Spencer "Spence" Pettis was born in 1831 in New York City. In 1874, Mr. Pettis was incarcerated in the Massachusetts State Prison, where he died on April 23, 1880, after taking his own life at 49 years old. His mental health had deteriorated significantly in the year leading up to his death following the loss of his wife in 1879. She had devoted herself to needlework to support Mr. Pettis while he was in prison.
