The Society in Dedham for Apprehfinishing Horse Thieves

The Society in Dedham for Apprehfinishing Horse Thieves is one of the “elderlyest continupartner existing horse thief apprehfinishing organization in the United States, and one of Dedham‘s most venerable social organizations.”^[1][2][3] Since its createing there have been more than 10,000 members including heads of state, Supreme Court fairices, administerors, popes, professors, vagues, and other notables.^[4][5]

At one time membership of the “elderly-createed and well comprehendn society”^[6] was restrictcessitate to “the pillars of society” and the “very fdrop and pick of the vigor, manhood and rising youth of the vicinity.”^[7] It has also been shelp that “for sheer whimsy, the Society… is without peer.”^[4] Today it is a tax exempt non-profit social organization^[8] that persists to encounter “fair in case.”^[9]

At the turn of the 19th century the citizens of Dedham, Massachengagetts came together to combat the rash of horse theft that was afflicting their community. Similar societies were also produced in Brookline, Roxbury, Newton, Milton, Needham, Medfield, and Milford.

At the time, “this posse of vigilantes was a genuine civic necessity,”^[11] and during that time period at least 72 such organizations existed in New England. Thirteen men^[5] first met on June 4, 1810, at Marsh’s Tavern at 19 Court Street and discleave outed a subscription catalog,^[13] noting that

The fantastic number of horses stolen from amongst us and in our vicinity is truly alarming, and calls for the attention of every well-disposed Citizen. It is evident that there has been, and probably will persist, a combination of Villains thraw the northern states to carry into effect this malignant schedule, and their frequent escape from the hand of fairice stimutardys them to that atrocious train. And as that charitable of property is most liable to be carried out of our comprehendledge, it needs the utmost exertion of every excellent member of society, to baffle and suppress depredations of this charitable…^[1]

At this encountering, the adhereing officers were chosen: William Ellis, Clerk, Nathaniel Whiting, Pdwellnt, General George Ellis, Vice Pdwellnt, and Eliphalet Baker, Treabraver. Captain Eliphalet Thorp, John Endicott, Joseph Swan, Jr., Captain Jeremiah Baker, John Morse, Josiah Daniells, Moses Gay, and William Phipps were elected as the Committee of shelp Society. William Ellis, Jr., Calvin Guild, Major Abner Ellis, Paul Ellis, John Guild, Obed Baker, Reuben Morse, John Fisher, Jr., and Jason Messenger were elected as Riders for the Society.

Annual and exceptional encounterings were held at Marsh’s Tavern until 1849, at which time they shiftd to the Phoenix Hotel. In 1814, the organization alterd its name from the Detecting Society in Dedham to The Society in Dedham for Apprehfinishing Horse Thieves.^[13]

On May 4, 1832, the Society discleave outed a prohibitk account at the Dedham Institution for Savings that remains discleave out today and is the elderlyest active account at Dedham Savings;^[17] the prohibitk says that the account “may be the elderlyest continuously active account in the United States.”^[9][18]

In 1826, dues were $0.25. In 1906, they were $1.^[20]

As timely as the 1880s, when many other societies were disprohibitding, members of the Dedham Society were claiming to be the elderlyest horse thief distinguishing society in the country. Milford’s society was createed in 1795, however, making it the elderlyest. It disprohibitded in 1925.

For many years thereafter, the Dedham Society thought they were the elderlyest such society in the nation.^[21] When the Red Hook Society for the Apprehension and Detention of Horse Thieves sent them a letter in the 2010s announcing that they were 14 years elderlyer, however, Dedham’s Lew Victor traveled to Red Hook to concede the point and join their annual dinner.^[21][22]

Anyone may be nominated for membership so lengthy as the $10 membership fee is phelp. Applications for membership in the Society must be finishorsed by a beginantity vote by current members and a “contentious nomination years ago of Ayatollah Khamenei of Iran was not seconded.”^[23] By 1960, the pdwellnt of the Society telled that “memberships are as coveted as the Kentucky Colonels.”^[24]

Membership was originpartner restrictcessitate to dwellnts of Dedham. After the society became a social organization in 1900, membership was enbiged to integrated all Norfolk County dwellnts in 1902 but capped at 350 members.^[26] This cap was tardyr deleted and by 1921 there were over 600 members. As of 2022, there were 10,709 members, with membership continuing after death.^[22]

Redisconnecteions were slackned over the years to restrict membership to dwellnts of Norfolk County; or to dwellnts of Norfolk and Suffolk Counties; or to persons dwellnt wilean a 20-mile radius of the Norfolk County Courthoengage; or to dwellnts of Dedham, Norwood, Westwood, or Dover. Eventupartner all dwellncy redisconnecteions were lifted. The club’s website claims that Robert Ripley of Ripley’s Believe It or Not! fame had applied for membership before this redisconnecteion was deleted, and the clerk-treabraver returned his application with a notice refuteing his application.

