Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1912-07-13
CATTLE RUSTLING GOES ON
Passing Of the Big Ranges Has Not
Checked Work.

The passing of the great cattle ranges
of western South Dakota has not affect
ed the work of the expert cattle trust
lers, whose operations, since the wip
ing out of the big herds by reason of ths
occupancy of great parts of the former
great cattle range by homesteaders, have
been confined to the herds of the small
cattlemen, or ranchers, as they are term
ed. These men own from 100 to 20C
head of cattle each, and in the aggre'
gate their herds would make a respect.
able showing compared with the big
herds ofthe great cattle companies which
formerly were engaged in the cattle rails
ing business on big scale In that part
of South Dakota lying between the Mis-.
souri, river and the Black Hills and north
of the Black Hills.
In the old days of cattle raising on q
large scale, the operations Of the rustlers
became 80 annoying and caused such
heavy losses to cattle owners that what
has since been known as the Western
South Dakota Stockman's association
was organized. Funds were raised for
putting an end to the operations of the
rustlers, and many Of the thieves were
either lodged in the penitentiary or
compelled to leave the country. With
the passing of the big herds the opera
tions of the rustlers for q time ceased,
only to be resumed when the small cat
tlsmen or ranchers occupied the coun-
try formerly included in the great
ranges and their small herds commenc-
ed to be seen in every valley and on
every hill.
AN ASSOCIATION ORGANIZED.
To cope with the new conditions what
is known as the Fall River and Custer
County Live Stock Owners Protective
association was organized with head
quarters at the frontier town of Buffalo
gap, in the foothills of the Black Hills.
This association now has taken its place
as perhaps the leading anti-horse and
cattle thief association in the United
States. The president is William NJ.
OBanion. Dan Mosier is vice presi-
dent, G. S. Isham is secretary treasurer,
and s. ]. Godsey, one of the most fear
less men in the west, is chief captain.
Upon Capt. Godsey falls the chief duty,
when rustlers made raid on the cattle
herds of ranchers in the territory COW
cred by the association, to run down the
rustlers and procure the evidence which
will convict them when they are tried
in court.
Funds for the prosecution of the rus
tiers are provided by the membership
fees which members of the association
are required to pay and by assessing
members a certain sum for each head of
cattle owned by them.
The most recent exploit of the asso-
citation in the prosecution line was the
arrest of three men, John Rush, Joe
Norman and John Ashbault, on the
charge of rustling cattle belonging to
members of the anti-cattle thief associa-
tion. Capt. Godsey performed his work
of gathering evidence so we'll that the
three defendants did not have even q
fighting chance In court.
The anti-cattle thief association has
representatives in the most remote parts
of the territory covered by it, and when
raid is made by rustlers the officers are
promptly notified, and within remark
ably brief time posses of heavily armed
men have started from different direc-
tions to close in on the rustlers and pre-
vent them escaping with the stolen stock.
The long distance telephone lines are
proving very valuable in enabling the
officers to take the trail of the rustlers
with the least possible delay.