The Caldwell watchman. (Columbia, La.) 1885-1946, 1911-06-23

vxss,,. into species OF terror
E5li sHfa5M ism, the peaceful inhab-
SH S itants, especially wom-
nd %S: en- and children, being
EtEIt scared out of their II
L.. zlasJ senses"
Beginning with a series of petty
and spiteful annoyances, such as pol
scning chickens, pet cats and dogs;
ringing of church bells at untimely
hours: turning cows into garden
patches; robbing clothes lines or be-
scattering household linen left out
over night with oil, garbage and mud;
or destroying newly-made gardens and
roofing up young plants, these and
similar petty outrages gradually took
on the form of serious mischief and
even crime.
The unknown culprit or culprits ap-
parently became holder through i'm
munity. Women left alone for an
evening would be thrown into hyster-
les by seeing the face of Peep
ing Tom" at their windows. Stables
incautiously left unlocked would be
entered and harness slashed, while
horses or cattle were burned and dis
figured with vitriol.
Children caught alone on side
streets in the dark would be bounced
on by a shadowy figure and pinched
or slapped, or terrified by ghost"
in white. Women also had been
seized from behind and Rugged or
half choked; those and the children,
also those who had been frightened
by the "Peeping Tom," declared that
their assailant was a man.
Finally, to cap the long series of
enormities, sheds, outhouses and
barns had been set on fire, their walls
first plentifully besprinkled with ker
osene. Every effort had been made
to catch the miscreant, yet in vain.
Whoever 1t was seemed to know
when a watch was being kept, and for
a time the evil deeds would cease;
then, when vigilance was relaxed, the
pranks broke out anew and in to-
tally unexpected places. 1t got to
be so that at last no man or family
felt safe, and it was seen that stern
err measures would have to be
adopted.
Annandale was located in northern
New Jersey, rs miles from New York,
and within committing distance of the
city. Because of its salubrious air
1t had become the home Of several
well-to-do Manhattanites - bankers,
lawyers, merchants and artists. These,
with about an equal number of ma
tives"-local tradesmen, farmers,
dairymen and truck gardeners-made
UP thriving little community of per-
haps 1000 souls.
The place was just pretty village,
beautified and benefited by the resi-
dences and improvements introduced
by the city folk, with good school
and couple of churches. But An
Mandate was still a village; there was
no mayor, local affairs being looked
after by board of trustees, who ap-
pointed the roadmaster, the tax col
lector, and the constable. The latter
in turn appointed his two deputies.
Consequently, possessing no regu'
lar police or fire protection, AMMAN
dale was peculiarly exposed and
equally defenseless. At first, tramps
were blamed for the mysterious out
RACES, but many of them occurred
In the dead of winter when the aver
age hobo shuns the open country and
Is usually snugly sheltered in the mu'
nicipal lodging houses of the nearby
metropolis. Besides, neither the con-
stable nor his deputies could find any
tamps, and in the second place the
mischief was done at times and sea-
sons and in localities which argued
an intimate local knowledge on the
part of the perpetrators.
Clearly something must be done,
and that quickly. So one day word
went round that a meeting of the
leading men of Annandale would be
held at the house of Matthew Birge,
q well-known metropolitan banker
and the leading resident. To this
meeting came some IL or Is very
earnest, very angry and very distin'
guished gentlemen, including the To-
cal physician. DR.. Lloyd Osbon.
Major Scarlet, an old soldier friend
of Banker Birge, with whom he hap
pened to be staying at the time, and
John Corrie, the constable.
The meeting was called to order by
DR.. Osbon, who briefly and tersely
catalogued the long series OF outrages
which, as he truly said, had made
life burden to the residents OF An
mandate; he ended by calling Tor ac-
ton and invited suggestions.
One man after another rose, more
often to bewail his own loss and an
noyance than to proffer some plan
for apprehending the rogue. More
than one speaker regretted the fact
that Annandale possessed no regular
police which prompted Constable Cor
RE to explain mildly that three men
couldn't hardly be expected to pa
troll ten miles of roads day an nignt'
though he an his deputies had done
their best" This was seil-eVlden.
proposition (which nobody couid
DENY" One speaker proposed tne
formation of a vigilance committee