The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1908-10-23
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 a Hotel at Night
and Carried Away BY Night Riders.
Captain Rsnkln's Body Pound Hang
Ing From Tree At Edge Of Lake.
Col. Tsylor's Body Not Found, But
Believed He Was Also klHsd-Trou-
Bile over Fishing Privileges In Lake.
Union City, Tenn, Oct. ii.-Colonel
R. Z. Taylor and Captain Quinten
Rankin, prominent attorneys Of Tren-
ton. we're taken from Wards hotel at
Walnut Log, fifteen miles from here,
by masked night riders and muir
dsred.
Captain Rankin's body was found
riddled with bullets and hanging from
tree one mile from the hotel
Efforts to find the body Of Colonel
Taylor have been futile thus far. but II
is believed that be was also killed.
Sheriff Eastwood and a posse left
Union City for the scene of the muir
der. II they meet any Of the night
riders It is expected that a pitched
battle will be fought sheri1 Haynes,
Of Lake county, is also on his way to
the scene with a posse from Upton
vile.
The trouble that resulted In the
death OF Captain Rankin and the prob
able murder Of Colonel Taylor was
caused by the passage Of an act by the
legislature regulating fishing in Reel
Foot lake, a short distance from Wal
nut Log.
Mr. Ward, manager Of the hotel at
Walnut Los. telephoned Sid Waddell.
a stockholder OF the West Tennessee
Land company, that about twenty-five
masked night riders came TO his hotel
at midnight They lined up outside the
hotel. pulled out their rsyolyers and
called Taylor and Rankin. The men
did not suspect trouble and came down
Immediately.
As the attorneys passed into the
front yard Of the hotel the night rid
ers covered them with their reyolvsrs.
and before they could retreat they
we're seized. put on horses and placed
under guard.
The night riders then took up their
march from the hotel, turning down
the road toward Reel Foot lake. The
guests at the hotel in few minutes
lost the sound OF hoof beats and moth
ing more was learned OF the fate OF
Captain Rankin and Colonel Taylor un-
III morning.
Going TO the edge OF Reel Foot lake,
the bandits put a rope about Captain
Rankin's neck and strung him up from
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 Are on the swinging body
riddllng II 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 origi-
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
ing il a misdemeanor to ish in the
lake without paying heavy fee.
A man named Powell. who hauls fish
from Walnut Log to Hickman. Is said
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 start
ed TO swim across. A number Of shots
we're fred 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
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 $4,000
reward and would visit the scene In
person.