The Columbus weekly dispatch., 1908-11-05
It'd BURTON TELLS
OF NIGHT RIDERS
IMPORTANT INFORMATION RE-
GARDISG REELFOOT LAKE.
TRAGEDY Is CLEANED
FROM It'd BURTON.
Burton, Who Gave Testimony Which
Led to Tragedy, Says Tom and
Garrett johnson Are the
Leaders of the Band.

ASAC4 AiolI ~ (OAN4S ~ AACCAAOOt
lake. and a number of men who il is
alleged participated in the outrage
which resulted in the death of Col.
Quenton Rankin and forced Col. r.
| z. Taylor TO spend thirty-six hours
in the woods without food, are IN
der arrest.
One of the most important cap
lures so far effected is that Of It'd
Burton. a fisherman living near Reel
| foot lake, who was arrested on last
Tuesday. According 10 8 special sent
out from Tiptonyiile, Burton, while
he denies having been present when
Capt. Rankin was hanged, admits
that he gave to the night riders the
| information that led them to commit
the atrocious crime. He states that
he saw the two men while they were
eating supper in the hotel at Wal
nutlog and reported their presence
to the leaders of the night riders.
He declares that soon after leaving
the hotel he got in his boat and row.
ed about a mile out into the lake,
where he spent the remainder OF the
night fishing. He claims that he was
on the lake when Capt. Rankin was
killed and heard the shots which the
night riders fired. but did not return
to the shore to investigate.
In Burton's confession he declares
that Tom and Garrett johnson are
the leaders of the night riders. Both
these men are under arrest at the
military camp near Samburg, and are
being carefully guarded Will Wat
son, another one of the men named
by Burton as a leader, was taken
into custody soon after the confession
Tuesday afternoon by a detachment
from the Nashville troops under com
mand of Capt Bellamy. He was met
in . the public road, and offered no
resistance when the soldiers told him
he was wanted at Camp Memo.
Col r. z. Taylor, of Trenton, who
was with Capt Rankin when he was
killed and who succeeded in making
his escape by jumping into the lake.
visited his law Office last week for
the first time since the tragedy, and
was besieged by a crowd Of friends
who were eager to learn the details
of the crime from an eye witness.
Col. Taylor said that when Capt
Rankin was strung up to the tree he
cried out: Men. you are choking
me-" The night riders then replied:
That's what we intend to do and
instantly a yolley of shots rang out.
Col. Taylor took advantage of the ex-
citment which momentarily attracted
the undivided attention of the night
riders and jumped into the slough
near which the party stood. His ac
tion brought out another volley OF
shots, aimed at himself, but he es-
capped unhurt, and hid behind a log
on the opposite bank of the slough |
until the night riders disappeared.
From witnesses who have testified |
before the military officers at Camp |
Memo it seems that the Reelfoot lake |
night riders association had total |
of about one hundred. |
The associatio seems to have been /
divided into two squads, the north /
band and the south band, and the
only occasion upon which the two
bands are proven to have ridden to-
gether was one night last July, when
a raid was made on Hornbeak, lit
tie town about six miles north OF the
lake. There is a brass band in the
and the night riders awoke
the members from their slumbers
late at night and forced them to 90
20 the public square and play. All
Of the night riders were heavily arm
ed, but while a number OF volleys
we're fired into the air there was no
the members Of the band
having been permitted to return TO
heir homes after they had played
several tunes.
Thirty-six men who were being
aeld as prisoners at Camp Memo were
liberated last Thursday, having been
given their release by order OF Gov.
Patterson. These men were being
held as witnesses, and upon being
set free were told by the governor
hat they would be expected to hold
themselves in readiness to testify g.
my time the military or civic author
ties should deem it proper to call
,n them.
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