Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1889-10-18
A HORSETHIEF CLUB.
A Clergyman Tells the Story or His
Connection with It.

turned from Japan. The reverend
gentleman gave the reporter an account
Of his connection with horsethief
club in Nebraska. "Yes. indeed; /
used TO be one of the members of such
club. l belonged to one for two
years. always did like IA good
horse, and when first located in
Omaha, purchased rather good ami
NAL. i had just got fairly settled
down when one day man by the name
OF Strong called and asked me IL l
didn't want to join the Horse Thief
Club. When | asked him the purpose
OF the organization he said il was q
club to protect horse owners from the
depreciation Of horse thieves. Yet the
club went by its peculiar name, which
expressed just the opposite idea it was
intended to. He said as had horse
/ had better get in and join. and if my
horse was stolen the club would send
men after the thieves and recover the
property. All this would cost me 81 a
month"
Il asked him If the taxes / paid to
the authorities would not give me the
same right. Hardly he said. His
idea OF the local authorities was very
low. He said he never yet heard of
sheriff in Nebraska catching horse
thief, and that he believed that half the
officers OF the law in Nebraska were in
with the thieves. Hence the necessity
OF local club 10 protect horse owners.
Well, continued the Rev. Grassman.
concluded that my horse was worth
protecting; | was duly initiated one
night, the club meeting in an old barn.
At first / thought had fallen in with
pretty hard crowd, but when they be-
gan TO talk | concluded that | had met
set OF men who had considerable good
horse sense. They were rough men
and wore old clothes, but they were good
types of the honest, hardy frontiers
man. They treated me with "A rough,
sincere courtesy, and during the meet
ing motion was made TO excuse me
from active service on the 'Overtaking
Committee
10 make a long story short, one
night my beautiful bay horse was stol-
en- and a special session OF the club was
called. l was considerably excited,
of course, and was early at the meet
ing. The club had a short session and
appointed William Strong and two
other men as on 'Overtaking Com nit
tee to trail the thieves. They mount
ed their fast horses in about five min
utes and, with revolvers strapped on,
set off in the dead of night on smart
gallop. In about ten days they return
ed aud brought my horse back. That
night the committee made their report.
AS near as l can remember it was as
follows:
We, the committee, report that
we overlook the man who stole the
horse. WILLIAM STRONG, Chairman
Then they adjourned, and next day
had talk with Strong. The CONVEX
sation was about like this:
Where did you find my horse?'
Down in Kansas; just across the
line
h" Did you find the thief?'
We overlook him.
Why didn't you bring him back"
i said he was overlook.
What do you mean by overlook
Overlook with tribulation. /
guess he had hard luck
Dlu you Ittlh Will AAih oONNs SiAO
sin OF stealingP'
Talked some.
What did he talk|
" He liked back
What did he say?'
a" 'Nothin'; he just sassed the COM
mittee.'
" Did he talk long"
He quit sooner than we did
Did you ask him to come back?'
" Nav"
You should have brought him
back and had him punished. Had
you no idea OF arresting him?'
" We hadn't no requisition.'
I" 80 you allowed him to go away
after this crime?"
Not by joyful. No man goes
away after he's caught boss stealth"
why not?
i" Cos he's dead parson-deader'n
{" Do you mean to say you killed
him?'
g" We plugged him six times, par :
son, and he curled up alongside the
road and died right there. / hated to
tell yer this COS you're a preacher
i htDJ a. NUN y VA, Ohb yNA hOPs
comm at me, and so now yer know
that the $40 yer put up helped pay
the expenses of the overtakers; but
yer can bet high that there is no ex-
pense TO the undertakers. We all
agreed to keep the KILN back from
yer, but yer pumped me and yer got
the inside OF the deal, didn't yer?"
Why, my dear sir, did you shed
| this mans blood"
"'Coss he stole yer boss. We run
onto him early one morning, just he
yond the Kansas line. When we rode
up he was just gettin' through break
| fast He didn't like the look OF us. j
guess, for he up and snaps gun at us
twiste as | rode up. Guess the rainy
night had dampened the caps, for she
didn't 60, but when l slung my Colt
to the fore aud plugged him a couple
or times she went, she did. Jack and
Andy plugged him some, too. We
! Just left him layin' there in the Dad.
and recoverin' yer boss, come no me.
His relatives are the proper pussons
TO bury him, but folks that ant no kin
to a hoss thief oughten to monkey
with his remain ;"
The reverend story teller gave the
| .oo;to1 with on ipimitahla draul md