The Tupelo journal., 1908-10-30
COL. TAYLOR ESCAPED.
Terrible Experience in Flooding Through
the Swamp.

the Swamp.
Tiptonville, Tenn.-Unharmed save nu-
merous scratches received in a thirty-hour
trip through unfamiliar woods, and the
fatigue incident to the trip without food,
and the mental strain, Judge R. Zach
Taylor reached here Wednesday morn
ing after a miraculous escape from night
riders at Reelfoot Lake, who murdered
his partner, Capt. Quentin Rankin.
Judge Taylor's escape is due to a dar-
ing dash for liberty while the night rid.
ers were shooting into the body of Capt.
Rankin.
At a moment when he thought the
guns were empty, Col. Taylor broke for
freedom. Dashing a few yards to the
bank of q shallow inlet of Reelfocv Lake,
he plunged in.
\ frsillade of bullets followed the fu-
gutive, whose figure was dimly discern
ible.
Wading and swimming, the aged at.
torney pushed forward. Bullets and small
shot fell on every side, but none struck
true.
Near the bank opposite the firing night
riders, Judge Taylor concealed himself
behind a log.
Hundreds of shots were fired into and
around the log by the night riders, but
not ono nanafrntnI Gov o,o,nl - :...
Col. Taylor.
Satisfied that their victim had met
death, and fearing that the repeated
sound of shots would arouse too many
residents of the neighborhood, the night
riders did not attempt to cross the
slough, but left the scene after over 300
shots had been fired.
Col. Taylor lay behind the log for ten
minutes or more, and then crept into the
underbrush and concealed himself until
daylight, when he plunged into the
woods to find a friendly haven.
Avoiding paths which might lead to
some unfriendly clearing, Col. Taylor
pushed his way slowly through the dense
woods, stopping only to take a few
minutes rest.
Slept on Leaves.
For hours he Travelled in this manlie,,
the sun his only guide. When night
came Col. Taylor, still afraid to APP
proach a house, made his couch on a bed
of leaves and Slept until early morning.
With the first rays of the sun the
determined man was up and pushing on
ward.
About 8 o'clock Wednesday morning
Col. Taylor, deciding that it would then
be safe for him to make inquiry at a
farm house, followed a path which short
ly led into a rough road.
Within a few minutes the fleeing man
came upon the home of Luther Rankin,
overseer for the extensive Harris inter-
ests in that section, in what is known
as No. 9 bottom.
Rankin, who is not related to Col.
Taylor's murdered partner, welcomed the
almost exhausted man and, after giving
him breakfast and dressing the wounds
made by rough brush in the battle
through the woods, rode to the nearest
telephone neighbor and sent a message
into Tiptonville with the news that Col.
Taylor was safe.
In his flight Col. Taylor travelled about
20 miles through a section which would
have proved difficult even had he fol-
lowed roads.
After being informed at Union City of
the safety of Col. Taylor, Gov. Patter-
son telephoned that he would start for
Tiptonville Immediately to interview Col.
Taylor in person. The governor directed
the local authorities to render every as
s~istance possible to the attorney and if
he could give them a clue to the identity
of any of the night riders which could
be worked from this point to start out
without further orders.