Omaha daily bee., 1908-12-20
TAYLOR'S STORY ON STAND
Tells of Thrilling Escape from Night
Riders Of Tennessee.
CLEVER sTRHrEGY EMPLOYED
waited Until Guns of Men Had Been
Emptied I'm Body Of Captain
ankin and Then Leaped
% I'm Lake.

UNION CITY, Dec. 1s.-Following his
caution In the press yesterday not to print
the testimony In the night rider cases,
Judge Jones today cautioned the ministers
of the local churches not to refer to their
cases in the sermons Sunday, since the
jurors might be present. He took no
further action regarding the press. although
he conferred personally with the CORE
spondents OF several state papers Impress
ing upon them the necessity of following
out the. courts orders. The first witness
today was Colonel r. u Taylor. the COM
panion OF Captain quentin Rankin on the
night OF the murder. Colonel Taylor is s.
years old. a confederate veteran and a
svealthy man. He is erect and soldiery and
has piercing blue eyes shining from be-
meath shaggy eyebrows giving him n stern
appearance.
Colonel Taylor and Captain Rankin went
TO Reelfoot Lake to lease some lands. They
drove over the property, and returning to
the hotel, left orders for horses for another
trip the day following. Then they retired.
Colonel Taylor was awakened by Wards
call and the same instant a rear window
Of his room was raised. Two pumpguns
were thrust in, followed by two black
aeh Ala1aH DAk ACk q WIN W13 PM
until the leader Of the band entered the
room by the door. The night riders sep
arated Taylor from Rankin and Taylor did
not see Rankin from the time they left
their room until he saw Rankin murdered.
They told Taylor they proposed to kill him.
When the night riders reached the forked
ash tree on the bank OF the slough they
halted Taylor and marched Rankin to the
foot of the tree.
Time to Pray.
The rope adjusted and thrown over the
fork. then some night riders said;
Give him time to pray"
81 nave attended to that" was Rankin's
quiet reply.
Some one of the masked BAND seized the
rope and drew Rankin up. The tree was
inclined a trifle and they raised the body
vi til the toes scarcely touched the ground
From the lips Of the swaying figure came
the muffled appeal: you are choking me,
gentlemen; I pray you 10 let me down."
Then one Of the riders fired a shot into
the body Of Rankin, even as he pleaded for
his life. Instantly a fusillade came, most
of the riders. however, shooting into the
air.
Taylor turned to his captors and said:
ct am tired, gentlemen, let me sit down
He crouched to his knees, ready to spring,
waited until the guns were empty, then,
when the firing stopped. Jumped into the
waters Of the slough. Instantly the firing
was renewed Taylor dived, but heard the
bullets striking the water. He swan under
water to a big log. He did not know
whether It was fast or not. He knew IL Il
were loose that when he grasped it for
support It would splash and his life would
AA H1~fafNA1 De- ~ -
fainting and had to take the risk. From
p the bank came cries, yells and shots.
swims to Log I'm Water.
Silently. he swan to the log, reached 70,
It, and It was fast In the slough. He was
safe. The bullets struck the log like hail In
a storm. but gradually they ceased. Fol
two hours this aged veteran of many bat.
ties lay In the water. g~rasping the log, and
when all sounds had ceased he swan to
f the opposite side and took TO the woods. 4
wandered all day, following a course marked
by the moss. which he knew was heaviest
on the north side Of the trees. His eye.
sight began to fail and he suffered fear.
fully from thirst. Then he imagined Their,
were masked men in every thicket.
Taylor realized hat he was sufferinl
from decisions. but his experiences ha(
been so frightful that he could not oontro
himself or dispel the Authorizations H,
hid in the canebrake until Wednesday
when thirst drove him out and into tn,
arms of his friends.
Just before the night riders killed Ran
kin, Taylor said:
Gentlemen, 1 am an old man. I canno
expect to live many years more. BY kill
ing me you will not be cheating me o
much. But Captain Rankin is a youn,
man. with many years before him Do no
kill him"
The leader curtly replied:
"Shut up"
The aged witness made a most profoun,
impression. At times his emotion mastere,
him and once he half turned and droppe
his head into his hands and sobbed audibl
as the scenes OF that awful night passe