2013 Spring Newsletter

TO: MIAMI CO. HISTORICAL MUSEUM

From: Lloyd L. Peckman

Subject: AHTA Secret Vigilante Group: ć BU TUBOET GPS "OUJ )PSTF ć JFG "TTPDJBUJPO *U XBT PSHBOJ[FE PSJHJOBMMZ JO /PSUIFSO .JTTPVSJ Bę FS UIF $JWJM 8BS BOE UIFO JO &BTUFSO ,BOTBT JO XJUI NBOZ MPEHFT UP DPNCBU QSPQFSUZ UIJFG BOE PČ FS MJGF JOTVSBODF In the Miami Co. History book # 2 on page 12 Lila Lee Jones reports on the AHTA. It was a secret vigilante group that helped to pass laws, assist authorities, and make arrests. But for the most part members got together to enjoy picnics, oyster feeds and organize wolf drives. Nearly every farmer in the New Lancaster and Washington School area was a member. Members were well armed and if suspicious characters lingered they investigated. One night a suspicious car was parked on a lonely road. Suspecting a chicken thief, they surrounded the car, only UP ĕ OE B SPNBODJOH DPVQMF GSPN %SFYFM .P .FNCFST SFQPSUFEMZ NFU BU UIF CVJMEJOH TUJMM TUBOEJOH BU UIF 48 DPSOFS PG UIF /FX -BODBTUFS TRVBSF ć BU CVJME ing was built in 1903. See History book # 1 page 9. It recently was proposed as a retail outlet for the Middle Creek Winery. ć FSF BSF NBOZ TIPSU OFXTQBQFS DMJQT BCPVU UIF ")5" ć F .JBNJ 3FQVCMJDBO of Aug. 30, 1907 reports about a robbery at two and one half miles SW of Paola ,BOTBT BU UIF IPNF PG 4U $MBJS BOE )VČ ć F IPNF XBT CSPLFO JOUP BOE SPCCFE PG SFWPMWFST XBUDIFT LOJWFT BOE B SB[PS ć FZ SFQPSUFE JU UP UIF ")5" 1SFTJEFOU

) . )VTUPO BOE IF PSHBOJ[FE B HSPVQ DPOTJTUJOH PG .FTTST 3FZOPMET 'MFNJOH .BUIFXT BOE #VSLF ć FZ HPU B HPPE EF scription of the thief and ask for help from Constable Wheeler At the Fresco Depot they rounded up hobos and suspicious DIBSBDUFST 0OF NBO JO B DPBM DBS USJFE UP SVO BXBZ CVU UIFZ DBVHIU IJN Bę FS B TIPU XBT ĕ SFE ć F TUPMFO HPPET PO IJN XFSF JEFOUJĕ FE )F QMFBEFE HVJMUZ JO +VTUJDF )BOOB T DPVSU BOE TBJE IF XBT GSPN 1FOOTZMWBOJB ć F 8FTUFSO 4QJSJU PG SFQPSUT UIBU UIF QSFTJEFOU PG UIF (BSEFOFS ")5" DBMMFE B 4IFSNBO #PJDF BU #VDZSVT UP CF PO MPPLPVU GPS B QFEEMFS XIP IBE MFę XJUI B MJWFSZ UFBN PG IPSTFT BOE IBE OPU SFUVSOFE UIFN 4VSF FOPVHI UIFZ XFSF BU #VDZSVT BOE 4IFSJČ 5BMNBO DBNF BOE BSSFTUFE UIF NBO ć F .JBNJ 3FQVCMJDBO JO MJTU UIF GPMMPXJOH i'FC ")5" CBORVFU IFME BU .FUIPEJTU $IVSDIw i +VOF ")5" held picnic in Wallace Park”; “Oct. 16, Kansas AHTA closes successful convention in Paola”. On October 28, 1904, the newspaper reported that the Kansas State Assoc. met in Iola with 800 delegates present and 23 present were from Miami County. ")5" BČ FDUFE CPUI TJEFT PG NZ GBNJMZ .Z "VOU &MJ[BCFUI .JOEFO 8JOEJFS CSPVHIU UP UIF .VTFVN JO BO i")5" ,"/4"4 PSEFS w Pď DJBM 4FBM &NCPTTFS *U XBT VTFE UP DFSUJGZ TJHOBUVSFT *U IBE CFFO GPVOE JO UIF CBTFNFOU GVSOBDF room of the Herman Windier home on a foundation wall. His son Lester, remodeled the basement in 1950”s. His children (SFHH BOE #FDLZ SFNFNCFS QMBZJOH XJUI JU MJLF B UPZ ć F TFBM JT TUJMM JO QFSGFDU XPSLJOH DPOEJUJPO )PX JU HPU UIFSF JT B mystery. Herman lived within two miles of New Lancaster and may have been a secretary or board member. ć F i-JGF BU 'PVS $PSOFSTw CPPL BCPVU UIF #MPDL (FSNBO -VUIFSBO DPNNVOJUZ CZ $BSPM 3 $PCVSO PO QBHF SFQPSUT UIJT TUPSZ CZ .BSJF %BHFGPSEF .POUIFZ ć BU UIF ")5" DBVHIU B IPSTF UIJFG UISFF NJMFT FBTU PG #MPDL ć FZ IVOH IJN PO the spot behind a barn, put the body in a wagon and drove by the local public school to show the children that is what IBQQFOT UP UIJFWFT ć F TPVUI 1SPUIF GBNJMZ SFQPSUT UIBU JU UPPL QMBDF UISFF NJMFT OPSUIFBTU PG #MPDL OFBS UIF )JHIMBOE community, and that because of the churchs stand members from Block transferred to the Highland Community Church. ć JT 4FBM &NCPTTFS XBT SFDFOUMZ QMBDFE JO UIF HMBTT DBTF UP UIF SJHIU BT ZPV FOUFS UIF .VTFVN * IBWF BUUBDIFE UP UIJT a report from the Muller (Miller) family, entitled “More About Diderick Muller”. It reports that Diderick Muller , Henry Peckman Sr. and several other Block Lutheran men were excommunicated from the church and about the hanging of a horse thief. Diderick was an uncle to my grandmother who married Henry Peckman Sr. My father, Frank, had told me

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