The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-12-30
NIGHT RIDERS TRIAL
ACCUSED KEEN DENY BEING MEM
 BEERS OF GANG.
It Is Deveieping That There Was . Great Deal .af Visiting Among Reelfoot People the Might
 Rankin Was Lynehed.

Union City. Tenn. Dec. 29--with the defense of the night rider trial we Il un- der way the case has settled down into wearisome round of cumulative testi- mony
 The defendants are relying upon alibl's for escape. These aiibis are to be strengthened by the testimony of ] scores of witnesses most of them rela- lives of the defendants, All but two of the eight defendants have been put on the stand. The two exceptions are Tod Burton and Fred Pinion.
 Eacn of the defendants remembered distinctly many people who were in their homes on the night of the Rankin l murder and recalled many incidents that occurred then. Pressed to name people who were present on the other nights. or recfte incidents that happen ed few days prior to the murder they ! were unable to do so. There was an un-; l usual amount of sickness that night, too at least three calls being made for medicine at homes In which defendants were peacefully Sleeping at the time when the self-confessed night riders swore they were murdering Captain Rankin.
 The cross examination of Attorney Caldwell was severe and in each case demonstrated that the witness could remember nothing that happened any other night save that one that Cap tain Rankin was killed. 4 Mrs. Craney, mother-in-law of Wad Morris, one of the confessed riders, swore that her son-i Jaw was in bed in the same room with her at 10 p. m.. the night of the killing. and. therefore, could not have been at the murder. as he says he was. She could not recall what time he went to bed upon any other night since she had known him.
 Sam Baker swore Herscheli Hogg, another self-confessedl rider, wasNin bed with him the night of the killing of Rankin. Sam's memory as to other nights was very vague, however. and he could not remember whether or not he talked with lawyers for khe defense last evening.
 M. v.gReEd, father in Jaw of Bud Nor rfs testified to an alibi for him and denied that he told different story before the grand jury. Withered, wrInkied and poorly clad Morrts's mother. s5 years old. in tired. hope less voice. swore that her son was at home the night of the murder. Other witnesses swore to the same erect ana the defense indicated shat 1t would take. the alibis of the eight accused men one by one.
  lowed the1others in his denial Of ever having been a night rider or having | ever joined the band in any of the raids
 Boy Ransom followed Hoffman, and. | in turn was succeeded in the stand by. Garrett Johnson. the reputed lead CT Of the riders. Both men denied any knowledge of the riders and de- tailed their movements the night of the Rankin murder It is developing that there was a great deal of visit ing among the Reelfoot people that night Johnson swore that the night the riders met at darsh's store to prevent a raid by Lake county men, as detailed by Frank Fehringer. the sheriff had authorized them to gather for protection. Johnson denied that | any one was masked or that the men gathered there were night riders In fact. he had never seen a night rider and would not know one if he saw him.
 Johnson, on cross examination, de- nied that he sent Miss Minnie Going out of the State the day after the mur- der of Captain Rankin. Miss Going was visiting at the Jack son home and Is believed to have recognised Garrett Johnson and others on their numer- ous visits to the Jackson home. John- son declared he neither approved nor disapproved of the acts of the night riders.
 Arthur Cloar. the first witness of the afternoon. one of the defendants. ad- mitted going masked to a meeting called to give a whipping to an a1- legged thief He declared. however, that the men at the meeting decided not to act and all went home. He denied ever joining the night riders or going on the rides. b..
 Joe Hogg.- father of Herschel Hogg, one of the confessed night riders. next testified that his son who turned States evidence was at home and in bed asleep the night of the Rankin niurder.
 Herschel Hogg swore that he was present when Rankin was killed and identified some of the defendants as participants.