Since the introduction of the horse to early American society, horse theft has been a lucrative crime. This fascinating exposition details the history of organized horse-thief gangs and several of the most notorious criminals from the colonial era through World War II. Equally riveting is the development of groups dedicated to preventing horse theft, the most famous of which was the Anti-Horse Thief Association.
Tricks of the horse-theft trade are explored. Stolen horses were disguised with various methods. Barns from which they were stolen were burned. Author John K. Burchill also details the characteristics of an ideal hideout and criminal relay stations, which allowed horse thieves to quickly move stolen stock across state lines. The natural evolution of anti-horse theft societies began with small vigilante groups, but soon had the strength of the law behind them. These groups propelled lawmen to levels of power and fame that rivaled the most well-known horse thieves themselves. Burchill brings years of research to this gripping investigation of these two diverse social groups.
About the Author
John K. Burchill earned his MS in rehabilitation counseling from Emporia State University and his MA in criminal justice from Wichita State University. He devoted his early professional years to working as a probation officer and as the director of the Twelfth and Twenty-Eighth Judicial District Community Corrections. Burchill has been a professor of criminal justice at Kansas Wesleyan University since 1996. Since moving to Kansas as an undergraduate, Burchill has pursued his passion for exploring the history of the state. He and his wife live in Salina, Kansas.
BULLETS, BADGES, AND BRIDLES
Horse Thieves and the Societies That Pursued Them
By John K. Burchill
HISTORY / United States / General
SOCIAL SCIENCE / Anthropology / Cultural
SOCIAL SCIENCE / Criminology
192 pp. 5 1/2 x 8 1/2
11 b/w photos
Appendixes Notes Biblio. Index
ISBN: 9781455618576