The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1908-10-28
A FOUL TRAGEDY
Band of Mask Men Lynch Two
Prominent Men.
CAUSE OF THE CRIME

ture in Reference to Fishing In
Certain Lake Near Where the Tw,
Men Were Killed by the Ruf
fans.
Col. R. q. Taylor, aged go years
and Captain Quinten Rankin, boil
prominent attorneys Of Trenton
Tenn, we're taken from Wards Hote
at Walnut Log, Tenn, Monday nigh
by masked night riders and murder
ed. Captain Rankin's body wa!
found Tuesday morning riddled with
bullets and hanging from a tree on,
mile from the hotel.
Efforts to locate the body of Col
onel Taylor have been futile thus
! far, but it is believed that he was als1
| killed. The trouble which result
ed in the death Of Captain Rankin
and the probable murder of Colone
Taylor was caused by the passagl
of an Act by the Legislature regulat'
ing fishing in Reel Foot Lake, a shor'
distance from Walnut Log.
A night rider disturbance over
the same matter occurred over
year ago. Ever since then Colone,
Taylor and Captain Rankin have
been in constant receipt Of threaten
ing letters, to which they paid little
heed. Mr.. Ward, the manager Of
the Ward House, at Walnut Log
telephoned Sid Wadell, a stockhold'
or in the West Tennessee Land Com
pany, stating that about Is masked
night riders came to his hotel al
midnight last night.
According to this report the night
riders lined up outside the hotel.
pulled out their revolvers and called
Colonel Taylor and Captain Rankin,
The two men did not suspect troub'
lie and came down Immediately. A
the attorneys passed into the front
yard of the hotel the night riders
covered them with revolvers. Before
Captain Rankin and Colonel 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 took
I'D their march from the hotel. turn
ing down the road toward Reel Foot
Lake. Proceeding to the edge OF
Reel Foot Lake the night riders pull
ed out a rope and placed the moose
about Captain Rankin's neck.
Captain Rankin was strung un
from a limb on the bank of the lax
for the fishing privileges of which
he had %contended with the night rid
ers. The masked men then stepped
back and opened fire on the swing
ing body, Kidding it with bullets
Leaving the corpse Of Captain Ran
kin hanging on the bank of Rec
Lake, the night riders took Colonel
Taylor to another spot. Search near
Captain Rankin's body has failed
to reveal a trace of the murderers.
The, trouble between inhabitants
on the banks of Reel Foot Lake and
Colonel Taylor and Captain Rankin
organized several years ago. when
the two latter men organized the
West Tennessee Land Company,
bought Reel Foot Lake from non
resident property owners and made
regulations of their own concernine
fishing privileges.
Colonel Taylor also secured thS
massage In the Legislature of an Ac'
making it a misdemeanor to fish II
the lake without paying a heavy fee
Fearing trouble Captain Rankin anc
Colonel Taylor had remained ava!
from the vinnity of the lake fo'
some time. Recently, however, the!
heard that the feeling against then
had somewhat subsidized. The at
torneys went to Walnut Log Monday
to see about some legal papers.
A man named Powell Is said e.
have been forced to accompany Tho
members. Powell had been stoppinf
at the hotel, and when the rider:
| called every one out and compelIe,
them to line up. Powell. Colone
TAYLOR, Captain Rankin and the sur
veyor, whose name is unknown, ar
said to have been taken away.
Powell states, it is said, that atte'
killing Rankin a vote was take
regarding the disposition to mao
Of TAYLOR. During the dispute Tay
lor made a dash and jumped into I'M
BAYOU, starting to swim across II
A number of shots were fired at hin,
and IN the confusion Powell slipped
away and brought back the story o
the escape or attempted escape o
Taylor.
R. z. Taylor was the father Of tn
Vanderbilt foot ball star. Hillsmal
TAYLOR. who was married to Mis-
Katherine Taylor. the daughter o
Senator Robert L. Taylor. last fall
Oaptaln Rankin was a prominen
LAWYER of Trenton . He was captal'
If q military company in the Spanish
American war and served ID IN
Cuban campaign.
Governor Patterson offered a re
ward of $4,000 for the arrest ,
- s,;Itr of ~