The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-12-09
RIDERS USED GUNS AND FIRE A Night of Y.ror in
 Hopkins dle. NO mERcyz,ao clrlzrss Masked n Rode Over Kentucky
 City. Large Tobacco Plants Destroyed And <. one Man is Sent to Enter-
 nifty For Doing His
BY CHARLES |. HAROLD.

BY CHARLES l.. HAROLD.
 Hopkinsvflle. Ky, Dec. S--The citi- gems of Hopkinsviile awoke this morn ing much refreshed by the sleep of the one night intervening since the hor- rorf perpetrated yesterday morning early by the notorious band of Might Riders"
 But sleep however. refreshing did not efface the memories of the eventful Saturday morning which brought ter- rible disaster to the tobacco interests of this section and shocked the fn- nocent inhabitants of this city of 15.- 900 people. Nor will sleep or any other device wipe such memories from the minds of those who went through the ordeal.
 Fully aroused to their senses now. the good people here are beginning to realize the extent of the damage done by the dastardly perptrators and were particularly grieved to know that one man lost his life os the altar of duty. This was J. c. Felts, of Nashville. Tenn, who died yesterday afternoon late in a hospital in that city where he was taken on the first train out of Hopkinsville after he was wantonly shot down by a squad of the night Riders" in the yards of the Louisville and Nashville railroad.
 He was a railroad brakeman and seeing the furious progress of flames from the tobacco warehouse of M. H. Tandy and Company near the Louisville c and Nashville tracks he sought to help an engineer move a couple of freight cars which were threatened by fire. A group of Riders" detailed for this point of town commanded both the brakeman and the engineer to halt. Not needing the order, Brakeman Felts received a load of buckshot in his back and fell fatally wounded from the moving freight car at he Ninth street crossing. volley of shots flew over the engineers head but he vas. for being detained by the masked marauders. however. who would stand for no alarm,
 l~ Loss Is szoo,ooo.
 From conservative estimates 1t is said the total property loss ii, destruc- ton by fire. wrecking of plate glass windows and In other ways. amounts to fully s200,000. This. embraces the immense independent warehouse of M. H. Tandy and Company. situated at Ninth and Campbell streets and of Tandy and Fairleigh at Fourteenth and Campbell streets.
 There was not plate glass window of single bank which was not more or less demolished by the men who have cast the stigma of disgrace on this country. It was not believed that such outrages could overwhelm seat of culture and refinement like Hop kinsyille. It was not conceived that such savage horrors as were laid on this peaceful community could ever happen to city of this size.
 But in the calm of the hours now passing. the citizens have awakened to the woeful realization that a center tA f~r hand of ignorance at its throat. This land of chivalry. here where the rev cred Jefferson Davis first saw the light of day. has been forced to view tn e ruthless invasion of their homes by murderous hands working fast and everywhere. And not a hand was rais- ed in defense of the sanctity of these homes where invalid women and sick babes lay trembling in their beds or cowed in some distance corner of their room while the fusilade of shot smash . ed through window and door. It was so in every quarter of this little city.
 No Hand to Defend.
 Why was not hand raised in de- fense of these homes. you ask? Those of the outside world will perhaps never understand just why there was not a plunder. But If the outsider has had time and occasion to study the phe- nomenal discipline of the Rider clan their effectual secret methods wh ich would put to shame the willy Field Marshal of Japan, Oyama. he may con- ceive of the possibility of this city being invested by these outlaws, who Haunt their deeds in the name of in- creased tobocca prices.
 The great intelligence of the leaders the military precision with which the plot was carried out. and the multi tude of details involved in such a task were demonstrated by the complete success of the diabolical exploit. Not hitch seems to have occurred in the execution of the scheme. unless 1t be said that the squad who spiked the fire station made a blunder. In fact the authorities declare that the Night Riders must be deploring the conse- ouences of is gross error as they be- lieve 1t was surely their plan to re- lease the fire department in time to save the Association" warehouse! This burned together with that of the In- dependents. Tandy S Co.,. at Ninth and Campbell Streets.
 The letting go of the fremen who looked into the muzzles of shot guns while the fires ragged. must have been iu-timed. for when the word go" was given by the Riders, the horses were Shot under harness and a rush was made to the scenes of the fire. But the ware houses were beyond saving. even that in which the tobacco of the Associa- tJon. or the Society of Equity. Is stored in nool The Riders. 1t must be re- membered, are in sympathy with the Association and are bent on forcing | their price for the tobacco crop. though inc good members of the Association disclaims any connection with the Riders an dare wrathful in their de- nunciation of such deeds as have been done in the year or two past.
 Attack on Mayor.
 Seeming to want fire Inside as well as out. ten or more of the more daring marauders swooped down on the sa- ioon of W. S. Long, across the street 1rom the burning warehouse on Ninth Street. They held him up for drink aniece. and then to convey their re- spects. took a shot at his front plate glass window.
 The single man outside of the to- bacco interests who was the object of