New-York tribune., 1908-12-20
HIS LIFE FOR RANKIN'S
T4YLOR,S PLEA SPURNED.
Dramatic Tale of Reegfoot Mob's
Brutality Told by aged peterap.
An Telegrnnh 10 nc Tribune. ]

TBy Telegraph to The Tribune
Union City Tenn. Dec. 1s.-1n simple but Ora
rnatic wav to-day Colonel r. 2. Taylor, the aged
veteran, who escaped. from the Reeifoot Nieh'
Riders after the brutal murder OF captain '%uehth
Rankin told his oer to give his life in MS young
companon's stead. Just before the Slght fHiuei
killed Rankin. Colonel Taylor said;
Gentlemen I am an old cannot expect
TO live many years more. BY killing me you VIII
not be cheating of much. But Captain RANKIN
is q young man with many years before him. Oe
not kill him"
The leader curtly replied: shut upr'
The aged witness made most profound impress
sion At times his emotions mastered him, ana
once he half turned. dropped his head into MS
hands and sobbed audibly the scenes OK that
awful night passed in memory before him
Colonel Taylor Is sixty-three years old. veteran
Of the Confederate army and wealthy HlAh' No
is TALL erect and soldierly in spite of his years;
wears a gray beard neatly trimmed, ano Goes ho'
show his age Piercing blue eyes. shining out from
| beneath shaggy eyebrows, give him stern ap-
pearance.
Colonel Taylor and Captain Rankin went to Reel
foot Lake to lease some land to Carpenter. Ihey
drove over the property known as crazy
Island leading to the hotel. on the night OF 80
ber 10 and left orders for horses for aho'iei Wy
the day following. Then they retired
Colonel Taylor was awakened by a CALL anu oile
Sc, me instant rear window of his room was raseu'
Two guns were thrust in, followed by TWO olAcH .i
masked heads But not word was spoken u
tbe leader of the band entered the room oy the
door The Night Riders separated Iaylor from
Rankin and Taylor did not see Rankin tfoin lho
time they left their room until he saw Rahklm inu
dered They told Taylor they purposed to klii hli-
When the Night Riders reached forked ASH ueo
on the hank of a slough they halted Taylor ana
marched Rankin to the foot of the tree Tne rope
was adjusted and thrown over the folk; then SONS
Night Rider said: d" Give him time to pray
Il have attended to that. was hankln $ ouie'
reply.
Some OF the masked band seized the rope and
drew Rankin up. The tree was inclined trlne'
and they raised the body until the toes scarcely
touched the ground. From the lips OF the swayihs
figure came the n1ufied appeal: You are choKlHs
me, gentlemen; I pray you to let me oo"h'
Then one Of the riders fired a shot into the BODY
Of Rankin even as he pleaded for his hie IN
stantly a fusillade came. most Of the rloers' now"
TayIor turned to his captors and said: Il am
tired, gentlemen; let me sit down
THE ESCAPE OF COLONEL TAYLOR
He crouched to his knees ready to spring. wait
ed until the guns empt!ed. and then, when
the firing stopped, jumped into the waters Of the
slough. Instantly the firing was renewed. TayIor
dfved but heard the bullets striking the water He
swan under water to q big log. He did not know
whether 1t was fast not He knew II II were
loose that when he grasped It for support it would
splash and his lite would be forfeited But he
was exhausted and fainting and had TO take the
risk. From the bank came cries, yells and shots
Silently he SWAN to the leg, reached for IT, and
It fast IN the slough He was SAFE. The
bullets struck the log like hail in storm but they
gradually ceased. For two hours this aged vet
eran Of many battles lay in the water grasping
the log, and when all sounds had ceased h6 swan
TO the opposite side and took to the woods. He
wandered all day, following a course marked by
the moss, which he knew heaviest on the
north side of the trees His eyesight began to
fail and he suffered fearfully from thirst. Then
he imagined that he masked men in every
thicket.
Colonel Taylor realized that be was suffering
5o1,,s 6,,+b Ms had 81
frightfuI that he could not control himself or dis
pei TIE hallucinations. He hid IN the canebrake
until wednesday, when thirst drove him out and
into the arms of his friends
Colonel Taylor asked only question on
oss-examination-dd he recognize any of the rid
ers positively the night of the crime? He did not