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UER Forum > Archived US: South > Anti Horse Thief Association (Viewed 693 times)
dwtaylor999 


Location: Unassigned Lands, Oklahoma
Gender: Male




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Anti Horse Thief Association
< on 12/16/2012 5:13 AM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
On a crisp fall afternoon in November of 1885, several members of the Anti Horse Thief Association surrounded the blacksmith shop in Elgin Kansas. The organization had been trying to root out a band of cattle rustlers for several weeks, and though they had suspicions, until recently, they had no proof against the perpetrators.




Situated on the Oklahoma border, Elgin Kansas was one of the few points of "civilization" i.e. train service, mail, finished goods, etc, near the Osage nation. Founded in 1869, a post office was established on February 27, 1871. The town is located just across the Oklahoma border in Chautauqua county. The first store, school, saw mill, church, and Masonic lodge in the county were located at Elgin. The newspaper was the Elgin Journal and the Elgin State Bank was founded in June of 1901.














Elgin had one of the first telephone exchanges in the region. Early phone exchanges were party lines. For those who have never experienced a party line, a single line served as many as 10 to 12 families. Each house had a distinct ring with combinations of long and short rings. Before radio and television the telephone spread news of disaster, five long rings was a signal for everyone to pick up the phone as help might be needed for a neighbor or a disaster.

Some of the rules of a party line were:
Answer only your own rings
Obscene language was strictly forbidden
Conversations were limited to five minutes














With the arrival of the railroad in 1886, Elgin became a major shipping point for cattle from Texas and the Indian Territory for hungry mouths back East. Elgin is mentioned repeatedly in the history of the land run and oil boom towns of northeastern Oklahoma, with tales of outlaws, bank robbers, and the like.

In 1902, 6,500 cattle cars were shipped out of Elgin, but by 1910, Elgin's reign as the premier cattle rail head was coming to an end. The Tall Grass prairie of Osage county had been allotted to the members of the Osage tribe, putting an end to the large scale grazing rights and associated cattle herds. This, as well as competition from other loading points established with rail expansion through the Oklahoma territory and Texas, ended Elgins importance as a shipping center.






























Elgin boomed again with the discovery of oil in 1920, and a city water system and bricked streets were added to the town. Its population peaked during the boom at about 2,500 people, but by 1924, oil in the the area had played out. Rail service ended in 1939 and the new highways bypassed the town. With the onset of the Great Depression, and the ensuing "great migration", Elgin began a long decline and the post office was officially closed on July 30th, 1976. A sign in the town, taken from the now closed cafe, boasts "A town to tough to die" but the rough and tumble days of cattle and oil are long gone, only whispers among the abandoned buildings and homes..





























Back to the Anti Horse Thief Association. A young man named Cy Stevens had set himself the task of discovering the cattle thieves plaguing the area around Elgin, and hired himself out as a cowboy on John Florer's ranch in the Oklahoma territory. The primary suspects where two men named Al Linscott and Barra Kid. Cy listened into their conversations and concluded they had been involved in numerous cattle depredations, but before he could set a plan in motion to catch them, they slipped off to Texas.




The pair then traveled to Shawnee in the Oklahoma Territory, where they made the acquaintance of Frank Pappan, a Kaw Indian half breed, and enlisted his services in their cattle lifting operations. They eventually made their way back north and after a daring raid on the ranch of Lew Waite near Elgin, attention was at once directed their way, resulting in their being surrounded at the blacksmith in Elgin. The following is an account from the Arkansas City Traveler newspaper, dated November 25th, 1895.

"There was a general turnout of cowboys and Pappan and Al Linscott were corralled in a blacksmith shop. The administration of justice was swift and sure. Revolvers were pointed at them from all sides, and the command given that they hold up their hands. The surprise was complete, and the two men had no chance to parley. Hands were uplifted in a token of submission, but it was noticed that the half breed grasped a revolver. The code of the plains condemns this as an act of treachery, and an immediate fusilade extended him on the earth in the agonies of death.

We have not heard that any proceedings have been instituted against these avengers. Among a herder community, horse and cattle stealing is regarded as a far more heinous offense than murder, and the ridding of the neighborhood of such a pest is popularly regarded as an ample justification of the deed
."

