The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1904-12-30
AN OKLAHOMA SOCIETY.
What It Has Done For the Terri
tory's Morals.
Guthrie Letter to Dallas News.

In the two territories, soon 10 be
united as one state under the name
OF Oklahoma. the Anti-1orSe Thief
association has grown in numbers
and importance more than in any
other state ~ the union. and today
James S. Kirkwood, or Guthrie. iz
the head of an army OF 10000 meli,
all residents of Oklahoma and Ind1 h
Territory: each man OF whom is sub
ject to Immediate service at any time
to take the trail and aid in t1e cap
ture, at lease, of the festive horse
thief.
With the advance Of civilization
across the western prairies the horse
thief and his band have been bufeted
and beaten until theyjbid fair to take
their place in obsc~ with the buf-
falo, deer and ante be. Instead of
the vast expani Of prairie which
afforded ampls kenue of escape for
the horse thisf and his gang of ma
rauders. the plains are now dotted
with towns. in each of which is To-
Gated telegraph instrument, device
which has Gone more to eradicate the
hsses> thief and his methods than
any 9her agent. By it's means the
bandit has no sooner broken the law
Until he is hennled in on all sides by
United States marshals, sheriffs, far
mers' posses and vigilance commit
tees, who either force his surrender
or shoot him down in battle.
The passing Of the horse thief in
Oklahoma can be credited largely to
the efforts of the Anti-Horse Thief
association, which now has close to
1000 lodges in Oklahoma and Indian
Territory, with a total membership
of 10000 men. The National Anti
Horse Thief Association was organ
lied in northern Missouri forty-three
years ago, and it ultimately extended
its membership into all Of the middle
and western states and territories.
During the past year in Oklahoma
alone there were organized 13I new
lodges with a membership of I4,ooo
In this county seventeen new lodges
were organized during the year with
over 700 members. Throughout In
dian Territory the increase has been
even greater. In the additional di-
vision of the National association
there is one lodge to every sixty
square miles; Kansas one to every
216 square miles, in Oklahoma alone
one to every 12o square miles.
Pawnee county has lodge to every
twenty-six square miles. Lincoln
and Pottawatornie counties one to
every thirty-hve square miles. Logan
one to every thirty-eight and Greer
county one to every 40.
During the past year the associa-
ton has aided in the capture of I37
horse thieves and the recovery Of
$12,ooo worth of stolen horses. There
were I24 horses stolen and 136 re-
covered, some of them being stolen
during the previous year. Out Of
the 187 thieves captured ~ have
been convicted, an excellent record
for the association.
The annual convention of the asso-
ciation of the two territories will be
held in Guthrie during the coming
week. There will be at least 5000
delegates present. The president is
James S. Kirkwood, of Guthrie, who
is now serving his sixth term in that
position. He is commander of this
army of thief catchers and in case
of trouble can call every man into
the field.
A great part of the prominence at
tanned by Kirkwood as president of
the association and as the great in
trepid leader in the two territories is
due to "Travelle7," a black stallion,
which has been in Kirkwood's possess
sion for many years. He is said to