The second meeting of the band was agreed upon to be held on a certain "bald knob" in Taney County where no eavesdroppers or spies could approach without being seen. From this type of meeting place the organization gained its nick-name "Bald Knobbers", which stuck to it through its exciting and controversial life of turbulence until the final curtain was drawn by Zack Johnson, Sheriff of Christian County, Missouri, on May 10, 1889. During that time stories of its activities and events concerning its members echoed and re-echoed throughout the country.

The Bald Knobbers grew rapidly and soon spread to Christian County. Meetings were held for initiation of new members and holding a form of court for alleged law vio­lators. Groups of men were divided into companies, each with a captain, and they rode horseback through the night. Known law-breakers, especially thieves, were taken from their homes at night and punished, usually by flogging with a whip or hickory gad, cut in the woods.

Wife beaters, lazy men who would not support their fam­ilies, couples living together without the benefit of clergy, and others of doubtful character were "warned out". The usual procedure was to ride to the cabin of someone designated for a night visitation, fire a few shots in the air, and yell him out. A "Knobber" with a solemn bass voice gave him instruc­tions. Sometimes it was to correct his personal habits, or a more serious pronouncement that he was to leave the County within a certain number of days. Occasionally a note would be fastened to the door, if an unusually literate member happened to be in the visiting group. Should the evildoer be unable to read, the warning might be a bundle of hickory switches left on his doorstep.

With the coming of the "Knobber" organization to Taney County, many less desirable residents found the land in Chris­tian and Douglas Counties, across the County line, more at­tractive than had previously appeared.

The Douglas County Bald Knobbers were organized and sentiment developing to Christian County caused Joe Walker,