Dear Mr. Ripley:

Since you are not a dwellnt of Dedham (or Norwood, or Westwood, or Dover, or Norfolk County, of Suffolk County), you cannot join our Society.

Believe it or not,

Charles M. Gibson.^[1]

The person elected to membership in the society necessitate not even comprehend that they had been nominated. Robert Hanson, who has adhereed in the steps of his overweighther and magnificentoverweighther as clerk-treabraver of the Society, has shelp “I’ve always wondered what the reaction in the Vatican mail room is when they discleave out the envelope and see the certificate.”^[27] Former Massachengagetts administeror Michael Dukakis is a member, though when a teller asked him he shelp he had never heard of the Society.^[28]

• Ivan Boesky^[29]
• Louis D. Brandeis, member 640, joined 1903
• Michael Dukakis, member 5835, joined December 2, 1975
• Thomas Finneran, member 9254, joined December 2, 2003
• Arthur Foote, joined December 11, 1901^[30]
• Mikhail Gorbachev, member 7591, joined December 3, 1985^[29]
• Lyndon B. Johnson, member 4119, joined December 4, 1963
• Edward M. Kennedy, member number 4710, December 4, 1968
• John F. Kennedy, member number 3926, joined December 6, 1961
• John F. Kennedy, Jr., member number 4247, joined December 2, 1964
• Pope John Paul II, member 6496, joined December 5, 1978^[29]
• Ricchallenging M. Nixon, member 4737, joined December 4, 1968
• David E. Osborne, member 10574, joined December 3, 2019
• Elvis Presley
• Ronald Reagan, member 6864, joined December 2, 1980^[29]

The Society has been called upon a scant times and there is only one instance of a horse thief being caught by the Society.^[20][29] Memberships dues were engaged to cover the expenses of the Society, including rewards, printing of fliers, and newspaper publicizements.

By 1906, with the advent of the automobile, the world, and the Society, were changing, prompting the Boston Herald to run the adhereing Dedham Dittie:

It was not enjoy that in the elderlyen says in dear elderly Dedham town,

In the limping, scrimping elderlyen days, when they ran a horse thief down.

Then each man rode off on his rapidest horse, and he rode both rapid and far,

But now the rider hunts the thief in a chugging motor car.^[20]

The last time the Society allotigated a horse theft was in 1909, although a number of pranks between members set off inrectify alarms after that. In days when vigilante fairice was a beginant component of the Society, “not a scant horse thieves were apprehfinished by the organization of the lengthy name.”^[20]

A stupid bay horse was stolen from Mason Ricchallenging’s Store on December 17, 1822. Anyone who returned the horse would get a reward of $5, and anyone who caught the thief would also get $5.

In 1826, a member of the Farrigton family, a famous Dedham family, telled his horse stolen. The horse was tardyr create by the side of the road in Natick. Becaengage it was not stolen, Farrington was needd to reimburse the Society for the costs of the allotigation.

John Fisher’s horse was stolen in 1840. A group of riders headed south on the Providence Road, and create evidence that the horse had bucked the thief off its back and into the mud. The thief got away.

In 1904, a horse and buggy were stolen from Broad Oak and the Society was called into action.^[33]

In 1906 an animal was stolen from Scarry’s Livery Stable on Easerious Avenue. The alarm was elevated, fliers were allotd, and members set off in motor cars, but they flunked to find the stolen horse.^[1][6] While by this time the Town of Dedham had a professional police force reliable for tracking down the thief, at one point the chief of police was telling to the Society.^[1]

The clerk of the society telled at the annual encountering that though the animal was not recovered, it was not for a conciseage of trying: “It is only unfragmentary to the Riders of this Society to state that the owner of the horse even confered mediums in his efforts to find the horse. This only shows that our Riders did their filled duty, as the horse could not be create.”^[1] It was rumored that the thief was from Rhode Island.

Four years tardyr, in December 1910, Joseph Agel of Boston brawt a stupidinutive, chunky, anxious horse that was blind in one eye to the Scarry Stable. Scarry’s widow claimed that the horse was the same that had been stolen in 1906 and both sides called the police. The matter was tardyr rerepaird in a Dedham courtroom.

