New-York tribune., 1908-10-26
SIXTY AWAIT JURY'S
ACTION AT REELF0OT
MILTTTAMEN TO GUARD
SESSION TO-DAY.
GoUernor Patterson, abandoning
Cam paign, Returns to Scene OF
Night Riders Outrages.
[By Telegraph to the Tribune. ]

Union CITY Tenn Oct 25-The Union County
grand jury will meet here tomorrow. and
1t is expected will bring many indictments In
connection with the assassination of Captain
Quentin Rankin at Walnut Log last Monday.
Fifty-one persons were taken into custody by
detachments of the state guard and by deputies
from Obion and other counties to-day, making
the total number of persons taken sixty. seven
of those arrested to-day were paroled. the re-
mainder being detained at the military camp
where tonight an extra guard of seventy-fve
men has been placed duty to prevent any et-
fort by friends TO attack the camp and hberate
them It is said that among the men now IN
custody are the chief night rider and some OF the
most daring of his assistants.
Governor Patterson announced in Nashville
tonight that he had cancelled all speaking dates
in his campaign for reelection and would de-
vote his entire attention to the Reelfoot Lake
question He will return to the scene tomorrow
morning
This morning detachments of soldiers ana
deputies were sent in various directions. and
they returned with the prisoners by mght1aH.
The camp was visited to-day by several hun
dred persons, and some of them were taken In
bv the troops Among the persons detained are
William Brewer, his wife, two daughters and
ten -year-od son. They were sent TO the hotei
at Samburg for the night
One of the important arrests to-day was tnat
Of J. F Carpenter, attorney. who was taken
a prisoner at Union City 1t is alleged that Car
penter wrote the letter which caused RANKIN
and TayIor to go to Walnut Log, where Captain
Rankin met his death. Carpenter denies that he
wrote such letter. but says that he had gone
to Walnut Log to see the two men in regard to
leasing some property there. and that he was at
the home of a sister, two miles from the scene
of the killing when 1t occurred W. Pratt at
Samburg is another of those under arrest j.
Sam Short postmaster and general merchant at
Samburg and one of the richest men in that sec
tion is another. An important prisoner. who is
said TO have confessed to taking part in the
Rankin killing, is Tip" Burton who is under
close guard IN the Jail at Tiptonve.
Governor Patterson, before leaving here yes
terday for Nashville to attend to important
state matters, issued call for a citizens guard
to assist the troops in guarding against pos
sibIe disorders while the grand jury investiga-
ton is in progress. and the town is under guard
of posse of fifty prominent citizens tonight
in charge of Colonel Hume r. Field. who COM
manded the 1st Tennessee Regiment in the Con-
federate army
The Frazier Guards and Forest Rifles of
Memphis, responding to the call of Governor
Patterson. arrived at Samburg late last night,
joining the three Nashville companies. mill
tary company will arrive here from Nashville
tomorrow as a special guard for the grand
jury.
The entire Reelfoot Lake district will be under
the complete domination of military rule with
the opening of the investigation. Five COM
panies of the state national guard will be al the
disposal of Colonel Tatom to enforce martial
law, and it is purposed to gather in every men,
Der of the band To aid the militia the adjon-
ing counties have been drawn for armed
bands of men. Should this force be inadequate
TO cope with the situation it is declared that the
entire military force of the state will be con-
centrated, If necessary.
Three picket lines have been established
around the camp at Samburg to guard against
possible attack A sentry fired five shots early
yesterday morning at a boatman supposed TO be
a spy who refused to halt when ordered. He
made his escape. The telephone line
tabshed from this city to the camp cut al
most as soon as the wires were strung but has
been repaired.
Governors OF, several states of the South have
that a conference of the executives Of the diff
ferent states be held and plans devised whereby
they can act in concert in effort to destroy
Night Rider organizations. Governor Noel Of
Mississippi Governor Pindall of Arkansas and
Governor Wilson of Kentucky have already ex
pressed themselves in approval of the proposed
conference Northern and Southern states have
suffered from the operations of the mysterious
organizations.