The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-10-05
LAW AND ORDER SOCIETY
GOV. MOUNT DEFINES HORsETHIEF
DETECTIVE ASSOCIATION.
His Annual Address as President of
the National Body Heard by Four
Hundred Delegates at Madison.

MADISON, Ind Oct. 4--Madison IS en-
pertaining the annual convention of the
Horse Thief Detective Association. Dele
gates are here from Ohio, Indiana and Illi-
nois. about four hundred members being
present. The meeting to-day was presided
over by the president, Governor James A.
Mount, who received a regular ovation
when he appeared. At the public meeting
the courthouse was crowded. The welcome
address was made by Hon NJ r. Sulzer
Governor Mount responded and stated the
object of the association. In his annual adj
dress Governor Mount said:
Organized effort is usually the out-
SIo"ln Oh necessity. In the earlier his
tory or our State, when the country was
sparsely settled. when courts We're few and
oIlcerS OF the law unable to cone with tha
marauding bands of horse thieves and rob
Ders that infested the country in many To-
cantles, organizations against such thieves
Decame necessity. The Council Grove
minute Men were organized in 1845. L hold
IN my hand a gavel that was made and pre-
SeHtea TO me as your president at Eaton,
~, Two years ago. Ih1S gaVel WNS made
from the stump of the locust tree under
winch the first organization was formed
nLty-two years ago. This company Sc
cured a charter from the Legislature, Civ
ing to all its members the powers of con-
stables and the right to make arrests
Olner companies, organized about the same
Ine, are sui IN existence. The history of
these organizations would fill many vol
umes. An organization similar to these
called the National Anti HOrse-thief AS
ISOLATION, composed of local ORGANIZATIONS
from the States of Missouri Iowa, Kansas
ana Nebraska, has contributed valuable
AID to the enforcement of law and bring
ing criminals to conviction in those States.
The National Horse thief Detective AS
sociation is composed of organizations
from Indiana, Ohio and Illinois, of which
Indiana has about $50 local companies. The
State of Indiana owes much to these or
CARNATIONS, which have contributed their
| In orr oct of1H Of
forts to ferret out crime and TO apprehend,
prosecute and convict criminals In 1866
the Legislature of Indiana took cognizance
OF the valuable work done by the detective
companies. and to encourage them enacted
law providing for their organization and
the appointment of conStableS and en-
towering them to make arrests. These
powers were so discreetly exercised and
their work proved so effective that in 1885
the Legislature gave to the president of
the companies the right to administer Off
cial oaths, etc. In 1891 the Legislature
again amended this law, giving to the con-
stables, whose appointment had been APP
proved by the county commissioners and
who had received a certificate from the
county auditor of such appointment, the
power, when in the pursuit of criminal,
to go into any county in the State and ar
rest and hold without warrant for such
time as might be necessary TO procure
warrant. After a brief explanation of the
purpose and work of the detective organ
izations l found no difficulty in securing
the passage of this amendment to the law.
NEIlD On OINIA1NlZ IAI Il OIN1s
81 have thus briefly reviewed the enact
ment of the laws by which these organiza-
tons are ana have been governed. The
need of their work has not passed away.
Gentlemen of the National Horse-thief De-
| tective Association, the signs Of the times
indicate that there is now, and will con-
tinue to be. a growing necessity for your
organized efforts. In some localities thieves
and felons render life and property inse-
cure In many places local thieves and
robbers, as well as migrating criminals, are
a great annoyance TO law-abiding people.
1t is impossible for the officers of our
courts to give ample protection to remote
country districts Without some cO-Opera-
ton looking to the arrest of these criminal
parasites who are too lazy to work and
too mean to respect the rights of others
such localities must suffer. In some coun-
ties where these thieves abound the indi-
vidual citizen suffers loss OF property
rather than take the initiative, unaided, in
bringing the Offenders to justice. These
transgressorS of the law become more bold
and defiant, and in their theft and robbery
frequently commit the graver crime of
murder If indictments are secured, the
defendants employ the best criminal law
yers, who, through the overindulgence OF
the court, delay trials take changes of
venue and in other ways hinder the adj
minfstration of justice until all hope of
retribution is forever lost. Then an in
dignant people are excited into mob vio-
lence justifying their lawlessness on the
pretext that justice is not melted out by the
courts. Then the impassioned mob goes
forth to defy law dethrone courts and dis
honor the temple of justice. This was
forcibly demonstrated a few years ago,
when it was claimed murderer had been
acquitted, and there was complaint OF lax
enforcement of the law by the court at
Cincinnati. The Infatuated mob, to show
its contempt for the court OF justice,
burned the courthouse.
In the early history OF Indiana, when
orga nized effort was necessary for the pro-
lection of property against rhe inroads and
depredations of thieves, Judge who was
believed to be in league with robbers was
hanged while serving as judge of the court.
Laws upon the statute books against
crime are not sufficient to deter criminals.
They become effective only when en-
forced. The execution of the law will be
determined by the sentiment supporting
the law. In any locality sentiment ana
information sufficient TO organize ana pack
lynchings is sufficient to secure indictments
and convictions in the courts. 1t is 70 be
earnestly hoped that the good people of
Indiana will be aroused TO a personal re-
sponsibility and see to it that the laws are
enforced and lawlessness suppressed
RIPLEY COUNTY LYNCHING.
Recently in Ripley county five prisoners
awaiting their trials were taken from the
county jail and brutally lynched by law
less mob However exasperating the lax
enforcement of the law may become the
remedy must not be sought through the
commission OF a far greater crime one
which defes courts, inflames passion and
inaugurates a reign of terror. When these
conditions obtain we are in the midst of
revolution If an Infatuated mob is to sup
plant courts and juries and become the ar
bitter OF Justice in Indiana, then there viii
be longer protection to property and
| security of life. The hideous crime OF
lynchIng Is not to be measured by the
worth or character of the subjects lynched,
out by the dangerous precedent established,
where courts of Justice are ignored and en-
roo .lH xffnf
| is TO be tolerated, then thieves, felons and
murderers win arrOgate TO themselves the
right to administer their conceptions Of
| justice. The hate and bitterness engen-
| dered by the demagoguc viii kindle into a
| fame and the Anarchist. with torch and
bomb. viii want TO even up things accord
! ing TO his deadened sense OF equity. Such