Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1908-10-23

DISPATCHES of Tuesday and We'd
nesday tell of startling outrage
committed at Reel Foot lake IN
Union county, Tennessee last Mon
dav night. The victims were two
LAWYERS, Hon. r. u. Taylor and cap
tain Ouinton Rankin. Rankin and
was killed and Taylor had narrow
escape with his life. 1t seems that
several years ago these two men got
control of Reel Foot lake, large
body of water that affords fine fish
ing. The people of the surrounding
country had been fishing in the lake
for quite awhile, and it is claimed
that many of them drew living from
it.. When Rankin and Taylor got
control they put strict limitations
ON the fishing privileges. The night
riders got after them and they lett
the country, remaining away until
last week when, in the belief that
feeling had subsided, they returned
and occupied lodge near the iake'
During the night, the night riders
called for them and suspecting noun
ing they at once came out. Wltnout
warning, members OF the nlght TlueI
crowd threw a rope over Rankin
neck and dragged him to tree where
they strung him up and filled his
body with bullets. Taylor broke 10
run, got into the lake and took refuge
behind a sunken log The night rid
ers fired hundreds of shots at the log,
and finally concluding that Taylor was
dead. left After the night riders
were gone. Taylor crawled out OF the
oil niO
came to a house next morning. Inc
story he told was as follows: Mon
day night, last, Captain Rankin and
7 went to Reel Foot lake in response
to a letter from a Mr.. Carpenter OF
Union City. who wanted to lease some
timber lands. On our arrival at the
lake we went to the Log House. or
Ward Hotel. and early after supper
retired. Some time during the night
we were aroused by some one knock
ing at our door. and on opening the
door a mob of masked men was
found standing in the hall. We were
ordered to dress, and as the leader
of the mob said, he wanted to talk
10 us, we put on our clothes and ac-
companied the men to the back OF
the lake some distance from the hotel.
The leader of the MOB talked with
MS telling US we We're aSSOciating too
much with Judge Harris and were
taking entirely too much interest in
the lake. He said that the course OF
Harris and the West Tennessee Land
company in prohibiting free fishing
was causing the starvation of women
and children. and that something had
To be done I never dreamed that
the mob intended US any harm, but
lust then the mob threw rope
around Captain Rankin'S neck ana
swung him to a limb. He protested
and said: Gentlemen, do not Kill me,
and the reply of the mob was vol
lev of fifty shots. This was the first
evidence of any intention to harm us
and when the firing began l jumped
into a bayou. and made for sunken
log. Behind this l hid and the mob
fired several hundred shots into the
log. They evidently believed l was
dead for l heard one Of them say:
He's dead and let him 60, and with
that he rode away. I remained in
the water until after the mob was
out Of hearing and went to an island
i'm the lake where I remained all day
Tuesday. At night I started out ana
walked all night. coming up to a
house at o'clock this morning.
The governor of Tennessee has put
the district under martial law. gone
there i'm person and offered reward
of $4,000 for the arrest and convic-
tiom of the aSSaSSinS.