The Glenwood post., 1908-10-24
MURDERED BY
NIGHT RIDERS
TWO TENNESSEE LAWYERS ARE
CALLED OUT AND KILLED BY
MASKED MEN.
QUARREL over FISHING
TEN THOUSAND DOLLAR RE-
WARD OFFERED AND MILL
TIA MoBiLIZED.

Union City, Tenn-Col. R. q. Tay-
lor, aged sixty, and Capt Quenten Ran
kin, prominent attorneys of Trenton.
Tennessee, were taken from Wards
hotel at Walnut Log, Tennessee. fif-
teen miles from here, at midnight Mon
day night by masked night riders"
and murdered.
Captain Rankin's body was found
next morning riddled with bullets and
hanging from tree one mile from the
hotel. Efforts to locate the body of
Colonel Taylor have been futile thus
far, but 1t is believed that Le was also
killed. Sheriffs of Obion and Of Lake
counties are on their way to the scene
with posses.
Mr.. Ward, manager Of the Ward no.
tel at Walnut Log, telephoned in de-
tails Of the tragedy. He said that
twenty-five masked might riders"
came to his hotel at midnight. They
lined up outside the hotel. pulled out
their revolvers 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 Rankin and Taylor had an
opportunity to retire they were sur
rounded and seized. They were put on
horses behind the men and carefully
guarded.
Proceeding to the edge OF Reel Foot
lake, the masked men pulled out a
rope, with which they had provided
themselves, and placed the moose
about Captain Rankin's neck. He was
strung up from limb on the bank OF
the lake for the fishing privileges of
which he mad contended with the
might riders" The masked men then
opened fire on the hanging body, rid
ding it with bullets.
A man named Powell, who hauls
fish from The Log to Hickman, is said
to have been forced to accompany the
mob which numbered about eighty
members. Powell had been stopping
at the hotel and when the riders called
every one out and compelled them to
line up, Powell, Colonel Taylor, Cap
tain Rankin and the surveyor. whose
name is unknown, are said to have
been taken away, the others being per-
mitted to return to their beds.
Powell states, it is said, that after
killing RanNin a vote was taken re-
garding the disposition to be made of
Taylor. During the dispute, Taylor
i,,D Sptr hn hnr
ou, starting to swim across it A
number of shots were fired at him and
in the confusion Powell slipped away
and brought back the story of the es-
cape.
Governor Patterson arrived at Hum
boldt during the afternoon and held n
consultation with citizens OF Trenton,
who came down to meet him. Governor
Paterson announced that he had of
fered $4,000 reward and would visit
the scene in person.
Judge Joseph E. Jones adjourned Cir
cult Court a. Union City, which Is in
his circuit. He announced that he will
have the grand jury empaneled at
once and will have the court ordered
Immediately. Governor Patterson will
have the militia called out to protect
One hundred militiamen under COM
mand of Col. w. c. Tatom mobilized at
the state capitol in Nashville Tuesday
and left for Reel Foot lake.
The trouble between inhabitants on
the banks of Reel Foot lake and Col
onel Taylor and Captain Rankin origi-
mated several years ago, when the two
latter men incorporated and organ
lied the West Tennessee Land Com
pany. They bought Reel Foot lake
from nonresident owners and imme-
diately made regulations Of their own
concerning fishing privileges. The lake
separates Obion and Lake counties in
the extreme northwest corner Of Ten
nessee. Great numbers Of the resi-
dnts have h,ade 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
Colonel Taylor was the father Of the
Vanderbilt football star, Hillman Tay
lor. who was married to Miss Kath
crime Taylor, the daughter of Sen. Rob
ert L. Taylor. last fall. Captain Ran
kin was a prominent lawyer Of Tren
ton. He commanded company in the
spanish-American war and served II
the Cuban campaign.
1