The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-12-20

y
\ TO testify as 10 the whereabouts of y
= the indicted men on the night of =
4 oct. 49,
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Union CITY. Tenn, Dec. 19.-Following
his caution TO the press yesterday. not TO
print the testimony in the night rider
cases, Judge Jones today cautioned the
ministers of the local churches not to re-
fer to the cases in their sermons Sun
day, since a juror might be present.
The first witness today was Colonel r.
r. Taylor. the companion Of Captain
quentin Rankin on the night of the muir
der. Colonel Taylor is old, a confederate
veteran and a wealthy man Colonel
Taylor and Captain Rankin went to Reel
foot lake TO lease some lands. They drove
over the property and returned to the
hotel left orders for horses for the day
following. Then they retired.
Taken From Their Beds.
Colonel Taylor was awakened by Wards
call and the same instant a rear window
On his room was raised. Two hump guns
we're thrust in, followed by two black
masked heads. Not word was spoken
until the leader of the band entered the
room by the door. The night riders sepa-
rated Taylor from Rankin and Taylor
did not see Rankin from the time they
left their room until he saw Rankin. muir
dered.
They told Taylor they proposed to kill
him.
When the night riders reached the
forked ash tree on the bank of the slough
they halted Taylor and marched Rankin
20 the foot OF the tree The rope, was
adjusted and thrown over the fork. then
some night rider said. Give him time
70 pray.
quiet reply
MercI. S Murderers.
rope and drew Rankin up The tree was
inclined trsfie and they raised the body
until the sOes scarcely touched the
ground. From the l;ps of the swaying
figure came the muffled appeal:
You are choking me. gentlemen ]
pray YOU let me down.
Then one of the riders fired shot into
the body of Rankin. even as he pleaded
FOR life. Instantly fusiilade came, most
of tie riders, however, shooting into the
air.
Taylor turned TO his capters and raid:
II am tired seneltmen. let me sit down
Escape of Taylor.
He erouched to his knees. ready to
spring. waited until the guns were empty.
then when the firing stopped he jumped
into the waters OF the slough. Instantly
the firing was resumed. Taylor dived, Int
heard the bullets striking the water. He
swan under water to a big log He did
not know whether il was fast or not He
knew If II were loose that when he
grasped il tor support 1t would splash and
his life would be forfeited. But he was
exhausted and fainting and had TO take
the risk. From the bank came cries. yells
and shots. Silently he swan to the log.
reached Tor IL and Il was fast in the
slough He was safe. The bullets struck
the log like hail in a storm. but gradually
they ceased. For two hours this aged
veteran OF many battles lay in the water
grasping the log and when all sounds hal
ceased he swan to the opposite side and
took TO the woods. He wandered all day
following a course marked by the moss
which he knew was heaviest ON the north
side Of the trees. His eyesight began to
iail and he suffered fearfully from thirst.
Then he imagined that he saw masked
men in every thicket.
Found by Friends.
Taylor realized that he was suffering
rom delusions. but his experiences had
heen 50 frightful that he could not con-
Tol himself or dispel the Authorizations.
lie hid in the cane brake all day until
thirst drove him out and into the arms of
his friends
Just before the night riders killed Ran
KIN. Taylor said:
Hentlemen. i am an old man. / can
noe expect to live many years more. BY
Killing me you will not be cheating me of
mucn- But Captain Rankin is a young
Continued on Page 2.