The Arizona sentinel., 1888-10-20
EARLY HORSE THIEVES.
Their Complete Organization and
 Work.
How One Boy Helped to Break Up the Fraternity-He Successfully Plans and Sets Three Traps to Catch
 Horse Thieves.

NoWadayS when you compare man
 to horse thief you wish to degrade him. Thirty years ago a frst-class horse thief excited certain amount of admiration and respect. In these days of rapid transit, telegraph, telephone and police, one can scarcely realize the success which horse thieves won before the war. They were the dread and the scourge of the farmer and v1lager. They were better organized than any other class of criminals, and not only stole with nerve, but with system. In 1856 there was a gang with headquarters in Ohio. which numbered at least fifty members, and which had agents in almost every State in the Union. I have seen legal documents to prove that horses stolen in New Hampshire found their way to Georgia, and that horses stolen in Kentucky were traced to points in Maine. It was no haphazard busi- ness. Spies were sent out to locate horses, and then men followed to steal them. When 6 horse was taken he was sent to a certain agent, a farmer or livery man, kept certain length of time, disguised, if necessary, and then forwarded to d second agent still further away. In this manner he was passed out of the State and hun dreds of miles beyond, and not one was recovered, where five were successfully run off. While the crime was made very serious one under the law of al- most every State, it was never looked upon by participants as being any thing compared to burglary, highway robbery or arson. This accounts for the fact that men who were honest in all else, were caught passing along stolen horses.
 The years of 1S57-S were the palmy days of the horse-thief. In 1858 gen. eral movement was made against the Fraternity all over the country, break ing up and scattering organizations. and the beginning of the war finished the business. Except in the far West, the horse-thief acts independently and alone, and it is rare that one gets safe ly of with his prize. During the two years 1 have named, my father had farm in Central Indiana. was fifteen years old, and my health was so poor that l could do no work. Between 1858 and 1857 we lost six horses by thieves, not one of which was re- elao ,,-l, on the trial of a thief visited our place and gave me some pointers, and he was no sooner gone than l began to plan and scheme. We had at that time seven good horses, and among them was span of grays which had taken State fair premium. The sheriff said we would have to stable them in bedroom in the house to keep them, and the impending peril set my wits to work. Father had large mercantile business in the village three miles away and the farm was in my charge all day. We had good barns and the best of locks and we also had a couple of watch dogs, but our horses had been stolen just the same. Indeed when the last horse went, the thief coaxed away tine best dog. The stable door was double locked, but he had used skeleton keys
 On the third day after the sherif's visit couple of strangers drove up in buggy. One of them came in and in- troduced himself as the agent of Cincinnati lightning-rod company, and asked the privilege of inspecting the rods which had been put cu the horse barn the year before. He said they were his company's rods, but did not seem to be properly affixed. This was one day in May, and the span of grays were in the stable. The strangers seemed honest and straight, but the sheriff had warned me to look out for all corners, and l therefore had my eyes open. He not only looked at the rods, but he inspected the stables and examined the doors and locks. Several things occurred to satisfy me that he had come to spy out the situation, and after the pair had driven away began preparations for a visitor. There was what might be called vestibule to the stables. As you opened the door there was a space of about 9x12 feet before you reached the first stall. got piece of green hickory six feet long and shaved it