I had to tell Dad what I already new. I'd used up the last of the shells on ground hogs and had not replaced them yet. This was 1973 or 74 a 15 year old could run around with a pistol. Even go in the IGA and buy shells! Had I known we were having a home land security drill I would have. I gave Dad the revolver and my explanation for no shells. Dad said." Well I can always throw it."


Then he said. " Come on Marc." Off we went into the dark. We had n't gotten off the patio yet when we heard Jeff Niel. " Don't shoot Marcus don't shoot!" Not everyday conversation but when you're standing in someone elses back yard at midnight . Jeff no doubt felt it appropriate
he then started explaining.



Jeff ,Ed and the Brown kid paid a visit earlier warning their younger friends of the break out of ex convicts. Brown and Jeff returned later that night and started speaking in their best stereotypical ex convict apple voices. At which time Jeff said" The tent exploded!" The results of their prank gave the pranksters a pretty good scare. Jeff then wised up and went home before mom found out it was save to leave the porch.



Mom came out and we started counting heads. Brooks was missing and mom was sure he was in Ferrys hay field. There I was, walking around Ferrys field in my bare feet calling for Brooks. I eventually realized everyone had gathered in the front yard under the porch light. Where I was alone in the dark barefoot in a hayfield. Search called off. If I had shoes on I would probably have ran. Safety in numbers rule.


I'd just about reached the backyard when a came car creeping across the intersection. It looked like Harvey Hockenberry. Now the Hockenberry s live about a 1/4 mile away. In Spring Run that put two creeks a house and one graveyard between us. Most of the down town area.


At the time Harvey worked second shift at Letterkenny Army Depot and had just got home . When Brooks came running through the his door announcing someone had been shot over at Hildens.


Brooks had run barefooted from our backyard through the old Away soon to be a sewing factory now a hardware store gravel parking lot. Down route 75 through Bairs parking lot to the only house with lights on. His neighbor Harvey.


You might wonder why Harvey did not call the police. Even today in Spring Run you're pretty much on your own. Years later 611 came along but then you had to look up the State Polices phone number or call the Fire company or dispatch direct. Also it was only a couple years after the Shade Gap kid napping that made the cover of Life magazine, national news There 's a book and a movie. It took place across the mountain. Response time from the State Police was ,well not good. Some people thought they lacked enthusiasm.




Gun play out side of of the odd ground hog and New years was rare in Spring Run. It was also late at night in August. No one had central air , everyone had their windows up. If shots had been fired Harvey and others most likely would have heard them.But, Something had scared Brooks into his kitchen. Harvey no doubt felt obligated by the good neighbor policy to check things out. Now 40 years later I'm wondering if he came armed.


Walking across our backyard I saw Harveys car creeping across the bridge. Which was odd. There may not be much traffic in Spring Run but no one drives slow. I arrived in the front yard about the same time Harvey came to a stop under the street light. We had a couple lights in town back then. I really suspect Harvey did not put it in park right away.



Now consider a neighbor boy comes running into your kitchen terrified. Telling you of a shooting over at a friends. You drive over to your friends and see him standing in the front yard. With a gun.You may just bump the odds of a shooting upwards a few notches.


I still remember the sound of his voice as he leaned over to the passenger window and said. " Everything O.K. Marcus?" I think Harvey suspected maybe things were not just O.K.. After all He'd just been told some one had been shot over at Hildens. There dad was with a gun in his hand. No , I don't think Harvey put the Chevy in park!


Dad must have realized how things appeared. Looked at the gun in his hand and started to laugh. Gave it to me to put away. Harvey got out and we had a neighborhood meeting out on the road under the street light ( in the late 70s given the choice of higher taxes or no street lights a, all seven, Spring Run chose no lights.) Harvey told us Brooks was safe at home. Mom started looking for some one to reprimand or whoop on ( verbally ). Fortunately the culprit's were home by then so no one was actually harmed that night.


It was certainly a event of unexpected outcome . The instigators never expected things would escalate to being held at gun point and a neighborhood search party.

We think certain words or phrases are unique to .us Some may be more prevalent in one region or the other, ( yins may be just a central Pa. thing) But people up north do say y'all and southerners say you guys. Most likely due to cultural pollution spread by mass media. One phrase I've heard used more in the south and more appropriate to the situation that night. " Bowed Up" As in Momma was all bowed up.She sure was. Those escaped ex convicts were lucky to get away.