Bad to the Bone

The Story of Russell Henry Stock

When tracing your roots digs up a true crime story from the city’s gritty past.

Philadelphia’s rough-and-tumble history is full of larger-than-life characters, but few stories are as colorful—or as dark—as that of Russell Henry Stock, a smooth-talking brute with a penchant for trouble. At 40 years old, he was relatively young when he departed, leaving behind a scattering of progeny, including Local historian Bob McNulty, his great grandson.

In researching his family tree, Bob uncovered haunting details surrounding the stories he grew up hearing. His great grandfather lived a life that reads like a crime novel, culminating in a shocking act of violence and a mysterious disappearance that has haunted his family for generations.

A Troubled Beginning

Russell Henry Stock was born on January 14, 1897, to John and Annie Stock of Strawberry Mansion. Life was no fairytale for the Stock family. After losing two of their four children to illness, they sold the family stables to chase a dream of farming in Montgomery County. That dream quickly soured, and they returned to the city, bouncing from one address to another as Russell grew into a headstrong, rebellious boy. His mother’s death in 1909 when he was only 12 left his older sister, Elsie May, aged 17, to care for him.

Young Russell’s deep-seated disdain for authority soon rendered her efforts futile. By the time he was a teenager, Russell had grown into a formidable force to reckon with: a strong, restless hulk, full of charisma, but prone to violence and malfeasance. He dropped out of school, preferring pool halls and street corners to classrooms. His wild streak set the stage for a lifetime of chaos.

The Ladies’ Man

Russell had a way with women, though his intentions were rarely noble. In 1916, he married Catherine Hanna, a devout Catholic who inherited a modest sum after her father’s death. It’s unclear whether love or convenience motivated the union, but one thing is certain: Russell’s charm masked a dark side. He worked various jobs during World War I, dodging the draft due to a crippled toe, but spent much of his time carousing.

In 1922, Russell met Katie Barnett, a modern and confident waitress with a sharp wit. Despite being married, Russell pursued Katie with fervor, eventually moving in with her. Katie bore him two sons, Russell Jr. and Charles, but their home life was far from idyllic. Russell’s criminal tendencies escalated, and his frequent run-ins with the law left Katie to fend for herself and the boys.

A Life of Crime

Russell’s rap sheet was long and varied: passing bad checks, bootlegging liquor, and even impersonating a bill collector. He had a knack for escape, once fleeing police by climbing out a window and balancing on elevated train tracks. But his luck couldn’t last forever. By the early 1930s, Russell had been in and out of prison, leaving Katie to scrape by as a barmaid while their sons got into trouble at home.

One particularly audacious scam in Palmyra, New Jersey, involved fake checks and a staged medicine delivery. When the police caught up to him, they found bootlegged liquor in his car and bogus checks in his pocket. His sentence was light, but his reputation was sealed: Russell Stock was trouble with a capital “T.”

Murder in Baltimore

Russell’s worst crime came in December 1936, when he moved to Baltimore with Maggie Cassidy, the older sister of his longtime partner, Katie. Living in a modest apartment, Russell continued his cons, but tensions simmered between him and Maggie. On Christmas Eve, a drunken argument turned fatal. Russell brutally beat Maggie, leaving her unconscious and bloodied. Over several days, she slowly bled out in their apartment, while Russell drank himself into a stupor.

The grisly reality of Maggie’s death apparently broke his brain for a bit. He locked himself inside their room with her corpse, drinking and chain smoking before ultimately deciding on the simplest of plans. He would just leave! On January 4th, he locked his apartment behind him and vanished. Two days later, police at the scene walked into a domestic nightmare: empty bottles, spent matches, and a blood-soaked bed. The turkey Maggie had bought for Christmas dinner still hung in the window, untouched.

She was still wearing the same dress from the last time she was seen in public, 13 days prior.

The Disappearance

On his way out, Russell sent a cryptic telegram to Maggie’s son, claiming there had been a death in the family (not untrue), and listing a time and address to meet. After getting no response, he disappeared for good. Despite police investigations in Baltimore, Philadelphia, and Wilmington, Russell Stock was never seen again. Did he change his name and start a new life? Or did his criminal ways catch up to him in some distant city? No one knows.

A Legacy of Questions

For Russell’s descendants, his story remains a haunting mystery. Some, like Bob, have spent years trying to piece together the fragments of his life, hoping to find some hint of redemption in his final chapter. But Russell Stock’s fate is as murky as the city streets he once prowled.

Philadelphia has always been a city of contradictions—gritty and proud, resilient yet flawed. Russell Henry Stock embodied that duality, a product of his time and a cautionary tale for the ages. His life may have ended in infamy, but his story lives on, a chilling reminder of the darker side of the City of Brotherly Love.

READ MORE! 👀 Get the full story in Bob McNulty’s original blog post that brings history to life with names, locations, and additional context. Note: this images in this post are artistic representations. 

📖 For more great history, follow @PhiladelphiaStoriesbyBobMcNulty on Facebook. And check out Bob’s previous Local column HERE, that tells the story of the brave Navy band – including one Pennsylvanian —  that went down with their ship at Pearl Harbor.

About Philadelphia Stories By Bob McNulty 28 Articles
Philadelphia Stories by Bob McNulty. Lifelong Philadelphian Bob McNulty tells fascinating tales about ordinary citizens and extraordinary events from the city’s long history. Ranging from whimsical to tragic (sometimes in the same story!), Bob’s tales are meticulously researched and bring to life figures and events largely forgotten today. Philadelphia Stories is a dramatic archive that spotlights everyday Philadelphians of all kinds -- men and women, Black and white, immigrant and native-born, many of whom, in Bob’s words, “didn’t have anyone to tell their story.”

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