St. Landry democrat., 1883-02-03
IS Horse Companies"

!
marauders could despoil the tiller of the
soil OF his stock, and make good their
escape before the law: could be son
manipulated as to inclosts them Within
its meshes., In the Far West the farm-i
ers dispensed with red tape, and
1 forming themselves into vigilance COM,
mittees, melted out justice with the aid!
of convenient tree and "a rope when
! they caught the offenders: This CUSTOM
! is still in vogue in certairs parts of the
/ West. This class of thieves became so
numerous in the southeastern portion of
Pennsylvania that atout 1927 or 1928
a number Of farmers Gin the little
fTownship of Oxford, Philadelphia
| County, and its vicinity, formed an
organization under the title of the Cox
ford Horse Company Among the
Fox, Peter Arrison, John Ravington,,
! Castor, Charles Robbins, Jacob IivezeY
| but little from those of the horse COM
panies of the present day. All the
members of the company constituted a.
| riding committee, and were arranged in
/ classes, each class having a leader
These leaders We're known as the Mott
| flying Committee. The members were
| SO classed that two might ride in COM
i pany. Each mernber wien in pursuit
Iof atthief was compelled to ride thirty
| miles. from his place of residence, at his
| own expense, . before. giving up the
chase. In case he received such in
| formation thatiit would bs deemed nec-
,essary to prosecute the route further,
| his expenses were paid from the funds
! of the company. When horse was
stolen from one of the members the
owner Immediately notified the Fresi-
dent Of the company, who in turn in
formed the Notify ing Committee Each
one of the committee then filled up a
blank notice. with the description OF the,
| stolen property for every member OF
his class. The member was also noti-
fed to ride route designate6fo him.
and was ordered to Immediately pre-
| pare and start, either in person or by
sufficient proxy. in cass of refusal or
| neglect to do so, except III case of actual
| s.tkness, he was fined FIVE dollars. II
the stolen property was not recovered
| the loss was made good :by the compa-
/ nv. Rewards we're also s,ffered for the
arrest and conviction of :the thief, and
handbills containing description of the
$ olen property were posted and scat
tered within radius OF thirty miles
The company held its meetings at what
was then known as the Old Soldiers
Tavern, on the Oxford Turnpike. about
a mile and half above Erankford.
The organization flourfshed, and was
such success that its membership
swelled to almost5unwieldg proportions
! After it had existed about fourteen years
| Chartes Robbins, Jacob lEiyezey, Will
1 lam Roberts and a nuInber of others
withdrew from the company and formed
/ another at Fox Chase in the mean
time their example had seen followed
throughout the State and in many other
States. About 1874 q United Horse
Company was formed Of shout twenty
| five companies in Pennsylvania, Della
ware and Maryland. Tbs first meeting
was held in this city, They notified
each other by telegraph Of the loss OF q
| horse, and it wasslthougEg that by this
means the chances of escape fora horse
| thief would be reduced to- a minimum
The union, however, never amounted to
very much, and number of the
companies have, withins the last few
| years. withdrawn IF in it alto
gether. Some even a sert that the
United Company is low thing
| of the past. Shortly before the war
1 broke out the Bustleton De- tective Horse
Company was organized The. word
.sdetectiyen > in the title had no peculiar.
significance however, the rules OF the
/ company being the same is those Of the
others Then in 1868. the Holmesburg
{ Reliance Horse Company. saw the light
Of day, and; in 1868 the frankfort De-
4 teetiye Horse Comr any, was formed-i
The members Of the latter company
y have been partic ularly fortunate, as
/ they have not lost anything for the last
I two years. Ito To-day every county in
Il Pennsylv has an organization of
T this kind, and they are, scarcely less
Z numerous III other States east Of the
Mississippi iii Lehigl County d mem
I be is, compelled ito ride but FIVE miles
/ from his residen n in pursuit OF a, thief
/ There is no doubt but these companies
have done much TO drive at least one
class of GepredatDrs almost out of ex-
istence in this part of the country
+ Philadelphia Press. Ifsa
{ ----s.Father,' . he began lis he entered
the library with a.hesitating step, s'may
/ / ask you a questionp' q certainly my
dear-a thousand if you like, s.r.'..A Are
| YOU afraid of dogs p','7.l Why, no !',t..Did
a dog ever bite yous'' Never ..Did
I one eyer try tor iss.N ct a!s i remember
Of. - z. Could dogs bite you # they wanted
to ?''st. Why. / presume Sd but I'm not
I afraid. 8 '.ttQh, Jou needn't u q bit
{ afraid, for. I heard q mai on a Sixth
{ avenue car SAY that he was laying for
/ you and would put you where the dogs,
I couldn't bite1you Hesald you unioaded