Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-12-19
WITNESSES TELL HOW
> RANKIN WAS KILLED
Prosecution Makes Material Prog.
ress in Cases Against Reel.
foot Lake Night Riders.
TWO or The MOB ARE IDENTIFIED
First Eigh. CO Clan 20 be Tried for
Lynchins Of Lawyer Face Jury
Prisoners Pay Little Attention to
Proceedinqs-TriaiJ Judge Is Unable
to Muzzie Press.

lEy Associated Press,
UNION CITY, TENN. llrC. lS.--At
the end! Of tn" first d"N . testimony
in til" ni"h rider trial tn" STATE had
made material progress. II hah in
tIud!i,ri t, StimoEN covering tn" de"
tailS e the murder Of CAPTAIN Ranh
in. a,d also had succ""d"d in pre-.
:, ntirg testimony supporiin- an 't"n-
rlhc.toI OF tw" OF III" prisoner"
q, nrmh. rs Of III" MASKED band.
The c,mrt room WAS pack To SUI
to, alton
The prisoners unhrn.nt. ,"owlnE
AID silent, paid lit,i" attention to pro
ccrdinya Cnly once today did hey
h"iIav any emotion.
Prisoners Grin at Witness.
one witness who bad been sworn
into the hand against his will as h"
alleged. testified that tn" only par
of the oath he remembered WAS hat
part which prov; t-d mat they wouii
Kill him If he revealed any hing Al
this a sardonic grin spread over the
t, atures Of more tnan one of the
eight prisoners.
u. ~ row II. nus VI Itl VI tH'' pif'
woman witness 10 be called. was All
'nnortanf factor in the states behalf
today.
Powell said he was dragged from
his bed the night Of the Rankin muir
der and forced to accompany III"
band 10 the Walnut Log hotel. from
which Rankin and Taylor were taken
Identifies Alleged Participants.
Powell recognized Frank FehrinC"r
as the man who opened Rankin's va
lse. took out and read a letter.
He identified Garrett Johnson 4.
the leader. and "Bony'' Ran ;um a
the man in the white mask. the only
on who was disguised
Fehringer has confessed and will
be used by tine state as witness.
When the night riders took R2nk-
in and Taylor into the woods they
took Powell along too.
II, heard then questioning the two
men as to their title TO the land in
thu ReeIfoOt district. Near the spot
where Rankin was murdered they
halted Powell until the murder was
done. Then they asked him II he re
cOgn'zed any Of them. and when he
said no. :hey told him to tell Ward,
the hotel proprietor to come down
for the bodies Of his CUE SITS.
Feared for His Life.
Powell was arrested Dy he soldiers,
and testified before tn coroner's jury
that he failed 10 recognize the riders.
bur did SO because h. feared for his
life
He was present when the lrdy OF
Rankin. wraup, d in sheet, was car
ricd from the spot upon which he
VS. aSsa Ssinatcd to the WaInu Log
k0te!. ana one "f the men who heipec
carry the boiy was Tom Wilson. VINO
Powell swOre was one Of III" nigh'
riders WI" b. ped 10 murder RANKIN
tho nigh: before
Wilson has since died while under
i7dictment fer murder Ne was one
Of n" men named by Fehringer in
his conf, s;iOn.
II" state ,h.n called r. G. Ward
prOrrietcT Of 'hr walnut Log Hotel
He testified that on the niCht % The
murder he was aroused by Prw".'
c1liirg him When T., rcEDon led h"
found me place surrounded by nigh;
riders
Leader Was Equipped.
TT" leader wore a figure for and
Ia! q rope and whip. The men. 4
dorm or MGR. crowded into Rankin
end TaviCr's room. Tsrlo! raised M
md thov asked him II h. owed tn
west Tonness g ] and COMPANY. H'
said no. h" WIS only Interested n Il
Thcv hon aw Rankin and asked hin
if n" WIS interested in he l2nl com
paw. he saii yes. whrTeupon tn
leader aid Get up. 10th of yoI an.
dress
Th.v opened Rsnt'ns yaIis". Re-.
NOV d bitter and T7rch"d War
ct e tho room. / i'll" later h"
\. AID he hand rid. awav. taking
'hoi- -'~oaera Ward in half an hou-
heard = q" 49, '~IIovcl =, 2 rattt'
~ rites Pow".. cam" int"
'h- Notci al aid IN" mon had bcen
killed
Ward accompan'cd POWELL 20 whore
Kankin's body lay
csnr Muzxle press.
tn" w 'gc warned ~ n"wspaDH-
mon in rourt agains' publishing tics
iiraonv brought ont In h. trial. say
ing There woro over 100 indictments
vet 20 h" tried ard tina I, would be