The Mena weekly star., 1908-01-09
NIGHT RIDERS BUSY AGAIN
One Hundred Strong They Burn and Destroy Property at Russell
 vile, Kentucky.
THREE MEN WERE SHOT BY HE RAIDERS
Two Independent Tobacco Concerns and Several Other Establishments Dynamted and Burned by the Mob After overpowerng the Police Au- thorlties.

Russellville, Ky, Jan. 4.-Night riders 100 strong swooped down on Russellville, Logan county, early Fri day morning, and after overpowering
 the three policemen and providing against the giving of an alarm, dyna- mited and burned the two independ- ent tobacco concerns in the city and several other establishments and rods away out the Hopkinsville and
 Clarksville pike. Three men were
 wounded and the telephone girls and
 police were held prisoners for nearly three hours. The following buildings were destroyed:
 Frank c. Work, tobacco warehouse; building and contents, loss s15.900; American Snuff company, factory and
 contents, loss $15,0O0; Roberts and
 Brown Flaming Mill, loss $12,000; Al.
 fred Underwood, grocery. loss s2,000;
 King and Proctor, stable; Joshua
 Knowles, cottage.
 Capt. w. R. Bruce, the chief of po- | lice, as soon as he heard the noises | hastened to the fire, where he at.
 tempted to sound the alarm, but was overpowered by four of the masked night-riders. Two merchants, J. R. | Mclean, proprietor of the grocery store, and J. Henry Mosely, proprie- tor of dry goods store, did not hurry | into their homes as fast as the night riders desired and were shot. The most seriously injured was Dr. Rob-
 erts. who was guest at the Forest | house. He was wounded about the | head and facet by a charge of buck | shot fired as the night-riders were | leaving town. He heard the confu- l sion, and thinking that the raiders
 had departed ran out to see what had
 happened. He came face to face with
 group of the departing mob and as
 he started to run was shot.
 | It was said that the mob came to
 Russellville from the direction of | Cave Springs, near where the mem
 bers are said to have had their ren- | dezvous. The mob seemed to be well organized with a head and lieutenants l All the men were mounted and wore | white capes, false boards and masks. l Except for the shots at those who ap. peared on the streets there was little
 shooting, the chief business of tho
 mob seeming to be the destruction of
 the two tobacco houses.
 This is the third raid which hal
 been made in western Kentucky and | comes in the face of the announce
 ment by the governor that disorder
 must cease. At this time court is
 in progress at Hopkinsville. investi | gating a similar raid which was mada
 on that city several weeks ago l Troops are now on guard at Hopkins | vile.
 The night-riders are attempting tc | influence or intimidate certain tobac
 co growers into holding their crops | for higher prices. The situation is | particularly acute at this time as
 many of the growers have two years
 crop on hand. Warehousemen have
 been notified from time to time to re
 frain from buying any tobacco, and
 many of them who defed the notice
 have had their houses destroyed by | fire Nearly all of the tobacco grow ! CTS are members of the Tobacco Grow
 CTS Protective association, but this or
 organized body discountenances such
 acts as have been credited to the
 night-riders.