The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-10-21
TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS
 REWARD FOR MURDERERy
Capt. Quentin Rankin Is Hanged and Riddled With Bullets While Col. R. z. Taylor Is Supposed to
 Have Been Murdered.


 and Capt. Quentin Rankin of Trenton are the latest victims of night rider outrages. Rankin was hanged and into his swaying body a number of shots were fired the shots causing death. Taylor is missing. Governor Patterson has offered $1O00O re- ward and mas abandoned his political campaign, cancelling his dates. Two com- panies of militia are on the way to the scene of the crime-Reelfoot lake, in the extreme northwestern portion of the state. and two other companies are under arms at Memphis.
 Governor Patterson reached Union City, 20 miles from the scene, about midnight, and in response to his teegraphie orders company of 100 militiamen met him at the station. Armed posses are searching the swamps and woods in the vicinity of the lake, but no trace of Colonel Taylor or the night riders has been found. The two victims of the mob were taken from Wards hotel at Walnut Log, car ried into the woods. and while one was hanged and shot the other was made away with in some unknown manner.
 One Body Found.
 Captain Ranlxin's body was found this morning ridded with bullets and hanging from tree one mile from the hotel.
 Efforts to locate the body of Colonel Taylor have been futile, and it is reported he was also killed. Sheriff Eastwood of Obion county and a posse of armed men left Union City this morning for the scene of the murder These men are deter mined and if they meet any of the night riders it is expected pitched battle will be fought. Sheriff Haynes of Lake coun- l ty is also on his way to the scene with a l posse from Tiptonville. -s | The trouble which resulted in the death l of Captain Rankin and the probable mur- l der of Colonel Taylor was caused by the | passage of an act by the legislature reg 1 ulating fishing in Reelfoot lake, short distance from Walnut Log. Night rider disturbances over the same matter oc- cured about year ago. Ever since then Colonel Taylor and Captain Rankin have been in constant receipt of threatening letters to which they paid but little heed.
 News of the Murder. The first news of the murder last night was received at o'clock this morning. MT. Ward manager of the hotel at Wal nut Log, telephoned Sid Waddell, a stock holder in the West Tennessee Land com pany, stating that about 25 masked night riders came to his house at 12 o'clock last night. According to this report the night riders lined up outside the hotel, pulled sout their revolvers and called for Colonel Taylor and Captain Rankin The two men did not suspect trouble and came down immediately. As the attorneys passed into the front yard of the hotel the night riders covered them with their re- volvers Before Captain Rankin and l Colonel Taylor had an opportunity to re- 1 treat they were surrounded and seized. l They were put on horses behind night rid i CTS and carefully guarded The night rid CTS then quickly took up the march from the hotel. turning down the road toward J Reelfoot lake. Guests at the hotel in few minutes lost the sound of the hoof- beats and nothing more was learned of the captain and Colonel Taylor until this morning. Proceeding to the edge of Reefoot lake the night riders pulled out a rope with which they had provided themselves and placed the moose about Captain RanlSin's neck. Examina- tion of the scene of the murder failed to reveal evidence of any struggle.
 Strung Up to Limb. Captain Rankin was strung up from a limb on the bank of the lake. for the fishing privileges of which he had contended with night riders The masked men then stepped back and opened fire on the swinging body. rid ding it with bullets. Colonel Tay Tor was evidently alive at this time and witnessed the killing of his law part ner
 Leaving the corpse of Captain Ran kin hanging on the bank of Reetfoot lake the night riders took Colonel Taylor to another. point. Search near Captain Rankin's body has failed to re- veal trace of Colonel Taylor. No sign of a hat or clothing can be dis covered.
 Various reports are out concerning Colonel Taylor's fate. While 1t is gem orally believed that Colonel Taylor was murdered as he had no opportunity whatever to break from the hands of such a determined band of men, the theory has been advanced that per haps Colonel Taylor was spared by the night riders in order that the demands of the masked men might be granted.
 Cause of Trouble.
 The trouble between the inhabitants of the banks of Reelfoot lake and Colonel Taylor and Captain Rankin originated several years ago when the two latter men incorporated and organized the West Tennessee Land company. They bought Reelfoot lake from nonresident property owners and immediately made regulations of their own concerning fishing privileges in the waters of the lake. The lake sep- arates obion and Lake counties in the extreme northwestern corner of Ten nessee.
 Numbers of residents in that neigh borhood have made their living for some time by fishing in the lake and they became indignant as what they l claimed as their rights" were dis turbed. They made demands of the land company. These were followed | by threats.
 l Colonel Taylor desired the protec tion in some form of the state and | he sccured the na ssa ge in tha legiSla-