The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1908-10-22
LAWYER SLAIN
BY NIGHT RIDERS
Capt. RdnkIR Hanged and Shot
By Masked Men.
PARTNER MAY ALSO Be DEAD

Two Prominent Tennessee Lawyers
Were Taken From a Hotel at Niqht
and Carried Away BY Night Riders.
csPtaln Rankin's Body Found Hang
ING From Tree at Edge Of Lake.
Col. Taylor's Body Not Found. But
Believed Nc Was Also Kued-Trou-
bic over Fishing Privileges lr Lake.
Union City. Tenn. Oct 2l.-Coiouel
x. 4 Taylor and Captain QUinten
Rankin. prominent attorneys OF Iron
ton. were taken from Wards hotel st
Walnut Log. fifteen miles from here.
by masked night riders and muir
dered
Captain Rankin's body was found
riddled with bullets and hanging from
a tree one mile from the hotel
Efforts to find the body Of Colonel
Taylor have been futile thus far but Il
is believed that he was also killed.
sheriff Eastwood and posse left
Union City for the scene OF the muir.
der. II they meet any OF the uisht
riders il is expected that a pitched
battle viii be fought Sheriff Haynes.
Of Lake county. is also on his way TO
the scene with posse from Upton
Vile
The trouble that resulted in the
death OF Captain Rankin and the prob
able murder of Colonel TAYLOR was
caused by the passage OF an act By the
legislature regulating fishing in Reel
SCOT lake. a short distance from Wal
nut Log
Nr. Ward. manager Of the hotel al
Walnut Log. telephoned Sid Waddeu.
q stcckbolder of the West Tennessee
Land company. that about twonty-five
masked right riders came to his hotel
at midnight They lined up outside the
hotel pulled out their revolvers and
called Taylor and Rankin. The men
did not suspect trouble and came down
Immediately.
A the attorneys passed into the
'front.' yard OF the hotel the night rid
eEs covered them with their revoIvers
and before they could retreat they
were seized. put on horses and placed
under guard
The night riders then took up their
march from the hotel. turning down
the road toward Reel Foot lake. The
guests ~ the hotel In a few minutes
lost the sound OF hoof beats and moth
ing more was learned OF the fate OF
Captain Rankin and Colonel Taylor IN
al morning
Going 20 the edge Of Reel Foot lake.
he bandits put a rope about Captain
Rankin's neck and strung him up from
a limb on the bank OF the lake. for the
lshing privileges OF which he mai CON
tended. The masked men stepped back
AID opened IRE on the swinging body.
Kidding Il with bullets.
They took Colonel Taylor To some
other spot Search has failed 70 re
veal a trace OF him.
The trouble between inhabitants on
he banks OF Reel Foot lake and Col.
1nol Taylor and Captain Rankin origi-
mated several years ago. when the two
latter men organized the West Ten
nessee Land company. bought Reel
Foot lake from nonresident property
owners and made regulations OF their
own concerning fishing privileges.
Colonel Taylor also secured the pas
sage Ia the legislature OF an act max
lag II Z misdemeaEor to fish in the
lake without paying 4 heavy fee.
Fearing trouble. Captain Rankin and
colonel Taylor had remained away
from ths vicinity Of the lake for some
tine Recently. however. they heard |
that the feeling against them haa |
somewhat subsidized. There were some |
legal papers at Walnut Log which |
needed attention, and the attorneys |
went there TO see about them.
4 man named Powell who hauls nsh |
from Walnut Log TO Hickman, is said |
20 have been forced TO accompany the !
mob. Powell says that after kill
ing Rankin a vote vas taken regarding |
the disposition to be made OF Taylor
During the dispute Taylor made a |
cash, jumped into the bayou and start |
ed to swim across. number Of shots 1
were fired at him. In the confusion |
Powell slipped away and brought back |
the story OF the escape or attempted |
escape OF Taylor.
Searchers found the trees on the /
edge Of the bayou clipped by bullets |
and there were deep footprints in the /
mud along the shore. On the other side |
o. the bayou there was a single foot /
print and some think this may be the |
track Of Colonel Taylor.
Governor Patterson arrived at Hun |
boidt and held a consultation with |
citizens of Trenton. who came down |
TO meet him. Governor Patterson an
nounced that he had offered a $4,000 |
reward and would visit the scene in |
person.