The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1908-10-28

NASHVILLE, Tenn. ae news Oh
the outrage of Monday night on
Reelfoot Lake. in which night
riders abducted two of the most
prominent lawyers of west Tonnes
see. killing one. appalled, the capital
city as we'll as the particular section
If the state lying closets to the scene
of the tragedy.
The two men who were abducted
we're among the most prominent in
the state Captain Quinten Rankin
is a graduate of Vanderbilt Univer-
sity and law partner in Trenton of
Captain James DeasOn, the latter
formerly a law partner of Justice M.
M. Neil, of the Tennessee supreme
court. Captain Rankin several
years ago married Miss Eliza Griz-
gard, daughter of a prominent west
Tennessee family She is a niece of
Captain M. NJ. Marshall. chairman
If the Tennessee board of prison
commissioners, and a first cousin of
court. Captain Rankin, in addition
TO having attained distinction in the
legal professor, served with honor as
captain Of Company K. Second Ten
Ressee regiment of volunteers, in the
Spanish American war. He was a
man of genial. IOyable disposition,
and was quite popular in Trenton,
mis- home town.
Colonel r. e. Taylor is also a
prominent lawyer of Trenton. He
was for a number of years clerk and
master of the chancery court of Glib
son county and had always manifest
ed and welded much influence in
political circles. Colonel Taylor was
the father of Mr. Hillsman Taylor,
who is remembered all over the
south as the famous aIl-southern
football tackle on the Vanderbilt
University team He was better
known to the football world as Red"
Taylor, and played against Georgia
Tech in Atlanta two wears ago.
Red" Taylor married the youngest
daughter of United States Senator
Bob Taylor. and he and his young
bride had been living at the home
of his unfortunate and murdered
father, Colonel Taylor, in Trenton.
The son has gone to hunt the body
Of his father.
Cause OF LynChing.
1t appears that the night riding
on the lake and the resulting muir
ders are the outgrowth of the old
fight and the old feeling over fishing
urhn
Reelfoot Lake tract sunk during an
earthquake disturbance and filled up
with water, thus becoming a great
lake, the fishermen on its waters
have rebelled against any ownership
of any fishing rights except such as
would throw the lake open to all.
For generations there have been
lawsuits over the old grants. The
two lawyers who were murdered rep
resented the West Tennessee Land
Company. which ia turn had ac-
CURED from the Harris heirs leases
10 most of the lake These fishing
privileges in turn are said to have
been leased out to the fishing trust
and the representatives of the latter
had either asked for royalty on the
fishing or else demanded that the
fishermen dispose of their catches
through them. These two lawyers, |
receiving decoy word that some par
ties wanted TO lease some property |
from them, were enticed down to |
Walnut Log and from the hotel were |
called out aad seized. The night |
riders or fishermen had been after |
them o long time, it is said. The |
lawyers had been told that it was |
safe to go down to the lake, as the |
excitement had died down and the !
prejudice against them had subsidized. |
Noted Hunting Resort.
The scene Of the midnight muir
der, Walnut Log, is one of the most !
famous resorts for duck hunters and |
fishermen in the country 1t is at |
the northern end of Reelfoot Lake |
and about mile or two from the |
Kentucky line. The hotel is oper- |
ated by CAPTAIN P C. Ward, prob |
ably the oldest and most famous
duck hunter on the lake. His son, |
Guy Ward, is a noted professional
trap shooter aud has frequently at
tended shoots in Atlanta, Nashville,
Birmingham and other southern
cities.
1t is said by spOrtsmen who have
been to the lake that there are any
number of men making living out
of it today who are fugitiyes from
Justice Of years ago; men who had to
leave communities over night These
men, many of them, have already
killed their man. and are absolutely
fearless. They do not fear mankind,
laws, public sentiment or anything
else. They are said to be proceeding