The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1886-12-16
TERRORS IN MISSOURI.
Tho Operations of the White Horse Com
pany.


KANSAS CITY, Mo, December 12.-
Miller and Camden Counties, in South
west Missouri, are much excited over the
operations of the White Horse Company
This body was organized after the close
of the war, and at the time was consid
cred necessary evil. Desperadoes were
stealing live stock, and their perfect law
lessness made it necessary to take organ
lied action for self-protection. 1t was
very evident that there existed regularly
organized band of horse thieves, extend
ing from Iowa, through Missouri, into
Arkansas. 1t was found that animals
stole in Iowa were run south. In many
instances the stolen horses were found
but in every case the thieves bad made q
trade-sometimes an open and apparent
ly honest daylight trade; at other times
farmers would get up in the morning to
fiud their good horses gone and inferior
animals in the stable. 1t came to be
generally known that all along the route
men who belonged to the gang, or who
profi,ed BY their operations, had their
homes aud gave aid and comfort to the
frcebooters. One of these lines of clan
dcstine commerce passed through Miller
and Camden Counties, and the good peo
pie took steps to combat the evil. In
order to eight the devil with fire. a
secret company was formed, the members
of which were not known to outsiders.
The purpose Of this company was to put
a stop to the bold operations of the horse
thieves. The band let it be known that
men who gave cause for suspicion would
be summarily dealt with.
This was about 1870, and for about six
or eight years their existence and work
had good influence on affairs in the
counties. They acted with moderation,
and i! came to be believed that the best
people of Miller aud Camden Counties
had directing influence in the affairs Of
the White Horse Company. Their work
was always done at night, and they always
rode white horses, and disguised them.
selves so as completely to hide their iden.
tity. Their plan was to drive suspected
people out of the counties by getting as
much evidence as possible against them,
and then prosecuting them in the courts,
or, in cases where conviction was not
certain, taking the law in their own
hands. They succeeded in ridding the
community of horse thieves.
In 1880 the company was reorganlzed
on new and quite different basis. Re.
Gently they have made several public ap'
pearances, on each occasion wearing the
customary disguise, and all riding white
horses. For some time they have been
trying to regulate the morals of the com.
munits, and they have also been devoting
their energy to gratifying petty spite and
wreaking vengeance for personal wrongs,
real or imaginary. Some time ago they
whipped james Brown and his three
daughters. Brown and his daughters
lived in Miller County. 1t was about
midnight and the moon was shining
brightly, when company of twenty
persons, all mounted on white horses,
rode up to the house. The father heard
the tramping of the horses, and, opening
the door to see who the riders were, was
confronted BY the captain. He called 10
his daughters to run, but before they
could get out of the house they were
secured. They were taken out of the
house and tied down across logs and all
were severely whipped.
After this event the gang of night
riders appeared quite frequently. Many
bad citizens were made to get up from
their beds at night, and leave the country
Immediately, being escorted to the high
way by members of the band. Gradually
it began to develop that this band were
becoming reckless in their work, and
there were many instances where people
were forced 10 abandon their homes for
no known cause except that they had
excited the i'll will of the regulators.
This condition of affairs grew worse
until a large portion of the very
best people of the community lived in
state of constant apprehension. The
people began to look for a bundle of
hickories on their doorsteps or hanging
on their front gates every morning.
Last year several people we're whip ed !,
aud more have received the attention Of
the regulators this year.
In August last Frank Rodden and a
woman were the victims of a midnight
visit. The woman lived with Rodden's
family. About midnight the terrible
horses with masked riders surrounded the
Rodden house. Besides the family there
were in the house half dozen men,
force of threshers who had come to
thresh Rodden's wheat In their usual
expeditions manner the whippers took
their victims from the house, and with
the rest of the family and the threshers
looking on, tied them down across log
and whipped them. Rodden received
twenty and the woman ten lashes. The
leaders of the band then warned them to
behave themselves in future, and let them
go.
The threshers were then taken in hand.
They were marched to the same log, and
all were asked if they recognized any Of
the disguised company. All declared
they did not. All were required to swear
to this, and then to take another oath
that they would neye eveal anything
they had learned that night, or might
afterward learn, concerning the company.
One night last week a negro named
Jack Lett was visited by the band. They
were whipping him in the regulation
manner, when they were treated to
startling surprise. Jack Lett's brother
came to the rescue. He carried double.
barrelled shotgun, and his first saluta-
ton to the band was to open fire with
both barrels. He saw one of the riders
fall from his horse, and his comrades
picked him up. Jack Lett had not been
bound, and when his whippers turned
toward the man who had been shot be
escaped. His brother, who did the shoot.
ing, also ran away.
Fifty persons in Miller County, and
about as many in Camden, have, within
the last month, received notices from the
dreaded regulators. One of these, man
named Thomas Martin, has made public
proclamation that he will keep his
double. barreled shotgun and two revolv.
ers loaded and close at hand, and on the
first appearance of the gang he will open
fire without o moments parley. He
warns his friends, one and all, if they
have any business with him it must be
transacted in the daytime, as he will
shoot on sight any intruder on his premi-
ses after ightfall.