The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1907-10-09

while great tobacco barns containing
the years savings and hard work of the
whole family have been burned to the
burned, families rendered homeless,
ground, Wheat stacks have been burned
threshing machines blown up with dyua'
mite. tobacco factories burned to the
ground.
Men and women are terrorixed by
notice sent with a bundle of switches
of a package of matches, warning them
that unless they obey the wishes OF the
night raiders their property viii be des'
sroyed or they themselves tortured.
All this has taken place and is taking
place almost nightly in Kentucky now
1t is war between neightbors and for
mer friends who disagree as to the prop
er and best methods for handling the
produce OF the farms. The is known a:
the Planters Protective association at
association, an organization which was
formed at Guthrie, September 20, 1904
The purpose was to force the tobacco
trust to pay better prices. Many plan.
ters ioined. Others said it was an or
ganization gotten up to benefit few
people and paw fat salaries to officers,
These were called "Hilbillies." and soon
there sprang up intense i'll feeling be-
tween the association and the anti.as-
ISOLATION planters. Members of the as,
sociation failing to induce their neigh
bors to join sought to prevent them from
reaping any of the benefits in advanced
prices caused by the organization by
destroying their plant beds and tobacco
barns: for the tobacco trust began pay
ing the anti,association people an in
creased price for their tobacco and re-
fusing to purchase that of the associa.
tion people commenced the destruction
of the plant beds of the "Hillbilles' the
latter turned on them.
In the fall OF 1906 the battle opened
with the destruction OF The American
Snuff company's factories at Elkton,
which were blown up with dynamite; the
burning of the Imperial Tobacco COM
pany's plant at Princeton; the burning
of big warehouse at Fedonia, one at
Eddyville, and any number of barns be-
longing to anti-association planters.
The state authorities were dunn
founded at the audacity of the ma
rauders. Governor Beckham dispatched
State Fire MARSHALL Mott Ayres to the
scenes and urged the circuit courts to
call special grand juries and investigate
the wholesale arson. This was done and
indictments were found against John J.
Jackson, John McGegor and William
Winters in Caldwell county, charging
them with burning the warehouses at
Princeton.
A mob of a hundred men rode into
the town of Elkton and took charge
of the electric light plant, turned Off
the lights, captured the town marshal
and dragged from their homes Will
liam Benson and John Blair, who had
dared to induce members of the asso-
citation to sell to the trusts. The men
were gagged and bound, their clothing
torn from their backs and they were
whipped with rawiides.
Gove1por Beckam issued a procla-
nation warning the planters against
the destruction of property and also Of
fering a reward of $500 for the arrest
and conviction Of any person destroying
tobacco or plant beds. Governor Pat
terson of Tennessee followed with a
like offer and Rip lyle, Steve Sholt and
Ned Petit were arrested.
Soon, however, the deviltry. broke
out afresh and now planters are living
in a state of terror lest they be tor
tured for belonging or not belonging to
Planters Protective Association. George
Swift, a sewing machine agent, who was
suspected Of being a detective, was
whipped, as were his two sons, all three
being dragged from their home in Igor
county. Ed Hall and John Lockhart
were taken from their homes at Guthrie
and "aogged."
Mrs. Kate Cardwell and daughter