March 7, 1853
On this day, while Americans living on the fringes of the nation worried about having their horses stolen, the people of Bentonville, Ohio, decided to do something about it. They organized the Bentonville Anti-Horse Thief Society 165 years ago.
Bentonville may have been the first anti-equine thieving group but it was not alone for long. Major David McKee, (right) a property owner in Clark County, Missouri, got together with his like-minded friends not long after Bentonville and set up a similar organization, the Anti-Horse Theft Association, originally known as the “Black Lantern Society.
Clark County may have been the horse hijacking capital of America. Located on the Missouri border with Iowa and Illinois, it was easy pickings to snatch a horse and head across the Des Moines or Missouri River and be gone.
It is hard to overstate the importance of horses in 19th century rural America. Often the only source of transportation and income for farmers, ranchers and tradespeople, they sometimes literally meant the difference between life and death for isolated homesteaders. With the nation’s average yearly income in 1860 estimated at less than $500, the average cost of a horse was generally between $150 and $200.
The AHTA’s activities were severely curtailed by the Civil War with most of its member in the military. In the absence and the turmoil created in the border states, the problems multiplied.
McKee returned to Clark County, discharged for a disability, and renewed his activism to stop the thievery, formally charting the group in 1863. McKee’s new rendition turned out to be “crime stopper 2.0.” Chapters were formed in surrounding states including Iowa, Kansas and Oklahoma, ending the prohibition of crossing state lines for pursuers.
A rustler caught in Kansas with Missouri livestock would be taken to the border by the local AHTA and instructed to get out and never return. But Missouri AHTA members were waiting to nab him and turn him over to authorities. While the AHTA was always made up of volunteers, it never practiced vigilante tactics, working closely with law enforcement in all cases.
Some thieves weren’t lucky enough to fall into the hands of AHTA members, however. That was the case for three horse thieves in Table Rock, Nebraska in 1964. After being captured in Iowa, two of the thieves along with their local accomplice were lynched on the spot. The fourth was shot trying to escape. Clinging to life, he too was hung the very next day.
Aside from the Pinkertons, the AHTA was prehaps the era’s most advanced group of crime fighters. The telegraph, later the telephone and a newsletter circulated information among a growing number of members in a pre-tech Amber Alert system.
By 1916 there were 50,000 members of AHTA, But WWI, the coming of the automobile and hard times in the heartland finally spelled its demise. Evolving into social clubs, however, the communities of Arenzville, Illinois, Nepueskun, Wisconsin and Bentonville still maintain memberships.
Just because the AHTA stopped pursuing horse thieves doesn’t mean horses don’t still get stolen. It is estimated that as many as 40,000 go missing each year, some sold for slaughter, ransomed or taken in ownership disputes.
Female outlaw, Belle Starr
While justice for horse thieves did, in fact, sometimes come at the end of a rope, not always. Famous female outlaw, Belle Starr, served only a brief nine-month prison sentence for the crime back in 1884. Today, however, penalties can be much more severe.
A latter-day organization, Stolen Horse, International, also known as NetPosse.com was founded in 1997 by Harold and Debi Metcalfe. It assists with recovery of both livestock and equipment, reunites animals with owners after natural disasters and educates owners on prevention with the publication “Horse Theft, Been There—Done That.”
Advances in technology have also helped identify lost or stolen animals, making recovery easier and, fortunately more common. All horses born in European Union countries since 2009 are required by law to be microchipped and a number of other countries have followed suit.
Stolen Horse, International, headquartered in Shelby, N.C. provides a variety of resources and services for horse owners including a worldwide NetPosse Identification Registery, education, online auctions and links to law enforcement. Copies of the book, “Horse Theft. Been There—Done That” is available through organization’s store. For more information go 
to netposse.com, e-mail debi@netposse.com, call (704) 484-2165 or write PO Box 1341, Shelby, NC 28151.
At this writing, Bentonville, Ohio, continues to hold an annual dinner the last Saturday in April commemorating the horse thief society. Membership is open to anyone and only requies a $1 donation sent to Bentonville Anti-Horse Thief Association, c/o Verna Naylor. 7785 State Route 41, Bentonville, OH 45101.
© Text Only – 2018 – Headin’ West LLC – All photos – public domain or fair use.