Omaha daily bee., 1908-10-21
MURDER BY NIGHT RIDERS
Prominent Tennessee Men Taken from
Hotel and Killed.
MOTIVE NEW LAW ON FISHING
sheriff of Obion County In Pursuit
and Battle with Posse May Re-
sult-ThreateninE Lett
tiers sent.

UNION CITY. Tenn, oct. 20.-Colonel r.
z. Taylor. aged 60 years, and Captain Quin-
ten Rankin, both prominent attorneys Of
Trenton, Tenn, were taken from Wards
hotel at Walnut Log, Tenn, fifteen miles
from here, at midnight last night by
masked night riders and murdered. Cap
tain Rankins body was found this morning
riddled with bullets and hanging from
tree one mile from the hotel.
Efforts to locate the body Of Colonel Tay-
lor have been futile thus far, but II is be-
lieved that he was also killed.
Sheriff Eastwood Of Obion county and
posse of armed men left Union City this
morning for the scene Of the murder.
These men are determined to arrest those
guilty OF the crime and II they meet any
Of the night riders It is expected that
pitched battle will be fought. Sheriff
Haynes Of Lake county is also on his way
to the scene with a posse from Tiptonville.
The trouble which resulted in the death
of Captain Rankin and the probable murder
OF Colonel Taylor was caused by the pas
sage Of an act by the legislature regulating
fishing in Reelfoot lake, a short distance
from Walnut Log. Night rider disturb
ances over the same matter occurred about
year ago. Ever since then Colonel Tay-
lor and Captain Rankin have been in con-
stant receipt OF threatening letters, to
which they paid little heed.
Mr.. Ward. the manager OF the Ward ho-
tel at Walnut Log. telephoned Sid wad-
dell, a stockholder in the West Tennessee
Land company, stating that about twenty
five night riders came to his hotel at mid
night last night.
How Deed Was Done.
According to this report the night riders
lined UP outside the hotel, pulled out their
revolvers and called Colonel Taylor ard
Captain Rankin. The two men did not sus-
pect trouble and came down Immediately
AS the attorneys passed into the front
yard of the hotel the night riders covered
them with their revolvers. Before Captain
Rankin and Colonel Taylor had an oppor-
tunity to retire they we're surrounded and
seized. They were put on horses behind
night riders and carefully guarded.
The night riders then quietly took UP
their march from the hotel, turning down
the road toward Reefoot lake. Guests at
the hotel in a few moments lost the sounds
of hoof beats and nothing more was heard
of the fate OF Captain Rankin and Colonel
Taylor until this morning.
Proceeding TO the edge OF Reelfoot lake
the night riders pulled out a rope with
which they had provided themselves and
placed the moose about Captain Rankin's
neck.
Examination of the scene Of the murder
failed to reveal evidence OF any struggle.
Captain Rankin was strung up from a
limb on the bank OF the lake for the fish
ing privileges of which he had contended
with the night riders. The masked men
then stepped back and opened fire on the
hanging body. riddling It with bullets.
r. Z. Taylor was the father OF the Van
derbit foot ball star, Hillsman Taylor, who
married to Miss Katherine Taylor, the
daughter of Senator Robert l. Taylor, last
fall. One Of r. z. Taylor's sons is Don
Taylor, travelling salesman for the Sim
mons Hardware company OF st. Louis
Captain Rankin was a prominent lawyer OF
Trenton. He commanded a company In the
Spanish-American war and served in the
Cuban campaign.
witnesses Death of Partner.
Colonel Taylor was evidently alive at
this time and witnessed the murder OF his
law partner.
Leaving the corpse OF Captain Rankin
hanging on the bank of the lake, the night
riders took Colonel Taylor to another spot
Search near Captain Rankin's body has
failed TO reveal trace of Colonel Taylor
The trouble between inhabitants on the
banks Of Reefoot lake and Colonel Tay-
lor and Captain Rankin originated several
years ago when the two latter men incor-
porated and organized the West Tennessee
Land company.
They bought Reelfoot lake from nonresi-
dent property owners and Immediately
made regulations of their own concerning
fishing privileges. The lake separates Obion