Having never heard of the Anti Horse Thief Association, I was somewhat surprised to discover both the size and role of the organization. There is some dispute, but it is generally considered to have been founded by David McKee, a farmer and stock raiser in Clark County Missouri in 1854 to address a growing problem with horse and cattle theft in the border areas between Missouri, Illinois and Iowa. The AHTA grew quickly and soon there were chapters and suborders in several states.


David McKee



In spite of its name, the basic principle of the organization was opposition to law violations of any kind, not just horse theft. Members were to bring criminals to justice, not though vigilantism, but through the court system by working with law enforcement. The AHTA's emblem, the horsehoe, stood for Humanity, Charity, and Justice.




Members had to be at least eighteen years old and of good character and public standing. Individuals enlisted for four years and paid annual dues of ten cents (later increased to 20 cents). The AHTA gave them protection from thieves but also required that they assist other members in times of need.

Every year the suborders' presidents would appoint members to serve on pursuing committees, otherwise known as posses. If a theft or other crime occurred, the pursuing committee tracked the offender until his capture. They would spend $100.00 to recover a $25.00 horse, simply due to the principle. In addition to pursuing committees, AHTA developed vigilance committees whose members kept suspicious persons under surveillance by watching their homes and sometimes following them. In order to obtain evidence, members would occasionally spend days watching the home of a certain thief, as well as a trail or river crossing suspected of being used by criminals. Remember, these were lawless times, and the existing law enforcement was stretched extremely thin, especially in the Oklahoma and Indian Territories.

The organization was highly effective, capturing over 400 suspects in Oklahoma between 1899 to 1909, with almost 300 convictions. All the members who performed these functions were volunteers, receiving no pay, but were reimbursed for expenses. They were particularly effective at operating across boarders where the traditional law enforcement was hampered. For example, a local chapter would capture an outlaw in one state, take him to the border, release him, telling him he was no longer welcome here and had better leave immediately. The criminal, thinking he was getting a break would cross the boarder on the run, only to be picked up by a chapter from the other state shortly after crossing, and then taken in for prosecution.




The AHTA also had a publication where they listed missing horses and property called the AHTA Weekly News. It was devoted exclusively to items concerning the organization, horse thieves and other livestock and property theft. The publishers also liked to list any particularly steep sentences given to horse thieves to use as a scare tactic to prevent future thefts. At its peak, it had a circulation of over 20,000. They also published a "Black List", where they described known criminals or those highly suspect. Some excepts are below, including someone on the "list" in my little town of Ralston, Oklahoma. Sounds like some that still reside here today.

“Mac Bevier, aged about 29 years, is about 6 feet high; weight 180, light straight hair, light complexion, large blue eyes, heavy sandy moustache, straight and has broad shoulders. Lived in Oklahoma County, skipped jail and is suspected to be in the Indian Territory. Highway robbery.”

“Berry Coulter, height 5 ft 10 in, blue eyes, eyes rather weak, wears glasses at times, age 35, weight 165, dark hair, sandy moustache; residence, Cordell; a murderer, horse and cow thief.”

“Steve Dodson, age 55, weight 140, hair very gray, 5 ft 5 in height; lives in Ralston and supports a large family without any visible means of support, and does little or no work.”

“Henry Pryor, age 50, weighs 160, 5 ft 9 in. tall. The father is a good talker. Oldest son, crooked mouth. All are fair complexion. Horse, cattle, harness, and saddle thieves. Left here at night in September. The six supposed to have went to southeast Kansas.”





The organization went into a decline during the civil war, as many of its members went off to fight, but rebounded rapidly once the war ended, becoming stronger than ever. By 1916, the AHTA had over forty thousand members in Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, lllinois, Arkansas, New Mexico, Colorado, and South Dakota. The organization declined again during WWI, for the same reasons as the Civil war, the members went off to fight. With the changing transportation, declining rural populations, depression etc, the organization continued its decline after the war ended, converting primarily to a fraternal organization rather than law enforcement, holding planned activities for it's members and providing community services.

