The New York herald., 1922-01-29

elected to do. They watched the fair
grounds at Syracuse for their first detail
There were 100000 people at the fair that
year. but there were few misdemeanors
such as are generally accepted as those
which must be tolerated at fairs.
In their new enthusiasm the troopers
were like hawks, swooping down upon
petty crooks, watching so carefully and
SO successfully that their first impression
upon those representatives of the crooked
class" who had chosen the Syracuse Fair
for their thieveries and petty swindles
was that they were the "trickiest lot of
bulls" they had ever run across.
1t was not long after their inception
that the troopers began to be known as
the Gray Riders A few good deeds in
line Of duty, few mad rides through the
countryside, few duly impressed village
girls and duly grateful countrymen, then
the picturesque name came and 1t has re-
mained.
The ambition of the restless farm boy
now Is to become a Gray Rider Once
he wanted to be a soldier or to go to the
city to do some adventurous thing and
then to go back to his community and
swagger with legitimate pride. Now he
wants to become a member of the troop
ers, but that must be as yet an unfulfilled
desire, no matter what his qualities or
how outstanding his fitness. There are
500 men whose applications to become
Gray Riders are in the office of Major
Chandler. He holds them, but cannot con-
slider them now, for the quota is filled,
and it is likely to be some time before
there will be vacancies.
How romantic atmosphere has grown
about the name of the Gray Riders can
best be shown by story or two Of their
exploits.
Buffalo Barrel Murder Tale
Real Moving Picture Thriller
The Buffalo barrel murder and the appre-
hension of the murderer is one such story.
II is a story rivalling the screen effusions
on the Royal Northwest Troopers but,
unfortunately, there is no love story con-
nected with It. Anyhow, 1t may be that
Troopers Rooney and Fowler of the Gray
Riders are married men.
The Buffalo barrel murder was the en-
titlement the police gave Black Hand af-
fair in which one Sebastiano Castro is
said to have flung a bomb which subse-
quently exploded-in immediate subse-
quence.
The police Of Buffalo laid careful snare
for Sebastiano after they had determined
that the crime was his, but somehow the
black handler proved elusive and worked
his way out of the net.
Sebastiano Castro set out for New York
city-afoot. He had the idea that he would
be able to hide himself in the labyrinth
of dens and alleys of the metropolis. And
while he walked the police Of Buffalo sent
out descriptions Of him and asked that he
be apprehended IL seen.
AS Castro crossed field In the outskirts
of Westchester town a farmer saw him
and stopped him to pass the time of day.
This farmer had seen the notices sent out
from Buffalo, and he noted that the de-
scription on the circulars fitted this man
even to a scar on his forehead
This was in September of 1921. This
farmer had seen the Gray Riders at their
work and he knew them by reputation.
He hurried to his telephone and called
White Plains. troop has its headquar
ters at Gedney Way, White Plains. The
word came to the barracks at about in
the evening, and Troopers Rooney and