Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1863-10-15
THE REPUBLICAN.
Che 5torp Geller.
DEALING WITH HORSE THIEVES.
By EMERsox BsxxHr.

By EMERSON BENNETT.
Ii 10 not many years since q formidable
band Of horse thieves was broken up il
Iswa. By league formed Of honest anc
respectable citizens. mostly farmers. who
had been sufferers by the deprsdations o.
the Williams. and who. for want of Lawful
means to reach and punish them. resolved
TO treat them as outlaws, and make fearful
examples of such as they might be able tc
ssizo and convict In carrying out this
purpose. some terrible scenes were enacted
snd some Of those who had part in them
though still convinced they did not over.
step the limits Of justice. would now glad.
" be rid of the unpleasant remembrance.
&c 10 an awful thing to take human life
under any circumstances said Mr.. ASS
0iddings. thu person to whom we are in
debtsd for the facts we now record. .hnt i.
seems even more awful to take il without
that regular process of law. which those
born and bred to the long settled sections
At the country are accustomed to witness.
Yet what could we farmers of Iowa do to
protect ourselves without resort to ex-
treme measures? Our horses were our
prepsrty-our property was our main de-
pendence for an honest living--and when
We found ourselves beset with robbers,
who plundered US with impunity. and
might 1t any time put their knives to our
throsts, and who for want Of jails to mold
and courts to try. might never be brought
to the respect of others. we felt our only
safety lay in organizing ourselves into a
body for mutual protection. and inflicting
such punishment upon the principal Of
tenders IS should strike wholesome ter
ror to the hearts Of the rest. Under the
circumstances. there was but one penalty
that would serve our purpose. and that
wss-death.
We met together. to the number of be-
tween three and four hundred. arranged
our plans. decided upon our course of sc-
ton. and proceeded to carry out our meas
urss with that stern. relentless determine
tioa necessary to success. Our first great
difficulty was in finding out who were our
foes. Our horses were being stolen to an
alarming extent; nearly every one of US
had been sufferers from this cause; | had
myself lost FIVE valuable animals, and my
neighbor had been deprived of twice as
many: and yet who were the thieves? and
whore were they secreted? 1t was morally
certain that strangers could not come into
the country in the night. get possession of
our horses, secrete them in it, or ride them
out Of il, without tbs assistance Of persons
living in our midst. and therefore it was a
foregone conclusion that the thieves and
robbers were living among us. to the num-
Der perhaps of formidable band. There
were persons here and there that we sus-
pected; but might there not be many that
We did not suspect? and how cuuld we
know that some of these had not purpose
ly been robbed of their own horses, and
would join our organization merely to COW
erup their deeds of darkness and act as
sr-:es. prepared to nae our secrets to the ad
vantage Of themselves and confederates?
"A considerable portion of all this pre-
vious to our formation. made those whD
started the ides of organization very eau
tious about those they SUNNI oned togsth-
er.. but still for all that there was at first
moro or less distrust in our body. and ev-
cry man was To some extent q SPY. upon
every one that he did not Thoroughly
know.
We met in secret. each man we'll armed.
and then We all took . solemn oath. sepa-
rately and individually. that we were hon
est IN our purpose. that We had never been
concerned IN any of the robberies. or knew
Of any oce who had. and that we would
each keep . watch for tbs detection of The
villains, and disclose to the whole body
the name Of any person we might suspect.
even though be were our nearest kin-fa-
thor, brother or SON.
"A couple of miles from my house, on a
by-rosd. and in rather q mean looking
shsnty. lived two men. related to each 9TH
er BY marriage. whom had long suspect
ed Of having hand in horse-stealing,
though l had no direct proof of the fact.
and At our second meeting / stated my
suspicious. Immediate action was taken
upon this Information. and a committee of
fifty men. myself among the number. was
appointed to secure their arrest. with full
power to try them. and. should we find
them guilty to hang them. We ell met at
An early hour on the following morning.
IN . wood not far from my dwelling, each
man mounted and armed with rifle. and
some with pistols besides. We then diyi-
ded and approached the house from differ
emit directions. As We neared it, / obser-
we'd . boy Of ten or twelve years, running
across field near the shanty. and entering
II in much apparent alarm. On coming mp
We found only two women. the boy sllu-
ded to and little girl Of about six years.
Wesasked If the men we were in quest of.
naming them. were at home. and wore an
swered in the negative. Where lad they
gone? The women said they didn't know
How long had they been gone? Since yes
terday after dinner. When would they re-
turn? They couldn't say.
Inoticed that the boy appeared uneasy
and sgitsted. and called him to me.
Are you Mr. Decker's son?' said.
Yes, sir!' in . shy tone of alarm.
do you know me?' -
Yes, sir-you're Mr.. Giddings'
do you know what and these men
are here for?'
..Is'poss to arrest father and uncle he
began 20 sob?
And why do you suppose we want to
arrest tbsm?'
Idon't know. SIR
you do said sternly; and if You