The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-10-20
Two Prominent Tennessee Law
yers Slain by Night Riders.
Had Offended Citizens by Buy
ing a Lake.
KEPT
THEM
Did Not Permit Outsiders to
Fish
Victims Called From Hotel and
Carried Off.

Union City. Tenn, Oct. 20.-Colonel
r. Z. Taylor. 60 years. and Captain
Quinten Rankin, prominent attorneys
of Trenton, Tenn, were taken from
Wards hotel at Walnut Lodge, Tenn,
fifteen miles from here, at midnight
last night by masked night riders and
murdered Captain Rankins body
was found this morning riddled with
bullets and hanging from a tree one
mile from the hotel. Efforts to locate
tho body of Colonel Taylor have been
futile thus far, but it is believed he
was also killed. Sheriffs of Obion and
of Lake counties are on their way to
the scene with posses. Mr.. Ward, the
manager of the Ward hotel, at Walnut
Lodge, telephoned in details of the
tragedy. He said that twenty-five
masked night riders came to his Motel
at midnight last night. They lined up
volvers and called to Colonel Taylor
and Captain Rankin. The two men
did not suspect trouble and came
down Immediately.
AS the attorneys passed into the
front yard the riders covered them
with their revolvers and before Ran
kin and Taylor had an opportunity to
retire they were surrounded and seized.
They were put on horses behind night
riders and carefully guarded. The
night riders then quietly look up tnelI
march from the hotel turning down
the road toward Reel Foot lake.
Guests at the hotel in a few minutes
lost the sound of hoofbeats and moth
ing more was heard of the fate of the
two men until this morning.
Proceeding to the edge of Reel
Foot lake the night riders pulled out
a rope, with which they had provided
themselves and placed the moose
about Captain Rankin's neck. He
1fv,1h an a
bank of the lake for the fishing
privileges of which he had contended
with the night riders. The masked
men then opened fire on the hanging
body, Kidding it with bullets. Colonel
Taylor evidently was alive at this time
and witnessed the murder of his law
partner.
Leaving the corpse of Rankin hang
ing. the riders took Taylor to another
spot. Search near Rankin's body has
failed to reveal a trace of Taylor
While it is generally believed that
Taylor was murdered, as he had no
opportunity whatever to escape the
theory has been advocated that perhaps
he was spared in order that the de-
mands of the masked man might be
granted.
Trouble Over Fishing.
The trouble between inhabitants on
the bank of Reel Foot lake and
Colonel Taylor and Captain Rankin
originated several years ago, when the
two latter men Incorporated and or
ganized the West Tennessee Land
company.
They bought Reel Foot lake from non
resident owners and Immediately made
regulations of their own concerning
fishing privileges. The lake separates
Obion and Lake counties in the ex-
treme northwest corner of Tennessee
Great numbers of the residents in that
neighborhood have made their living
for some time by fishing in the lake
and they became indignant when what
they claimed as their rights" were dis
turbed. They made demands of the
land company and followed these with
letters threatening Taylor and Rankin