1893 Mass. Acts, Ch. 367—An Act Concerning the Volunteer Militia, § 124: A law that unofficial armed associations are prohibited (1893).
"Sec. 124. No body of men whatsoever, other than the regularly organized corps of the militia, the troops of the United States, the ancient and honorable artillery company, the veteran artillery association of Newburyport, the veteran cadet association of Salem, the veteran association of the independent corps of cadets of Boston, the Salem light infantry veteran association, the veteran artillery association of Amesbury and Salisbury, and the Boston light infantry association, shall associate themselves together at any time as a company or organization, for drill or parade with firearms, or maintain an armory in any city or town of this Commonwealth; nor shall any city or town raise or appropriate any money toward arming, equipping, uniforming or in any way supporting, sustaining or providing drill rooms or armories for any such body of men: provided, that associations wholly composed of soldiers honorably discharged from the service of the United States may parade in public with arms, upon the reception of any regiments or companies of soldiers returning from said service, and for the purpose of escort duty at the burial of deceased soldiers, having first obtained the written permission so to do of the mayor and aldermen of the cities or selectmen of the towns in which they desire to parade; and provided, further, that students in educational institutions where military science is a prescribed part of the course of instruction may, with the consent of the governor, drill and parade with firearms in public, under the superintendence of their teachers, and provided, further, that this section shall not be construed to prevent any organization heretofore authorized thereto by law from parading with side arms."
Acts and Resolves Passed by the General Court of Massachusetts in the Year 1893, Together with the Constitution, the Messages of the Governor, List of the Civil Government, Tables Showing Changes in the Statutes, Changes of Names of Persons, etc., etc. (Boston, MA: Wright & Potter Printing Co., 1893) 1049-1050. Chapter 367—An Act Concerning the Volunteer Militia, § 124. Approved May 19, 1893.