The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1908-10-23
LAWYER MURDERED
\ BY NIGHT RIDERS
A FOUL CRIME-ANOTHER AT
TORNEY MISSING.
Two Prominent Citizens of Trenton
Tenn, Taken From Hotel by
Masked Rufians.

Union City, Tenn, October 20
kCol. R. z. Taylor, aged so years, and
Capt. Quinten Rankin, both promln-
ent attorneys of Trenton. Tenn.
we're taken from Wards Hotel at
Walnut Log, Tenn, fifteen miles
from here, last night by masked
night riders and murdered. Capt.
Rankin's body was found this morn
r riddled with bullets and hanging
m a tree one mile from the hotel.
Efforts to locate the body Of Col.
'lor have been futile thus far. but
believed that he was also killed.
riff Eastwood and a posse of arm
men left Union City this morning
the scene of the murder. IF they
any Of the night riders it is ex-
e1tea that a pitched battle Will be
fought. Sheriff Haynes, Of Lake
county, is also on the way to the
scene with a posse from Tiptonville.
. The trouble which resulted = in the
death of Capt. Rankin and the proba-
BILE murder Of Col. Taylor was caused
by the passage of an Act by the ley
islature regulating fishing IN Reel
Foot Lake a short distance from Wal
nut Log.
A night rider disturbance ovec the
same matter occurred over year ago.
Ever since then Col. Taylor and Capt.
Rankin have been in constant receipt
Of threatening letters, to which they
paid little heed.
Mr.. Ward, the manager OF the
Ward Hotel, at Walnut Log, tele-
phoned Sid Waddell, a stochholder
in the West Tennessee; Land COM
pany, stating that about 25 masked
night riders came to his hotel at mid
tight last night.
According to this report the night
riders lined up outside the hotel,
pulled out their revolvers and called
Col. Taylor and Capt. Rankin. The
two men did not suspect trouble and
came down Immediately. As the at
torueys passed into The front yard Of
the hotel the night riders covered
! them with revolvers. Before Capt.
Rankin and Col Taylor had an op-
portunity to retire they were sur
rounded and seized. They were put
,on horses behind night riders and
carefully guarded.
The night riders then quickly took
up their march from the hotel, turn
ing down the road toward Reel Foot
Lake. Proceeding to the edge OF
Reel Foot Lake the night riders pull
ed out a rope and placed the moose
about Capt. Rankin's neck.
Capt. Rankin Was strung up from
a limb on the bank of the lake for the
fishing privileges Of which ne had
contended with the night riders. The
masked men then stepped back and
|opened fire on the swinging body,
riddling it with bullets. Leaving the
corpse of Capt. Rankin banging on
the bank of Reel Foot Lake, the nlgat
riders took Col. Taylor to another
not. Search near Opt. Rankin ;;
edv has failed to reNe~l trace Of
be murderers, While it is believed
lat Col. Taylor was murdered the
cory h1s heen "dvanced that per-
ps Col. Taylor w"S spared in order
that the demands Of the masked men
might be granted.
r. q. TAYLOR was tie father of the
Vanderbilt foot ball STAR, Hi!lsm2n n
j. ;Tavlor, who was married to Miss
PKatherine Tavlor, the daughter OF
ISenator Robert L. Taylor, last fall.
Capt. Rankin was a prominent law
ger of Trenton. He was captain of a
military company in the Spanish
american war and served in the Gu
N campaign.
The trouble between inhabitants on
banks of Reel Foot Lake and Col.
or and Capt. Rankin originated
efal years ago, when the two lat
men organized the West Tennes-
ee Land company, bought Reel Lake
rom nonresident property owners
= and made regulations of their own