The Penn's Grove record., 1908-10-23
d|GHT RIDERS LYNCH
TENNESSEE LAWYERS
Col. RE-. Taylor and Capt. @. Rankin
Taken From a Hotel and Hanged.
WAoSkE STATE is AROUSED
Party of Eour Decoyed by Mob of
Thirty Body of Captain Ran
kin FoufAd Hanging to Tree. Rid
died With Rullets.


Mckenzie, TENN Bitter feeling
among the mountaHneers we being
deprived of their \ancient fishing
rights in Reel Foot lake reached a
startling elimination awhen a band of
Night Riders surrounded a secluded
hotel at Walnut Log, ION Upper Reel
Foot Lake, and seize9 and made off
with Colonel R. q. Taylor and Cap
tain Quinten Rankin, two Of the most
prominent lawyers in tine State RAM
kin was hanged AND then riddled
with bullets. Taylor has not since
been seen, and it is geherally believed
and flung into a deep part of tile lake.
Governor Patterson, who is cam
paigning in the region, has offered a
reward of $4,000 FOR the capture of
the band, and posses from Union City
and Tiptonvilie under Sheriffs East
wood and Haynes are searching the
county for trace of the men.
Colonel Taylop was the father of
the Vanderbilt University football
star, Hillsman Taylor, who married
Miss Katherine Taylor, daughter of
United States Senator Robert L. Tay-
lor, last fall. Captain Rankin lived
at Trenton. He was captain of a
military company in the Spanish
Americn Wa and served in the
Cuban campaign.
Colonel Taylor and Captain Ran
kin, who had long been in receipt of
threatening letters, thought the feel
ing against them had subsidized, and
went to Wards Hotel, at Walnut Log,
to execute some legal papers. Ac-
cording to Manager Ward, at mid
night a band of twenty-five Night
Riders lined up outside the hotel,
pulled out their r%evolvers and called
for Colonel Taylor and Captain Ran
kin. The two men did not suspect
trouble and came down Immediately.
AS the attorneys passed into the
front yard of the hotel the Night Rid
ers covered them with their revolv-
ers, and they were surrounded and
seized. They were put on horses be-
hind Night Riders and carefully
guarded.
The Night Riders then quietly took
up their march from the hotel, turn
ing down the road toward Reel Foot
Lake. Guests at the hotel in a few
minutes lost the sound of crunching
hoof beats and nothing more was
learned of the fate of Captain Ran
kin and Colonel Taylor until morn
ing.
Proceeding to the edge of Reel
Foot Lake the Night Riders pulled
out a rope with which they had pro-
vided themselves and placed the
moose about Captain Rankin's neck.
There is no sign of a struggle at
the place. Captain Rankin was
strung up from a limb of a tree on
the bank of the lake, for the fishing
privileges of which he had contendei
with the Night Riders. The masked
Eler then stepped back and opened
Ire on the swinging body Kidding it
with bullets.
Colonel Taylor was evidently alive
1T this time and witnessed the MUIR
der of his law partner. Leaving the
body of Captain Rankin hanging on
the ban of Reel Foot Lake the Night
Riders took Colonel Taylor to another
spot. Search neal Captain Rankin's
body has failed to reveal a trace OF
Mr.. Taylor. No sign of a hat or piece
OF clothing a be discovered
Wnlle 1t is generally believed that
Colonel Taylor was murdered, the
theory has been advanced that per-
haps Colonel Taylor was spared in
order that the demands Of the masked
men might be granted.
The trouble between Taylor aud
Rankin and the natives around the
lake originated several years ago,
when the two men organized the
West Tennessee Lani Company,
bought Reel Foot Lake from nom
resident property owners, and made
their own stringent regulations as to
fishing privileges. Colonel Taylor
also got the Legislature to pass a law
making it a misdemeanor to fish in
the LAKE without paying a heavy fee.
Both men were widely known and
highly connected. Taylor was about
sixty years of age.