http://www26.us.archive.org/details/historyofbuchana00rutt
"When I took command in St. Joseph and the district there, there were refugees in the city from several counties in the district, having been ordered to leave the State by a band calling themselves 'Midnight Rangers.' Their mode of operations was about this: They would leave a written notice, three of four matches enclosed in it, at a party's house, notifying him that if he did not leave in five days, with his whole family, he would be hanged and his house burned. Then some other members of the gang, who were on friendly terms with the victim, would call and condole with him, and advise him to stay. But the victim had already made up his mind to go, which they knew, and they would take advantage of his fear and buy his property at nominal figures. Thus a system of wholesale robbery was carried on. The reorganization of the militia, or the arming of the 'Paw-Paws,' has entirely stopped this species of lawlessness.
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Gay