The Pony Club was a group of horse thieves. Their main objective was stealing horses, selling them and dividing the money. The operation was huge. It extended from South Carolina to Augusta and through Georgia and Alabama. The main point of operation was in Carroll County, but existed throughout western Georgia. The club was well organized, with members living along the line of operations every few miles. Who would suspect their neighbor, in those days, as a horse thief? A man would steal a horse in the early darkness, carry him over to another member of the club who would in turn carry the animal on further, and each return home to be in bed the next morning. The horse was kept out of sight during the day, and sent on further at night. The farmer losing the horse would seldom suspect his neighbor, finding him home early in the morning. The thief would display sympathy for the farmer, volunteer to help search for the animal, and most often lead the searchers in a difficult direction from the way the horse was taken. It was almost impossible to track the animal since there were no public roads.
Sometimes with circumstantial evidence the grand jury would indict one of the thieves. However, his partners were always there to provide an alibi, so it was next to impossible to get a conviction. Uncle Tom Chandler, the first lawyer in Carroll County, was on the side of the prosecution, and a lawyer by the name of Bowden was for the defense.
With not being able to convict the thieves the farmer decided to take matters into their own hands. To protect their property, they organized two companies and called themselves Slicks.
Two of the Slick captains were Sloman Wynn of the sixth district and George S. Sharp of the tenth. These men caught many thieves. Upon apprehension, the thieves were tied to a tree and given thirty nine lashes with hickory switches across their bare backs. They were then ordered to leave the area. Thirty-nine was the legal number of stripes during the time of the whipping past.
The Pony Club was ended in Carroll County.
The above was taken from the "Georgia Southern Crier" Historical News and Business Review, Carroll Coweta, Heard & Meriwether Counties, Winter 2001, Issue 451.
Copies can be obtained at the Carroll County Chamber of Commerce free of charge.
For a more detailed description of the Pony Club you can pick up a copy of the book: Carroll County And Her People, by Pvt. Joe Cobb. This is also free at the Carroll County Chamber of Commerce.