The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-10-21
SEARCHING FoR TAYLOR.
Governor Patterson With Soldiers q
 fhR Scene

Governor Patterson With Soldiers al
 the Scene.
 Union City. Tenn, Oct. 20.-Al- though searching parties have con tonight. no trace has yet been found of Col. R. 2. Taylor, who, with Cap' tain Quentin Rankin, whose bullet rid died body was found hanging to tree early to-day. was forced to leave their hotel at Walnut Log and accompany a hand of masked and armed men into the woods late last night.
 Colonel Taylor. when last seen. was dashing through the bayou at the scene of the murder deeing before a volley fired from a hundred guns. He made no outcry, His tracks were found leading down to the bayou and up from the other side and no trace of blood was apparent anywhere. The underbrush and shrubs on the far side of the stream are cut down by bullets and the theory most accepted is that Judge Taylor was below the range of the guns and is now in hid ing in the wilderness.
 Tomorrow the search for the mIsA. ing man will he resumed, the search ing parties baipg augmented by men from Trenton. 7the home of the victim
 Tonight extreme excitement pre- vails and the result of the continued search and the arrival of troops. who
 
 Nothing can be learned as to the identity of the men who composed the band It is believed. however that they were "squatters" living along the shores of Reelfoot Lake and that their action is a tragic continuation of a controversy of years standing as to the right of the "squatters" e hsn in the stream which wae the property of the West Tennessee Land Company and of which Captain Rankin and Col' onel Taylor were the organizers
 The two men were here to go over the land with J. F. Carpenter. an at- tornev of Union City, who contemplat- ed a purchase of a portion of the land. That he escaped a fate similar to the others of his party Is due to the fact that he was spending the night at the home of a relative. the mob searching the hotel at Walnut Log for third party, presumably Carpenter. without success.
 Story of Powell.
 A farmer named Powell who declares he was aroused from his home and forced to accompany the mob gives the most authentic account of the tragedy. He declares he was taken from his home to the hotel and order ed to awaken the proprietor and guests, under threat of death. The men sought. were secured.
 FOWEll, with hHG
 to Bayou Deshae. near Reelfoot Lake. Powell was left under guard of part of the band and Captain Rankin ana Colonel Taylor taken some distance further where a barley between the captors and prisoners was held, eVl- dently without success.
 According to Powell the mob placed a rope around Rankin's neck and drew him from the ground until only his toes touched He was then beat en into insensibllity. his body drawn up. and a volley fired into his body,
 A second barley followed during which 1t is believed Taylor attempted to escape. Several volleys were fired. presumably at the retreating man, but with what result Is not known. The band then returned to Powell and declared that both men were dead and ordered him to return to his home.
 Governor Patterson arrived here to- night to take personal charge of the affair He met by appointment Judge Joseph E. Jones and Attorney General D. j. Caldwell. who will convene court in special session tomorrow, impanel the grand jury and return ss many in- dictments as the evidence obtainable will warrant. Troops will guard the court during it's session.