Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1897-07-31
"GESEEAL" EEFF. TIE CHAMPION HORSE
THIEF

"GEEEEAL" SEFF. TIE CHAMPION HORSE
THIEF.
poultry fancier General" NeR was te the
owner of flno horscfesh. He was IS years
old when he died, and during such time
as his talents were not restricted by the
walls Of prison had followed the event
full occupation of horse stealing since he
was boy of 10.
In his long career, extending over q
period Of co years, Neff IL said TO have &C.
quired unlawful possession of about 1000
horses. He had served terms in the penal
institutions Of fyo states and several peni.
tentinrles had had the honor of holding
him moro than once. It was his habit to
behave himself well while in prison and
wardcns regarded him as a model convict.
He piled his vocation principally in Mis-
souri, and Illinois, but on several occasions
no dared tho western prniries. where horse
raisers were lying In wait with hempen
nockties for the troublesome thief who
thought nothing of rounding up drove
of horses and taking them To a ready mar.
ket. When Nofr was in the zenith Of his
career, men Of his calling found short
shrift with the farmers. A ready rope and
the nearest tree furnished the means of
their transit to kingdom como
But General" Neff did not allow these
things 90 interfere with his business. I'm
like most men of his profession, he went
nbout his work Systematically, and but for
1his, coupled with great amount Of
shrewdnoss, 1t IL more than likely that
years ago he would have danced on the ut
mospherc with his neck in moose.
Ho was the leader Of one of the most no.
torious bands of horse thieves that ever in
Tested tho Mississippi valley. His first ap.
pcarance in this country dates back to the
time OF the civil war, when General Butler
captured New Orleans. He was there met
by Ncff, who asked permission to join the
army. Recognizing his knowledge of mil
itary operations, General Butler ut once
made him captain of artillery. from
which oiiico he was soon promoted to the
colonclcy Of colored regiment.
After the war closed he began tho career
OF horse stealing in tho west which has
made him famous. His first operations
were conducted in st. Louis, where he
was surrounded by n gang as INSCRIPTIONS
rs himself. lie posed as a team owner,
and ut one time had numerous teams
working about St. Louis, all of which
were stolen. His plan of celebrating
traces Of stolen animals after they reached
tho city was for the thief TO exchange
horses with any of Neff's drivers whom he
might mcet upon the street. Notwith-
standing these precautions, Neff was twice
convicted of horse stealing and served two
terms OF seven and five years in the Jeffer-
son City prison.
In order to elude detectives and arrest
he hired confederatos, generally two in
number. and these he would place on some
farm or ranch tho horses on which he in
tended to steal. When q favorable oppor.
tunity presented itself, the confederates
would hand over the best animals in the
droycs and Neff would dispose of them to
good advantage. Before he was detected
IN this work he had amassed quite large
amount OF money and had fallen in with
horse sharks and sales static cappers Of
nearly every horse and mule market in
tho country. When ho was finally cap
fured, there was crowd Of victims
throughout Illinois and Missouri sufficient
TO form IN army.
BY this time horse stealing had become
moro than n mere business with him. 1t
WINS fad and an art. He stole for fun
When no emerged from prison after his
first term, he would frequently stcal a
horse just because he and the animal hap.
pened to meet on tho road. He was hu-
name In the treatment of stock and always
carried pockets full of loaf sugar and sweet.
meats with which he won the friendship
Of oquines. lie had such influence over tho
animals that 10 was q balky .benss indeed
that would not follow him along n coun.
try road or lane, ever l0lking for n lump
OF sugar or piece Of candy In this way
no was enabled 10 approach many valuable
stnlliols, brood mares or racers and eyenfu
ally take them OF with him to purchaser.
already secured.
whenever an inscriptions horse dealer
was DESTROYS Of obtaiAing an animal either
for draft or racing purposes all that was
necessary for him TO do was IN hunt up
NeH and communicate with him on the
subject. Nef would suddenly disappear
from his hnunts and in n fortnight he
would be back with the animal desired.
One OF his schemes 70 travel through the
country without exciting suspicion was 10
pass rs . patent medicine veuder He
made his journeys in n small cart. selling
ponaccas for all ills and Incidentally re.
moving corns and doctoriBg sick horses.
He would remain in place where he ex
pected rich haul. and when the time was
ripe would suddenly be missing. and at
the same time there weuld be q general
disappearance OF horses from all the farm
Grs' barns.
On one occasion he had a confederate at
work caring for the horses Of wealthy
farmer In Missouri, and for several days