The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1906-08-03
70 CHECK HORSE THIEVES.
NORFOLK FARMER SUGGESTS a
MEANS OF STOPPING THEM.
WOULD ORGANIZE ASSOCIATION
II All Farmers In Counties Of Northern
Nebraska Were to Organize, Using
Telephones, II is Believed Wholesale
Depredatlons Would End.
From Mondays Daliyl

lFrom Mondays DaHyl
An organization of farmers all over
northern Nebraska for the purpose of
preventing the wholesale horse steal
ing that has been going on in this re-
gion of late, is suggested by Adrian
Craig farmer living near Norfolk,
as an effectual means of putting an
end to the gangs depredations Horse
thieves in this vicinity have become
so bold of late that farmers and towns
folk alike are beginning to feel that
something must be done to check the
thefts. Within a very short time no
less than seven horses have been stol-
on from the immediate vicinity of Nor
folk, alone, while the same rate Of
thieving is going on in all parts of the
northwest
Would Use Telephone.
The organization of business men
and farmers throughout this section,
as suggested by Mr.. Craig, would in
clude all northern Nebraska counties.
Every county would have a central
officer, as the sheriff of that county,
and every time horse was stolen
every central station would be notified.
In turn, each county officer would tele-
| phone every farmer in his county
about the theft and giving a descrip-
ton Of the animal BY thus putting
hundreds and even thousands of farm
ers on the watch, the horsethief would
be checked on any road he attempted
to travel, just as surely as he tried to
move.
Farmers of Madison, Stanton, Cum
ing, Antelope, Holt, Rock, Brown,
Cherry, Pierce, Knox, Boyd, Gregory,
| Is. d. Wayne, Boone, Platte and 9th
er counties could be easily organized
in this way.
A. l.. Carter, a well known Norfolk
farmer, belonged to an association of
this kind in Missouri before the tele-
phones radiated to country homes, and
he says that even by mail many horse
thieves were captured. BY telephone,
which works instantaneously, all of
the farmers in the whole territory
could be notified before the horsethief
could get fifty miles away, and by
thus guarding every road the associa-
tion would be sure to land the thief
in many instances.
Many Horses Stolen Ltaely.
Many horses have been stolen lately
from the vicinity of Norfolk. At least
seven have been taken, as follows:
Roy Luikart, white pony stolen from
barn at night. No trace.
George Evans, team stolen from
pasture, lariet ropes cut, reward Of
! fered. no trace.
Adrian Craig, pony stolen from Fifth
street. Norfolk. Reward offered, no
trace
H. Lederer, between Norfolk and
Pierce, team stolen. No trace.
Lou Ray, horses united in barn
Thief ran when Mr.. Ray approached
Clint Melcher, one horse stolen. No
trace.
In Other Sections.
Many horsethefts have been commit
ted in other parts Of northern Nebras-
ka within the year. Stanton county
has suffered some, the city of Madi
son has been victimized, people in the
vicinity of Wakefield have lost ami
mails, and in few cases have the horses
! been recovered.
1t is probable that the gang work
ing in southern South Dakota is the
same as that working here. Horses
have become of such value today that
the thieves are much bolder than they
formerly were.
The News will gladly attempt to act
as medium through which such an
organization may be brought about if
the farmers and citizens of neighbor-
ing towns and counties care to take
up the matter. With the aid of the
newspapers in this section, the farm
ers could undoubtedly form such
strong committee that it would be i'm
possible for thieves to escape. Let
ters from those interested, including
sheriffs, would prove of interest on
I the ouaStiOn