One of the most profitable branches of their business was that of trading in horses. For this, as will be seen, their combination gave them peculiar facilities.
One of the common robbers steals a horse, rides it fifty or a hundred miles, and offers it to a respectable robber, called a trader. If it do not appear a dangerous bargain, he makes the transaction as public as possible; he takes a bill of sale, and enters it on his books, and the common robber goes on his way rejoicing. Presently the owner comes along, and claims the horse. The respectable trader is very much astonished at the discovery, but makes no resistance. The owner, rejoiced to find his property again, gladly pays the expenses of keeping and goes home. But the respectable trader is very sure to have not the slightest clue to the whereabouts of the man who sold him the horse, and although it was done so publicly that the owner cannot have a doubt of the innocence of the trader, yet, strange to say, nobody knows which direction the thief took, even when he left the settlement.
Lest some member should get another into his power, it is provided in the constitution, that for every transaction they shall "pass" or exchange receipts. This gives to each the same power, provided they are both of the lower grade. That is, whoever has bought a stolen horse of some member of the band, can be proved to have done so by the thief, from the receipt; and the thief in like manner is in the power of the trader. Again, it is of importance to the poor robber to have a receipt from some eminent trader, since it gives him character as a man of business, and serves as a letter of introduction. They are written in the usual form of an ordinary business transaction.
The Grand Masters, who, alone, it will be recollected, have the secret of using sympathetic ink, and the cipher, always add to the receipt, with invisible writing, the description and character of the individual who bears it, thus holding the poor fellow completely in his power.
But should a poor scamp get caught, and lie in prison a year or two, he is entitled, by the constitution, to thirty-three cents per day for the whole time. By the same constitution, also, he is directed how he must proceed to get it. He proceeds, therefore, in due form, as follows: Going to the Grand Master of the district in which he was convicted, he addresses him thus:—"Most worthy Grand Master, I have this day come before you, to place my hand upon the seal and swear that upon —— day of ——, in the year ——, I was confined in prison, (or by sickness) for —— months and —— days; during which time I have contracted the following expenses; I therefore make my petition that such money as may be my due may be given me for my assistance."
The Grand Master, or Grand as he is called, then asks the following questions:
"How long have you been a member?
"Where were you initiated?
"To whom have you paid your dues?
"What evidence have you that such are the facts?"