Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-12-24
SAW THEM AT MEETING
Took Oath as Member and Received
Password.
INTENDED TO RAID UNION CITY
Told by One Of Prisoners They Were
Going After Rankin
That Night.
Special Dispatch to The star.

special Dispafch to The star
UNION CITY. Tenn. December 1t
Thomas II. Cloar a farmer. twenty-eight
years old. was the first witness today for
the prosecution in the night rider cases
wherein Garrett Johnson. Sam Applewhte
Arthur Cloar. Fred Pincion. Ted Burton.
Bob Huffman. Bud Morris and Bob Ran
som are indicted on the charge Of murder
ing Capt. Quentin Rankin.
Cloar proved to be one or the strongest
witnesses yet produced. He identified
Fred Pincion. Arthur Cloar, Garrett John
son and others as being among a number
of men he met at Smiths sawmill one
night in October. when he took the night
| rider oath. which was administered by
Garrett Johnson, who also gave him the
password.
He swore that after reaching the
place of meeting the party was told by
Garrett Johnson that they had been
called to ''go after" Judge Harris. who
is president of the West Tennessee
Land Company. but that they did not
have him located and then returned
| home.
Witness said that Arthur Cloar first
| spoke to him in the spring about join
| ing the night riders, saying that they
were doing good things that the courts
and nobody else had done. On the day
| he joined the night riders he was halt
| ed by two masked men, who told him
to meet Arthur Cloar at the sawdust
pile that night He obeyed the order,
and was sworn in.
Intended to Raid Union City.
On later day at SamburS he met Bud
| fplI 1,i hot no mi
ers wanted to raid Union City and thrash
| Judge Jones. Attorney General Caldwell,
Sid waddell and Squire Caldwell. but
| that they heard the city was guarded,
and they wanted witness to go to Union
| City and learn whether the town was UNI
der guard. and also whether Judge Jones,
Attorney General Caldwell. Squire Cald-
| we'll and Mr. Waddell were there.
| Waddell is one of the stockholders in
the West Tennessee Land Company. the
| owners of Reelfoot lake, and was former
| iy speaker of the state senate. Squire
| Caldwell who Is eighty-two years old.
| is one of the leading citizens of Obion
| county.
Concerning the murder of Capt. Rankin
witness stated that Arthur Cloar had told
| him that he heard Mr.. Waddell say in
! Union City that Capt. Rankin and Co.
Taylor were going to Walnut Log. Later,
| on the same day. he saw Fred Pinion, VINO
| informed him that the night riders were
going after Rankin and Taylor that
night.
| Witness said that he was not with the
night riders on the night OF the murder,
| but that on Friday afternoon Of the as
| sassnation Cloar told him he fCloar, was.
Witness said that he had burned his mask
and had never gone on raid with the
band.
Witness was taken through a rigid
cross-ex animation, but his testimony was
| not shaken.
Warned to Join Raiders.
| Will Roberts, who lives. on q farm ad-
| joining Reefoot lake, testified that he
knew Arthur Cloar, one of the defend
| ants. Cloar. he said, had talked to
him in regard to joining the night riders.
Cloar saying they needed a mighty good
| man. in his neighborhood Cfoar further
said that they intended 10 get" Judge
Harris and take off his head; that they
would pass by witness house on their
way, and that il he tRoberts) did not
| join the night riders he would have 10
go with them anyway.
This conversation took place on the Sth.
The state will close its evidence this
afternoon and it is very likely that court
| will, when it adjourns, not reconvene until
| next Monday
| The defense has many witnesses to eX-
anime, and the argument will probably
begin about Wednesday.