Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1908-10-24
LAWYER SLAIN
BY NIGHT RIDERS
Capt, Rankin Hanged and Shot
By Masked Men.
PARTNER MAY ALSO Be DEAD

Two Prominent Tennessee Lawyers
Were Taken From = Hotel at Nigh,
and Carried Away BY Night Riders
Captain Rankin's Body Found Hang
Ing From Tree az Edge Of Lake.
COL Taylor's Body Not Found, But
Believed He Was Also KHled-Trou.
bic over Fishing Privileges In Lake.
Union City Tenn. oct. Colonel
r. = Taylor aud Captain QuIut.u
Rankin. prominent attorneys of Tryn.
ton. were taKcn from Wards hotel 20
Walnut LOG fifteen miles from here
by masked night riders and muir
dored.
Captain Rankn's body was found
riddled with bullets and hanging lrou
tree one mile from the hotel
Efforts TO nnd the body OF Co.ouci
Taylor have been futile thus TAR. bus lt
Is believed that he was also killed
Sheriff Eastwood and a posse lcu
Union city for the scene of the muir.
der lf they meet any OF the nieht
riders it IFS expected that a pitched
battle viii De fought Sheriff HAYNES
OF Lake county. is also on his way CO.
me scene with a posse from Upton
Vile
The trouble that resulted I'm th.
death of Captain Rankin and the prob.
able murder OF Colonel Taylor was
caused boy The passage OF Gam act bv thD
legislature regulating fishing in Ror
Foot lake, q short distance from Wal
nut Log
Mr. Ward, manager 81 the hotel at
Walnut Log. telephoncd Sid Wade
n stakeholder OF the West Tenuess..
Land company. that about twenty 1--WE.
masked night riders came 20 his hotel
al midnight They lined up outside t.c.
hotel pulled out their revolvers au \
called Taylor and Rankin The mer|
did not suspect trouble and came Gov M
Immediately
AS The attorneys passed into the
'front.' yard OF the hotel the night rid
ers covered them with their revolvers.
and before they could retreat thew
were seized. put on horses and placed
under guard
The night riders then took I'D their
march from the hotel. turning down.
the road toward Reel Foot lake. Tn
guests at the hotel in a few minutes
lost the sound OF hoof beats and moth
ing more was learned of the fate oil
Captain Rankin and Colonel TAYLOR un.
I'll morning.
Going TO the edge Of Reel Foot lake
the bandits put a rope about Captain
Rankin's neck and strung him up fromI
a limb on the bank OF the lake. for the
fishing privileges Of which he had con
tended. The masked men stepped back
and opened fire on the swinging body
Kidding Il with bullets.
They took Colonel Taylor to some
other spot Search has failed to re-
veal trace Of him.
The trouble between inhabitants on
the banks OF Reel Foot lake and Col
onel Taylor and Captain Rankin orisi-
mated several years ago when the two
latter men organized the West Ten.
nessee Land company. bought Reel
Foot lake from nonresident property
owners and made regulations OF their
own concerning fishing privileges.
Colonel Taylor also secured the pas-
sage In the legislature of an act max |
- q A.AoNNAA0AAOA 10 IHn IN the
lake without paying a heavy fee.
A man named Powell. who hauls fish
from Walnut Log to Hickman. is SKID
to have been forced to accompany the !
mob. Powell says that after kill
ing Rankin vote was taken regarding
the disposition TO be made OF Taylor. /
During the dispute Taylor made a |
dash. jumped into the bayou and starr. |
ed TO swim across. A number of shots
were hred at him. In the confusion |
Powell slipped away and brought back |
the story of the escape or attempted /
escape Of Taylor.
Searchers found the trees on the
edge OF the bayou clipped by bullets i
and there were deep footprints in the
mud along the shore. On the other side
OF the bayou there was a single foot
print, and some think this may be the
track OF Colonel Taylor.
Governor Patterson arrived at Hum
boldt and held a consultation with
citizens OF Trenton, who came down
to meet him. Governor Patterson an.
nounced that he had offered a $40. O00l
reward and would visit the scene In
person.