Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1908-11-12
NIGHT RIDING MUST
STOP IN THE SOUTH
Governors OF Several States Will
Act in Concert to Destroy Dis
reputable Organization.
CONFESSION LEADS TO ARREST
Many OF Those Connected with the
Dastardly Murder OF Capt. Ran
kin Are Now in Custody.

Lie prompt measures taken Dy GOV-
ernor Patterson in dealing with the
shocking outrage Of the Tennessee
Night Riders, when Capt Quentin r.
Rankin was lypched and his friend and
companion, Judge Zachary Taylor, mar
rowly escaped similar fate, are bear
ing fruit. Numerous arrests of mem
bers of the Night Riders have been
made by the militia. which the Cover
nor sent into the northwestern part of
the State, and one of the law-breaking
gang, Ted Burton, has made comics,
sion duplicating over two score of the
criminals. The majority Of these are
now under arrest at Camp Memo, al
Samberg, and all of them eventually
will be forced to face the responsibility
for their shockingly cold-blooded and
cruel crime.
According to the story told by Bur
ton, the ringleaders of the Night Rid
ers, who hanged Capt. Rankin near
Walnut Lodge on the shores of Reel
foot Lake, were Tom and Carrot John
son and Will Watson, the two former
of whom are under arrest and the lat
ter of whom is now at large under a
5000 bond for another crime. Burton
asserts that he was not actually pres
ent at the lynching. but that he helped
to arrange the preliminaries He is
plicates James T. Carpenter. a lawyer,
whom he charges with haying decoyed
Rankin and Taylor to Walnut Lodge
under the pretense of buying some land
bordering on Reelfoot Lake, dispute
over the fishing privileges of which
led to the tragedy. Carpenter is now
under arrest.
Burton met Carpenter at Walnut
Lodge by arrangement, and says be
saw Rankin and Taylor at the supper
table the night they were taken from
their beds in the hotel and conveyed
bound on horseback, to Bayou Deshea,
to be murdered. After making sure
that Rankin and Taylor were at Wal.
nut Lodge he conveyed the information
to the leaders of the Night Riders, and
while leaving the latter to deal with
the victims he went out on the lake
to fish. He was fishing fully mile
from shore when Rankin was killed
and heard the reports of the shots tina.
We're fired into his body.
The confession of Burton and the
arrest of many of the Night Riders
implicated in the tragedy have placed
the authorities in a strong position in
dealing with the lawlessness of the
Night Riders. Five companies of State
militia are now in the affected district
and more will be dispatched to the
scene should the situation warrant it
1t is the purpose of Governor Patterson
to stamp out the lawlessness which has
existed in the vicinity of Reelfoot Lake
for a long time.
Lons-Stnnding Lnwlessness.
The fishing privileges connected with
this lake lie at the root of the whole
trouble. 1t has been the contention of
those living near the lake-squatters
and others-that it was their right to
ply their calling as fishermen in its
waters without molestation. while the
owner of the land on the shores of the
lake took an opposite view.
Originally there were many owners
of the lands bordering on the lake, but
the Western Tennessee Land Company.
of which Capt. Rankin and Judge Tay
Tor were the organizers, purchased the
rights of many of those, and in the
gether with the embargo it had placed
on the fishing privileges on the lake
Then followed Night Rider warnings
threatening death to those who opposed
the wishes of the members of the band
It was on the first visit in many months
to the lake region that Capt Rankin
was killed.
Now the Night Riders are to be
fought to a finish and the whole dis
reputable organization exterminated.
The war against the Night Riders is
to be extended to other States where
this species of lawlessness exists. The
Governors of several States-Governor
Noel of Mississippi, Pindall Of Arkan.
sas, and Wilson of Kentucky-have
approved suggestion of Governor Pat
terson that a conference of the execu.
tives of these States be held and plans
devised whereby they can act in concert
in an effort to destroy Night Rider or
CARNATIONS. The Governors of other
States-Indiana, Georgia, Alabama
where night riding is springing up, will
probably join in the movement.