New-York tribune., 1907-12-08
NIGHT RIDERS" WORK
TERRORIZE ENTIRE TOWN.
Destroy Property TaIued at s200, 900
"Shoot Up" Houses.

Hopkinsville Ky. Dec. Five hundred
might riders" masked and heavily armed
marched into Hopkinsyille early to-day and de-
stroyed property valued At over S2o0,oOS. While
citizens in terror of their lives. feared even to
open their windows. The police and fire depart
ments telephone and telegraph offices, and even
the railroad stations. were in possession OF a
wild mob. shooting right and left. flames from
burning buildings meanwhile lighting up the
city and the surrounding country until II seemed
that the whole town was ablaze.
Windows in the front of business houses ana
banks on the main street bf the city were shot
ont and the entire front Of the building of one
neysnaper which had been especially severe IN
its condemnations of the raids of the might
riders and which was owned by the Mayor OF
the city. was demolished.
Only two men were injured, one being Liho-
say Mitchell a tobacco buyer. who was severely
beaten with switches and clubs. and the other'
q brakeman who was shot in the back whlle
irving to move his train from the path OF the
flames
The raid caught the city unawares' as LOT
~o,,,a time the depredations resulting from the
tobacco war had been of minor nature ana IL
was generally thought that in the DARK olS-
,rict" at least the worst was over.
The nronertv destroyed was follows: w. h
r.rd, ,ndependent tobacco warehouse building,
owned l,v J. H Latham: B. NJ Woolridge asso-
,iation warehouse; Tandy Fairleigh, buyers
warehouse
Az soon as the night riders left town,
nosse of about fifteen, headed by Major Bassett'
of the loca, militia, and Deputy Sheriff CraVehs'
entered buggies and followed the trail AS soon
as the posse could get near enough they opeheo
FIRE ON the fleeing mob, which returned the
sbots II is believed none Of the night rlderS
*Ia csc n
,ur-v They were eoon outdistanced by the hee-
ing men and after chasing the marauderS past
Gracev the officers returned home.
,eyr. MAS later received from ali parts OF
town indicating the spread of the raid Of the
riders There was hardly house in the busi-
ness section of the city which did not suffer
Ius, why no damage was done by the might
riders TO the Imperial or the American Snun
Company warehouses is not known They PROB
ably contained more stock than any other mousse
A. the intercession of citizens who were being
guarded on a street corner the inVaders curing
the raid allowed the fire department TO leave
their building to save property adjacent to the
burning buildings. Had 1t not been that no
wind was blowing. and that the hremen and
citizens worked so well, the entire city might
have been destroyed.
-rbe Girls in the telephone office were forced
-, @fteen men to leave their switchboards until
,be rooh was ready to depart from town
Governor Beckham tonight at the request OF
Mavor Meacham and County Judge BfeathltI
ordered the local company OF KENTUCKY state
-.a IN renort 70 the Sheriff for indefinite
5,,,v during the might riders" trouble, under
command of Major E. B. Bassett. The local
officials believe they will be able to offer protec-
,;on to secure witnesses who can positively fden-
,ify members OF the party.