The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1907-12-09
TOWN SHOTUPBY
NIGHT RIDERS
Citizens OF HOpklnsvllle, KY,
Paralyzed by Sudden Raid
OF A BIG MOB OF GROWERS
$4,000 Worth Of Property Destroyed
Rage vented Against the Ware
houses Of the Independent
Purchasers.
OF A BIG MOB OF GROWERS

hopkinsville. Ky, Dec a--shortiy BE-.
fore two o'clock Saturday morning. 500
armed and masked night riders marched
without any warning into this city and
before an alarm could he sounded had
captured the police department, fire De.
partmeui, both the telephone exchanges.
the night operators at the two railroad
Offices and every citizen who was hold
enough 10 venture outside 81 his home,
burned three tobacco warehouses, shot
one man, probably fatally. whipped an.
other man, shot holes through residences
and business houses promiscuously and
made their escape from the city without
losing a man
The night riders rode 10 within two
miles Of town from the direction Of Tdgg
county, hitchcd their horses and entered
the town via the Illinois Central railroad
tracks, thus avoiding any chance of BE.
ing seen BY residents OF the suburban
sections. so Wen planned and executed
was the entire proceedings that the au.
thofities or citizens never had chance
70 offer resistance,
Property valued Al over 100000 was
destroyed, while citizens, in terror OF
their lives, feared even 10 open their
windows. The city was in possession
Of a wild mob. shooting right and left,
flames from burning buildings meanwhile
lighting up the surrounding country until
Il seemed that the whole town was
ablaze.
Windows IN the front Of business
houses and banks on the main street Of
the city were shot out. and the entire
front Of one newspaper which had been
especially severe in IL COMBINATIONS Of
the raids Of the might riders," aud
which was owned by Mayor Meacham,
was demolished.
Lindsay Mitchell. tobacco buyer, was
severely beaten with switches and clubs, |
apd J. &. Felts, brakeman, was shot |
in the back while trying 20 move his
train from the path Of the flames.
The raid caught the city unawares, rs !
for some time the depredations resulting |
from the tobacco war had been of a /
minor nature, and Il was generally /
thought that in the dark district" at /
least, the worst was over.
The property destroyed was as fol
lows; w. II. Tandy, independent tobac.
70 warehouse building. owned by J. II.
Latham; b. NJ. Woodbridge, association
warehouse; Iandy q Farleigh, buyers
warehouse.
IN addition the entire glass front Of
The Hopkinsville Kentuekian Mayor
Meachams paperl was destroyed. while
he windows Of the Commercial Banking
md Savings company, the First National,
he Painters Trust company and the
Bank Of Hopkinsyille were punctured
with bullets. Various other business
iouses and residences bear the marks Of
bullets.
As soon as the might raiders left
own posse of about fifteen. headed by
Major Bassett, of the local militia, and
Deputy Sheriff Cravens, entered buggies
md followed the trail. As soon as the
,osse could get near enough they opened
ire on the fleeing mob, who returned the
hots, but no one was hurt. The posse
vas soon outdistanced by the mounted
men, and after following the marauders
,ast Graeey the posse returned.
Just why no damage was done by the
night riders" to the Imperial or the
american Snuff company warehouses is
lot known. They probably contained
more stock than any other house.
Some Of the best known plantation
wners Of the vicinity were conspicuous
a the marauding party.