New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1908-10-28
NIGHT RIDER TALKS
MADE MURDER POSSIBLE.
Carried Ne1cs TO 4ssasanS- AUeg ed
Leaders Caught.


Union City. Tenn. Oct. 27.-The developments
n tire Night Rider situation to-day were OF an
exceedingly important character. It'd Burton
who was arrested few days ago. since which
time Re has been g prisoner in the Lake County
ssr at Tfptonvfne made full and voluntary
confession. duplicating about forty men as MEM
bers 81 the Night Riders and designating the
leaders. Thirteen arrests were made to-day.
Burton told how long he had been with the
organization. what lavless acts he had been
connected with how he had seen Captain Ran
kin the victim Of the recent assassination. at
the hotel with Colonel R Z Taylor; how he
had communicated 10 the leaders Of the Night
Riders news Of their presence there. and how
while fishing he had heard the shots which
ended the life Of Rankin. He denied. however.
hat he was present az or took part in the
murder
Bur1on's confession was made in the presence
OF Mayor Donaldson. Judge Harris and Sheriff
Haines- Burton said that he had been a mem
Der % the night riders from the beginning
until the tine Captain Rankin was killed. He
said that the night before Rankin
ssssina:ed he went TO the hotel, and was told by
:. T. Carpenter who is under arrest. that
Rankin and Colonel Taylor were there, and that
he carried the news TO the leaders Of the Night
Riders who. he said. were Tom" and Garrett
johnson, both OF whom under arrest at the
dicted some tine ago g charge Of being i'm
pucated IN the whipping of Squire George
Wy-nne in Lake County About half the men
implicated by Burton in his confession
n custody Sheriff Haines has the names OF
the remainder. but they have not been made
public
Burton was arrested some DAYS ago while
visiting the military camp for completely in the
whipping Of Squire wynne- Immediately after
SheriTs FIack and Jacksonville and taken to
TfptonvilIe- On the way 10 Jail Burton made a
Partial confession. but on the following day he
denied It VIII Watson the alleged head Of the
Night Riders arrested near Hornbesk this
evening by detachment Of soldiers under COM
--and Of Captain c. a. BeIlany, Of Nashville.
Watson. who IS z brother OF the Rev. z. L.
Watson. pastor OF the Baptist Church Of Union
city. vas taken 70 the guard house at the camp.
Ire arrests to-day were all made in Lake
County
= detachment % soldiers reached camp to-day
rom Nashville. There are between ESQ and 500
armed men there at present
Among the prisoners held AZ the camp is q
nan who. il is said. has been Identified as the
leader Of e band Of Night Riders who several
weeks ago murdered 4 youth near Hickman.
XIV. OF the same night that q family Of negroes
was killed Il is said that the mother OF the
murdered boy Identified the prisoner as ne was
RAISING her house under guard
The only means OF communication between
sarburs and Union city is a private party"
telephone wire, which permits all Of the sub
scribers 10 hear what passes Important plans
Rave been disarranged because Of listeners along
rne line and for this reason until the telegraph
wire which is being strung from Union City 70
-he camp is completed the military authorities
viii exert . rigid censorship over news dis
patches dealing with the Night Rider investiga-
ton Last night Governor Patterson. who Is
now a. Union City. desired TO confer with Col
c1eI Ta+0u1 here. but conversation Of Importance
vas impossible because Of listeners.
Governor Patterson had g long conference
-ith Colonel Taton tonight and looked over
evidence developed from examination Of prls-
o7e-s il camp Governor Patterson will make
another sitting Of prisoners il is said. and send
TIE most important ones 10 Union City TO ap-
pear before the grand jury.