Constitution Of The Horse Rangers Of Turtlecreek Township
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Warren County Local History by Dallas Bogan

Constitution Of The Horse Rangers Of Turtlecreek Township

Contributor:
Dallas Bogan on 14 September 2004
Source:
original article by Dallas Bogan
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Laurine Cochran has kindly permitted this writer to use a small booklet to be inserted into this column entitled, "The Constitution and Rules of the Turtlecreek Township Horse Rangers Association."
The formation of this organization reads as such:
"These Articles of Incorporation of the Turtlecreek Township Horse Rangers' Association, witnessed, that we, the undersigned, all of whom are citizens of the State of Ohio, desiring to form a corporation, not for profit, under the general corporation laws of said State, do hereby certify,
"First, the name of said corporation shall be the Turtlecreek Township Horse Rangers Association.
"Second, Said corporation shall be located and its principal business transacted at Lebanon, in Warren County, Ohio.
"Third, The purpose for which said corporation is formed is to apprehend and convict horse thieves and other felons, under and in accordance with an act of the General Assembly of the State of Ohio.
"In witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands this second day of June, A.D., 1888.
"W.C. Thompson, James A. Thompson, A.G. McBurney, Frank Hutchinson, Frank Gallaher, Frank Drake, W.H. Bone, James A. Sellers, and J. Smith Mulford.
"John V.H. Lewis, Isaac H. Antrim, Lot Wright, Joseph Perrine, W.L. Dechant, D.E. Dunham, Frank M. Jack, Martin A. Jameson, W.O. Keever, and T.E. Ivins.
The General Council consisted of elective officers that were: a President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer, four Captains, and four Lieutenants.
Each officer was to be elected by ballot at the annual meeting of the association. They were to serve for one year from and after the first day of January next following their election, or until their successors are elected or appointed and qualified. Members were to be residents of Turtlecreek Township or within certain boundaries of Union Township.
The boundaries were set up as: "Commencing where Turtle Creek crosses the line between Turtlecreek and Union Townships; running thence in a southerly direction to the bridge where the Hamilton and Deerfield road crossed Muddy Creek near Samuel Bowyer's; thence with said road easterly, through Deerfield, to the Deerfield and Morrow road; thence with said pike to the Turtlecreek Township line; thence with said line to the beginning."
Members were to be admitted at any meeting when accompanied with a written application, the form being chosen by the Council. This form was to coincide with an initiation fee of $2.00.
Each member was to be duty-bound when appropriately called upon, or pay a fine of $1.00 for the first offense or refusal, or $2.00 for the second. For any other offense, they were to be expelled, unless they could show a good and reasonable cause.
Different routes were assigned to each company.
On the first day of January and July of each year, the Captains detailed from their respective companies an adequate number of men, not less than four, who would serve for six months, or until they were relieved by another detail.
The minute men, guards, riders or search men were to be in readiness at a moments notice to take the road in search of stolen property or of felons.
If a member becomes satisfied that his or her property has been stolen, immediate notice was to be given to the Captain of the company.
If the Captain was not available, notice must be given to the Lieutenant, and, in his absence, the President must be notified.
If an act of thievery has resulted, the authoritative figure has such jurisdiction to send out the minute men over the routes under his charge, as he may consider necessary. An adequate number was always sent to cover the routes in both directions.
In every regard the minute men were to obey the President, Captain or Lieutenant, respectively. The President always had the last say-so.


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This page created 14 September 2004 and last updated 28 September, 2008
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