In time, the AHTA just faded away. Though a small few chapters remain. One such is the tiny town of Bentonville, Ohio. They also have an annual banquet, which is held every April. Anyone can join their group by sending a dollar and a self-addressed stamped envelope for a lifetime membership to:

Bentonville Anti-Horse Thief Association
c/o Verna Naylor
7785 State Route 41
Bentonville, OH 45101


The below is taken from an old article about the AHTA I found on the web. In light of recent tragic events, I thought I would post it here.

There is no disputing that the Anti-Horse Thief Association was one of the most formidable civilian arms of law enforcement ever created. It owes its success to the times in which it served. Morality, truth and honesty were its foundation. These men did not see themselves as vigilantes, but as hard-working, honest people working side-by-side with law enforcement instead of living as hapless victims.

In today’s society, that culture of self-reliance is but a remnant in our genetic coding. We have learned to be reliant on everything that society puts on our table. We are now dependent on others to protect us and tell us what to buy, how to act, etc.

Is the AHTA needed today? Benjamin Franklin once said that those who are willing to give up a little freedom for a little security deserve neither. Times are much different today, but, as individuals, we must find a balance that serves both our personal rights and the safety of our communities.



I'm sending my dollar to Bentonville tomorrow.



[last edit 12/16/2012 9:55 PM by dwtaylor999 - edited 3 times]

Ruins, the fate of all cities.
Tenebrae 


Location: The Wild West


Life's short; eat dessert first.

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Re: Anti Horse Thief Association
<Reply # 1 on 12/16/2012 1:40 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
This is an amazing piece of work. Love the history, story, and photos (both new and old).
Thank you!

Keaven 


Location: 15 miles from the Grassy Knoll
Gender: Male




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Re: Anti Horse Thief Association
<Reply # 2 on 12/16/2012 8:28 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Wow!

Very nice!

crows 


Location: Eastern Iowa


Il est interdit de faire smashy smash

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Re: Anti Horse Thief Association
<Reply # 3 on 12/16/2012 11:06 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Gorgeous photos and the accompanying history. Winning thread to click at random, I say. Well, okay, it also had horse thieves, so really I couldn't resist.

All of those shots are fantastic but I especially love the one of the cemetery sign and track. Also I'm within a day's drive of Elgin this whole post makes me itch to make the trip but I'd have to go it alone I think and my friends in OKC moved this fall. This will definitely be worth a detour though if I have a reason to head that direction! Thank you!

input: bacon | output: fiction
cdevon 


Location: west county
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Re: Anti Horse Thief Association
<Reply # 4 on 12/17/2012 12:01 AM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
awesome post as always!



When I say I'm 'clean and sober', it means I've showered and I'm headed to the liquor store.
dwtaylor999 


Location: Unassigned Lands, Oklahoma
Gender: Male




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Re: Anti Horse Thief Association
<Reply # 5 on 12/17/2012 12:27 AM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Posted by crows
Gorgeous photos and the accompanying history. Winning thread to click at random, I say. Well, okay, it also had horse thieves, so really I couldn't resist.

All of those shots are fantastic but I especially love the one of the cemetery sign and track. Also I'm within a day's drive of Elgin this whole post makes me itch to make the trip but I'd have to go it alone I think and my friends in OKC moved this fall. This will definitely be worth a detour though if I have a reason to head that direction! Thank you!


I'm told there is an old stone arched railway bridge west of town/cemetery, you might want to check out. I didn't hear it was there until later.

Ruins, the fate of all cities.
crows 


Location: Eastern Iowa


Il est interdit de faire smashy smash

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Re: Anti Horse Thief Association
<Reply # 6 on 12/17/2012 1:04 AM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Posted by dwtaylor999


I'm told there is an old stone arched railway bridge west of town/cemetery, you might want to check out. I didn't hear it was there until later.


Fantastic! Must... contrive... reason... to go to Oklahoma... x.O

input: bacon | output: fiction
tax_mouse 


Location: SACRAMENTO, CA
Gender: Female




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Re: Anti Horse Thief Association
<Reply # 7 on 12/17/2012 3:42 AM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
I remember party-lines!
I also remember telephone booths!

lol

UER Forum > Archived US: South > Anti Horse Thief Association (Viewed 693 times)



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