Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-10-21
HUGHES FORCES ISSUE ESCAPES FROM MOB
Moral Question Cannot Be Col. Tay|or's Remarkable
Evaded, Says N. 0. M. Dash From Night Riders.
CHANLER Is COMPOUNDED TARGET OF MANY SHOTS
Compel Into Bayou Un
Opponent to Declare Himself Heavy Fire.
MANY SIGNS REVULSI0N ONE REELFOOT LAKE VICTIM
to Militia
Sharpe Policies
TARGET OF MANY SHOTS
Tennesseean Leaps Into Bayou I'm.
der Heavy Fire.
ONE REELFOOT LAKE VICTIM
Militia Ordered Out-Gov. Patter-
son Offers $4,000 for Arrest and
Conviction of Assassins.

NASHVILLE. Tenn. October 21.-A Tip
tonville (Tenn) dispatch says that Col
R. L. Taylor has arrived at that place
safe and sound. He escaped from the
night riders, he says, after they had fired
JGJ shots at him.
Col r. T. Taylor. the aged Trenton
la wyer, who was taken from hotel at
Walnut Log at the same time Capt. Qu1n-
ten Rankin was lynched Monday night.
has turned up near Tiptohville, Tenn.
having escaped from the night riders an
hour after Capt. Rankin was hanged
The masked men got into dispute
among themselves as to what to do with
Taylor some favoring killing him, while
others wanted to hold him so as to force
a concession TO the demands for free fish
ing on Reelfoot lake, and while the riders
disputed Taylor jumped between his
guards, and. despite his years. dashed to
the edge of bayou leading from the lake
and plunged in. swimming across.
Fired Upon Many Times.
Wading and swimming, the aged attor-
ney pushed forward. Bullets and small
shot fell on every side, but none struck
nlln Near the DdLh OSppooitC W SAS
firing of the night riders. Judge Taylor
threw up his hands and pitched forward
heavily over log and lay inert. Hun
dreds of shots were fired into the log by
the night riders, but not one penetrated
far enough to injure Col. Taylor. Salts
fled that their victim had met death and
fearing that the repeated sound OF shots
would arouse too many residents in the
neighborhood, the night riders did not at
tempt to cross the slough &c examine the
body but left the scene after about 800
shots had been fired.
Col. Taylor, however, lay for hours In
the water and mud. fearing that some one
had been left to watch. At daylight. eau
tiously looking up and seeing that his
ruse had been successful. Col. Taylor arose
and plunged into the underbrush, to night
his way to a friendly community. Avoid
ing paths which might lead to some un-
friendly clearing. Col. Taylor pushed his
way slowly through the dense woods For
hours he travelled in this manner, the sun
his only guide. When night came Col.
Taylor, still afraid to approach house,
made his couch on bed or leaves ana
slept until early morning.
About o'clock this morning Col. lay
lor, deciding that it would then De sa1e
for him to make inquiry at farmhouse
followed path which shortly LED INTO
a rough road. Within few minutes the
fleeing man came upon the nome OF
Luther Rankin, overseer for the extensive
Harris interests. and where the fugltlVe
was given breakfast. Mr.. Rankin then
a message into Tiptonvile with the news
that Col. Taylor was safe. Soon after
Col. Taylor and Mr.. Rankin arrived here,
being met few miles from town by
posse of citizens.
After being informed at Union City Of
the safety of Col Taylor. Gov. Patter-
son telephoned that he would start for
Tlntonvlle Immediately.
The militia ordered out by Gov. Patter
son has arrived and under the direction
of the governor. is being distributed
throughout the disturbed territory.
Gov. Patterson gave out the following
sta. .ement today:
Il have offered $4,000 the largest re-
ward the law will permit. for the arrest
and conviction of the assassins and have
ordered out troops. l have believed that
the military should be the last resort Of
state governed by law, but the time has
now come when it Is my duty as governor
to use all the power at my command to
restore order in the region where these
assassinations have occurred and to as
sist the courts in the apprehension and
punishment of the perpetrators
Governor Takes a Hand.
1T must be taken by all as a purpose
deliberately formed. and I hope no man
or body of men anywhere in the state Will
fail to understand it.
I'VE have had enough of lawless acts.
Of threats intimidation and other
methods of terrorizing citizens and COM
murities This should be stopped and
must be stopped. or the consequences will
have 20 be accepted.
Lea t1a
paign for the governorship. believing the
upholding of law and order in our state
is Of more Importance than political dis
cussiOns
Identity of Men Unknown.
Nothing can be learned as to the Identity
Of the men who composed the band. II
is believed, however. that they were
"souatters' living along the shores Of
Reelfoot lake and that their action is a
tragic culmination> of controversy Of
years standing as to the rights of the
''squatters to fish i'll the stream which
was the property of the West Tennessee
Land Company. and OF which Capt. Ran
kin and Col. Taylor were the organizers
The two men We're here to go over
the land with ]. f. Carpenter, an attor-
ney OF Union City. who contemplated 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 a third party pre-
sumably Carpenter, without success.
Witness of Tragedy.
A farmer named Powell. who declares
he was aroused from his home and COM
PEELED to accompany the men. gives the
most authentic story of the tragedy He
declares he was taken from his home
to the hotel and ordered to awaken the
proprietor and guests under threat of
death Men sought were secured.
Powell with the others, was taken to
Bayou Deshae. near Reelfoot lake Powell
was left under guard of part of the band
and Capt. Rankin and Col. Tay.or taken
some distance further where a parley be-
tween the captOrs and prisoners was held,
evidently without success.
According to- Powell the mob placed
Pa neck nd III.