The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-12-25
Night Riders Keep Whole
Community In State of
Terror.
STATE DID NOT REST BUT PRO.
cEEDEo TO SECURE MORE EVI.
pENcE TO STRENGTHEN AL
READY STRONG CASE AGAINST
OUTLAWS.
BY Associated Press.

Union City, Tenn, Dec. 24.-Instead
of resting with the testimony it hae
submitted, the state decided this morn
| ing to strengthen the case against the
| might riders" with a little more evi
dence. For this purpose it summoned
Thomas H Cloar, no relative of the
defendant, Arthur Cloar. as its first
witness. Cloar was induced to join
the night riders by Arthur Cloar early
in October. The witness was cool
but careful. for ON last Saturday a
friend OF one of the men on trial ap-
preached Cloar and told him II he
testified he would be killed before he
left the stand He was missing for
an hour or two last night and the
state feared he had been abducted or
killed An armed party found him at
his home in Clayton, however He
has been in Union City since the de-
PENDANTS were arrested and simply
went home for a little visit.
On the day of Captain Ranken's
murder, Cloar went to the Reelfoot
Lake for fish and met Bob Huffman
and Bud Morris, of the defendants.
Huffman told him they had wanted
him TO join in order to get informar
ton as to how Union City was guard
ed as they wanted TO visit that place
and attelsar Judge 'JoHes and Attor.
ney Caldwell, and the iatter's father,
a man 80 years old, Judge Waddell
and a number of other prominent men
who were urging the determination OF
the night rider band.
The witness was told that the riders
were to "get'' Ranken and Taylor that
night and he was urged to ride with
them. He told them he had no gun,
that his child was i'll and that me
could not go. Prior 10 this, however,
ne had burned his mask and told his
wife he would never go with the riders
again. He was not present when Ran
ken was. killed.
He talked with Arthur Cioar few
days after the killing Arthur Cloar
is one of the defendants, and he told
Thomas Cloar, the witness. all the de
tails OF the murder and said that he.
Arthur Cloar. was present when il
was committed. A sever crOss-eXam-
nation failed TO confuse the witness
or make him vary from any detail of
This story.
During a recess. Judge Jones no.
ticed number of small boys in the
court and asked that they retire. TINS
action followed an incident the court
noted last night. A number of small
boys mad purchased black masks and
were vigorously playing night riders
They have been constant attendants
at the trial and the court did not con-
slider the effect good on the youthful
minds.
DR.. E. NJ White, while visiting near
the lake the night of the RaDken muir
der was approached by masked rider
who was armed with a revolver The
man demanded guns and got an auto
matte pump gun belonging to his host.
John Moore The gun was returned
the next day The doctor did not
recognize the man as he spoke in a
falsetto tone.
William Roberts, Reelfoot Lake
man was solicited by Arthur Cloar to
Join. He refused, whereupon CIoar
told MIN the riders proposed to get
Judge Harris. whip him and cut OF
his head. and when we GO. said
Cloar. you will have TO go whether
you want to or not The night riders
were never able to get Harris, who
was one of the owners of the West
Tennessee Land Company, because
he was guarded at all times. His
home at Tiptonville is veritable fort.
The grounds ard approaches TO il are
siege of weeks Whether this was
known to the night riders is not def
nitely known but they never attempt
ed to raid Harris's home Next the
maps OF the Reelfoot Lake district
We're produced again and explained
by Deputy Sheriff Tom Noah.