The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-10-21
BLOODY WORK
IN TENNESSEE
Two Prominent Attorneys of
Trenton Lynched by Mob
at Walnut Log.
LONG STANDING TROUBLE
REWARD OF $4,000 OFFERED
FOR CAPTURE OF MURoERERs.

Union CITY. Tenn, Oct. 2O--Colonel X
H. Taylor. aged 60 years, and captain
Quintin Rankin. prominent attorneys Oh
Trenton. Tenn. were taken from warn :
hotel at Walnut Log. Tenn. fifteen mics
from here. at midnight last night Oy
masked night riders and murdered
Captafn Rankin's body was found this
morning riddled with bullets and hanging
from a tree one mile from the hoteI; I'll
forts 10 locate the body OF Colonel iaEIoi
have been futile thus far nut II Is d.
Heved that he was also killed
Sheriffs of ObiOn and of Lake counties
are on their way TO the scene with posses
Feared No Harm.
Mr. Ward. the manager of the Ward
MOTEL at Walnut Log. telephoned details
off the tragedy, He said that twenty-five
masked night riders came to his hotei
al midnight last night. They Inca up
outside the hotel pulled out their rev DIV
ers and called to Colonel Taylor ana Gap
tain Rankin. The two men dld not SuS-
meet trouble and came down Immediately.
As the attorneys passed INTO the ITont
ard the riders covered them with their
ravolvers and before Rankin ana Iaylor
had an opportunity 70 retire they were
surrounded and seized. They were put on
horses behind night riders and carefully
guarded The night riders then quietly
fonk up their march from the hotel; tuIh-
ing down the road toward Reel root
lake Guests at the hotel in a rev MIN MIN
I.tes lost the sound of hOofbeats ana
nothing more was heard of the fate OF
the two men until this morning
Captain Rankin Hanged.
Proceeding to the edge Of Reel Foot
lake. the night riders pulled out a rope
with which they had provided themselves
and placed the moose about Captain Ran
kin's neck He was strung up from a
limb on the bank Of the lake Tor the
fishing privileges of which he had con-
tended with the night riders. The masked
men then opened fire on the hanging
body. Kidding IL with bullets
Colonel Taylor evidently was alive at
this time and witnessed the murder Of his
law partner
Leaving the corpse of Rankin hanging,
the riders took Taylor to another spot
Search near Rankin's body has failed to
reveal a trace of Taylor
While II is generally believed that Tay-
Tor was murdered as he had no oppor-
tunitv whatever to escape. the theory
has been advanced that perhaps he was
spared in order that the demands of the
masked men might be granted.
Trouble over Fishing Privileges.
The trouble between inhabitants on the
banks Of Reel Foot lake and Colonel Tay-
Tor and Captain Rankin originated sever
al years ago. when the two latter men
incorporated and organized the West Ten
They bought Reel Foot lake from non
resident owners and Immediately made
regulations of their own concerning fish
Ing privileges The lake separates Obion
sad lake counties in the extreme north
west corner of Tennessee Great num-
bers of the residents in that neighbOr-
hood have made their living for some
time by fishing in the lake and they be-
came indignant when what they claimed
as their rights were disturbed. They
made demands Of the land company and
followed these with letters threatening
Taylor and Rankin.
Colonel Taylor desired protection In
some form of the state. and he secured
the passage in the legislature Of an ACT
regulating fishing in Reel Foot lake. This
act made il a misdemeanor TO fish in the
lake without paying a heavy fee.
Thought Feeling Had subsidized.
This only served to more thoroughly
arouse the fishermen. Fearing trouble
Captain Rankin and Colonel TAYLOR have
remained away from the vicinity of the
lake for some time. Recently, however
they heard that the feeling against them
had somewhat subsidized There were
some legal papers at Walnut Log which
needed attention and the attorneys went
there yesterday to see about them. Their
presence was soon made known TO all of
the fishermen hut it is not known>if the
men were from Obion county or from
Lake county.
Colonel Taylor was the father Of the
Vanderbilt football star. Hillman TavIor.
Who was married to Miss Katherine Tav-
Tor. the daughter of Senator Robert l.
prominent lawyer Of Trenton. He COM
manded a company IN the Spanish-Amer-
lean war and served I'm the Cuban cam
paiGn.