The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-12-20
new CRIME WAVE
Revival of Horse Stealing SIN
duStry" in Shawnee.
Bank Robbers Turn to New
Means of Livelihood.
THEY FLEE To KANSAS CITY
Offenders Have Protecting
Gang in Missouri Town.
Complaints Come to County
Officers i'm Topeka.
THEY FLEE TO KANSAS CITY

Are the men who formerly earned their
| livelihood in Kansas by robbing banks
| turning to the gentIer art of horse stea'-
| ing? County and state officials are be-
ginning to think so. If not. they arguC,
why the revival Of horse stealing which
for so many years was considered one of
the more dangerous occupations
Within the last year there has been an
and particularly in Shawnee county.
Farmers, accustomed to the quiet safety
OF late years, made no particular effort
| to guard their horses. Horse stealing In
Kansas had been largely discouraged In
the early days by the summary justice in
| flicted alike on suspects and guilty per-
sons. Then the telephone and telegraph
came and horse stealing went out of
vogue. The telephone grew more COM
| mon and the farmer more secure in MS
fancy.
Then came the revival of this indus
try" Horses began to be missed. In
some cases it was at first thought jokers
We're responsible. Then it was believed
that perhaps the animals had strayed.
But more horses were missed from time
to time and at last the farmers awakened
to the fact that they were being robbed.
The Anti-Horse Thief society, an or
gap1zation that numbers thousands now,
had previously busted itself with running
down offenders along other lines. But
now it turned itself to catching the class
of offenders to apprehend which it was
organized. County and state officers,
thoroughly armed, became exceedingly
busy And a lot, probably most of the
thieves operating in Kansas, were caught.
Others are still at large and being sought
But the crimes continue.
Epidemic Does Not Cease.
In Shawnee county a number of horse
ing the penalty for their crimes
But the epidemic of stealing doesn't
seem to stop.
Just before the outbreak of horse
thievery Kansas banks and postonices
suffered as the result of organized depre-
dalton. Gangs with headquarters In an
other state terrorized the smaller cities
and so successful were they in securing
money from banks and postoffices that
the rates on burglary insurance IN Kan
sas were raised SO per cent.
The result was that state officers or
ganized to stamp out this kind OF crime
The legislature passed a new law making
bank robbery one of the most serious
crimes that can be committed in Kansas
Long and severe penalties were pre-
scribed for those convicted of this offense.
Several of the bank robbers captured were
given sentences that meant life imprison-
ment. Bank robberies Immediately be-
came less common in this state.
Driven by fear of the consequences from
their faVorite profession, the crooks VINO
thrived at robbing banks turned to horse
stealing as a means of livelihood, accord
ing to Shawnee county officers. And the
epidemic described above is the result.
Officers Are Doubtful.
Just what will be required to stop this
new wave of crime in Kansas the officers
do not say. Some of them are convinced
that it cannot be done until the nest of
crooks alleged to exist at Kansas City is
broken up. The crooks get out into Kan
sas, rob the farmers, escape with their
plumber to Kansas City. and are safe to
dispose of 1t as they see fit, according to
these officers.
Another proposition urged as means
of breaking up the epidemic of stealing
is law by the legislature at its meeting
this winter that will provide more Sc
we're penalty.
Additional cases of horse stealing were
reported at the court house toady. one
of them reported to Sheriff J. D. Norton
by V. Prickett of Pauline. While he was
in Topeka Wednesday some one stole
the old family horse from his barn. The
animal is a mare, aged and blind, and
hardly a Salable animal NeighborS re-
port that they believe they saw the mare
led behind a horse traders wagon that
was headed toward Usage county.