The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1908-10-23
A FOUL TRAGEDY
Sand of Mask Men lynch Two
Prominent Men,
CAUSE or THE CRIME

CAUSE OF THE CRIME
Was Law Passed by. the Legisla.
ture in Reference to Fishing in i
Certain Lake Near Where the Two
Men Were Killed by the Ruff.
fans.
Col. r. Q. Taylor aged 60 years,
and Captain Quinten Rankin, both
prominent attorneys Of Trenton.
Tenn, were taken from Wards Hotel
at Walnut Log, Tenn, Monday night
by masked night riders and murder
ed Captain Rankin's body was
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 also
killed. The trouble which result
ed in the death of Captain Rankin
and the probable. murder of Colonel
Taylor was caused by the passage
of an Act by the Legislature regulat-
ing fishing in Reel Foot Lake, short
distance from Walnut Log.
A night rider disturbance over
the same matter occurred over a
year ago. Ever since then Colonel
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, stockhold-
er in the West Tennessee Land Com
pany, stating that about rs masked
night riders came to his hotel 1t
midnight last night.
According to this report the night
riders lined up outside the hotet'
pulled out their revolvers and called
Colonel Taylor and Captain Rankin.
The two men did not suspect troub-
le and came down Immediately. AS
the attorneys passed into the front
ward of the hotel the night Nriders
covered them with revolvers. Before
Captain Rankin and Colonel Taylor
had an opportunity to retire they
were surroundedsand seized.
They were put on horses behind
night riders and carefully guarded.
The night riders then quietly took
up 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 up
from a limb on the bank of the lake
for the fishing cprivileges of which
he had contended with the night rid
ers. The masked men then stepped
back and opened fire on the swing
ing body, riddling it with bullets.
Leaving the corpse Of Captain Ran
kin hanging on the bank OF Reel
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 concerning
fishing privileges.
Colonel Taylor also secured the
passage in the Legislature OF an ACT
making it a misdemeanor to fish IN
the lake without paying heavy fee.
Fearing trouble Captain Rankin and
Colonel TAILOR had remained away
from the vicinity of the lake 1or
some time. Recently, however, they
heard that the feeling against theEl
had somewhat subsidised.> The at
torneys went to Walnut Log Monday
to see about some legal papers.
A man named Powell is said d
have been forced to accompany the
members. Powell had been stopping
at the hotel, and when the riders
called every one out and rompellea
them to line up, Powell. Colonel
TAYLOR, Captain Rankin and the sur
veyor, whose name is unknown, are
said to have been taken away.
Powell states, it is said, that after
killing Rankin vote was taken
regarding the disposition to made
of TAYLOR. During the dispute Tay-
lor made a dash and jumped into the
havou, starting to swim across II.