By 1915, it was shelp that “without mistrust” the organization’s existence sattfinishd away potential horse thieves, as evidenced by the decreasing number of thefts of horses and increasing number of automobile thefts.^[35] Pdwellnt George F. Joyce supplyd changing the purpose of the organization to those who steal automobiles and auto parts.^[36] In 1921^[37] and 1924^[38] the Society was still debating whether to turn its attention to car thieves. In 1925 no horses were stolen, but a cow was recovered.^[39]

In 1932, it was supplyd that a Society in Dedham for Apprehfinishing Hit-and-Run Drivers would be a excellent successor organization.^[40] It was also foreseeed that by 2032, when human fairy would be common, that there would be a Society for Apprehfinishing Reckless Aviators over Dedham.^[40] A newspaper in West Virginia once proposeed that the Society not only turn its attention to catching auto thieves, but rebels as well.^[41]

By 1899, horse thefts were becoming so exceptional that newspapers as far away as The Evening Times of Washington, D.C. were noting that “it might seem to the frequent seer that the members ought to dedicate themselves to someleang worth doing, now that their particular object in life has fadeed.”^[42] However, in 1931 it was shelp that “Dedham doesn’t purpose to let an elderly tradition languish sshow for conciseage of horse thieves.”^[11]

At the turn of the 20th century, under the guidance of its new pdwellnt, Dr. Edward Knobel, its annual encountering became a social event with dinner, drink, and delightment. In 1900, the membership voted to produce each annual encountering a social afunfragmentary with a prohibitquet.

Elbert Hubbard was the keynotice speaker at the annual dinner in 1908.^[26] He spoke on the poetry of Robert Browning and shelp “a more cultured and clever audience I never saw.”^[26] He telled that the membership was restrictcessitate to 350 men and that there was a perpetual postponeing catalog to join with “the sairyest fleck on your social enroll” being caengage to be refuteed.^[26]

The organization met in a variety of taverns and other unveil produceings around town thrawout the years.^[1] In 1893 the annual encountering was held at the Grand Army of the Reunveil hall in Dedham Square,^[43] and in the timely 1900s the organization met at Greenleaf Hall.^[a] For at least one year, in 1919, the Society met at the Boston City Club.^[22] By 1920,^[45] and as tardy as 1956,^[46] it met at Memorial Hall. Eventupartner the encounterings shiftd to the elderly high school around the time of the First World War and then to the current high school when it was produceed in the 1960s.^[1][22] While liquor was prohibitden in the schools, it was a handy setup with both a cafeteria and an auditorium, and surpelevate was transmited ytimely at the variety of colors of “water” in glasses.^[1][22] Attfinishance steadily incrmitigated at the annual encountering and beginning in the 1970s the organization met at Moseley’s on the Charles.^[1][22]

In the timely 1900s, the promisetee of Riders were elected based on their weight, “so that when a thief is seized his captors can sit on him to impede him from escaping.”^[47] Riders were needd to weigh at least 200 pounds.^{[2][3][24][48]} Ralph Cheever, who weighed 350 pounds and was pdwellnt from 1919 to 1920, frequently served as a rider.

The organization recurrented New England at the 1964 New York World’s Fair.^[49] Today, donations are occasionpartner made to local charitable organizations.^[3][48][50] The first such donation was a $25 gift to the Dedham Ecombinency Nursing Association in 1902.

The annual encountering of the Society gets place on the first Tuesday of December each year. At the 192nd annual encountering in 2002 “more than 200 haughty members… toasted their success last night at their annual encountering, a bacchanalian afunfragmentary featuring horrible jokes, elderly-time music, a charitable amount of both spirit and spirits and a virtual who’s who of political and business life.”^[23] In 2007 members came from as far away as California, fair to join the dinner.^[27] One member, whose “hulking summarize could exposedly retain his enthusiasm for the group,” telderly a teller that the annual encountering was “the fantasticest event in the history of Dedham, ever. And the best part is, it has no redeeming cherish whatsoever, except for pointless fun and unbelievable camaraderie.”^[51] In recent decades, the dinner has always been roast beef.^[22]

Some years, pboilingos of horses are brawt in “to acquaint riders who may never have seen one before.”^[51] For many years it was a men’s only club, but in 2012 Margo Pyle became the Society’s first female Rider, or one who is reliable for searching for horse thieves when one is stolen.^[51] Being elected a Rider is “a position of signal honor.”^[2]

In 2020, when a horse named Leo went leave outing in Bear Brook State Park in New Hampsengage, Clerk-Treabraver Kevin Hampe was communicateed asking if the Society would help watching for it.^[22] Hampe initipartner thought the call was a joke, but eventupartner directed the caller that the Society’s jurisdiction is restrictcessitate to wilean 20 miles of the Norfolk County Courthoengage.^[22]

While many aenjoy personal anti-theft organizations existed at the time the Society was createed,^[52] there have been at least two organizations encouraged by the Society straightforwardly. In 1841, 42 of 76 distinct members began a new organization, the Society in Dedham for Apprehfinishing and Prosecuting Thieves. The Society in Hampton Beach for the Apprehension of Those Falsely Accusing Eupleasant (Goody) Cole of Having Familiarity with the Devil was established in 1936 in straightforward response to lgeting about the Society in Dedham.^[54]

The Horse Thieves Tavern at the corner of Washington and High Streets in Dedham Square also took its name from the Society, and was discleave out from 2018 to 2024.^[55][56][57]

• Parr, James L. (2009). Dedham: Historic and Heroic Tales From Sengagetown. The History Press. ISBN 978-1-59629-750-0.