Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1908-10-22

attention was diverted Colonel Taylor
broke for freedom. Dashing few yards
to the bank Of a shallow irlet Of Reelfoot
lake, he plunged in.
A fusiiiade Of bullets followed the tu-
gitive whose form was dimly discernible
IN the growing dawn OF approaching day
light Wading and swimming the aged at
torney pushed forward. Bullets and small
shot fell on every side, but none stru ;k
him.
Ruse Saves Mans Life.
Near the bank opposite the firing night
riders, Judge Taylor threw up his hards
and pitched forward heavily over a log
and lay inert. Hundreds Of shots were
fired into the log by the night riders, but
not one pentrated far enough to injure
Colonel Taylor. Satisfied that their vic
tim had met death and fearing that the re-
peated sound of shots would arouse too
many residents in the neighborhood the
Right riders did not attempt to cross the
slough to examine the body. Colonel Tay-
lor, however, lay for hours in the mud
and water. fearing that some one had
been left to watch
At dawn. cautiously looking up and seeing
that his ruse had been successful, Colonel
Taylor arose and plunged into the under
brush to fight his way to a friendly COM
munity Avoiding paths which might lead
to some unfriendiy clearing Colonel Taylor
pushed his way slowly through the dense
woods. For hours he travelled in this man.
ner, the sun his only guide. When night
came Colonel Taylor, still afraid TO APP
proach a house, made his couch on a bed of
leaves and slept until early morning.
News of Escape Sent out.
About o'clock this morning Colonel Tay-
lor, deciding that 1t would then be safe for
him to make inquiry at a farm house fol-
lowed path which shortly led into a rough
road. Within a few minutes the fleeing
man came upon the home of Luther RAN
kin. overseer for the extensive Harris in
terests and where the fugitive was given
breakfast. Mr.. Rankin then rode to the
nearest telephone and sent a message into
Tiptonville with the news that Colonel Tay-
lor was safe Soon after Colonel Taylor
and Mr.. Rankin arrived here, being met a
few miles from town by posse of citizens.
After being informed at Union City of
the safety of Colonel Taylor, Governor Pat
! terson telephoned that he would start for
Tiptonville Immediately.
Colonel Taylor made the following state
ment:
Monday night last Captain Rankin and
"N'iN " ANSSliOOb ldhe III response TO a let
ter from a Mr.. Carpenter in Union City,
who wanted to lease some timber lands
On our arrival at the lake we went to the
log house, or Ward hotel and early after
supper retired. Some time during the night
we were aroused by some one knocking at
our door, and on opening the door mob
of masked men were found standing In
the hall We were ordered to dress. and
as the leader of the mob said he wanted
to talk to us, We put on our clothes and
accompanied the men 20 the back of the
/ lake, some distance from the hotel
! The leader Of the mob talked with us.
! telling us we were associating to much
| with Judge Harris and were taking entirely
| too much interest in the lake. He said that
the courts OF Harris and the West Ten
nessee Land. company in prohibiting free
fishing was causing the starvation of
women and children, and that something
had TO be done.
No Harm Suspected.
II never dreamed that the mob intended
| us any harm, but just then they threw a
| rope around Captain Rankln's neck and
swung him to a limb. He protested and
! said, Gentlemen. do not kill me-" and the
/ reply OF the mob was a volley OF fifty shots.
This was the first evidence OF any in
tention to harm u.s. and when the firing
{ began I jumped into a bayou and made
I for a sunken log Behind this | hid and
the mob fired several hundred shots into
/ the log. They evidently believed 1 was
dead. for I heard one of them say. He's
/ dead and let him go, and with that he
rode away.
| 81 remained in the water until after the
! mob was out OF hearing and went to an
/ Ella In, Nl,a N,ITa 4 Ill
day Tuesday. At night ! started out and
walked all night. coming to a house at I
o'clock this morning.
! UNION CITY, Tenn, Oct. 21.-Colonel r
q. Taylor, the aged Trenton lawyer, who
was taken from a hotel at Walnut Log at
the same time Captain Quinten Rankin
was lynched night before last, has turned
up near Tiptonville. Tenn, having escaped
from the night riders an hour after Cap
tain 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 de-
mands for free fishing on Reelfoot lake
| and, while they 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 He was fired upon many times by
the night riders but escaped in the dark
ness. He was lost and when daylight
came was afraid to go back to Walnut Log
but was found near Tiptonville this morn
ing.
The militia ordered out by Governor Pat.
terson has arrived. and. under the direction
OF the governor, is being distributed
throughout the disturbed territory.
Governor Takes Firm stand.
Governor Patterson gave out the follow
ing statement:
Il have offered the largest reward the
law will permit for the arrest and conytc-
tion OF the Assassins and have ordered out
troops. have believed that the military
should be the last resort IN a state gcy-
erned 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
I in the region where these assassinations