The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-11-08
REEL FOOT HISTORY
HUMAN INTEREST IN INCIDENTS
 or TRAGEDY.
Dr. Rankin, Brother of victim, e Grateful to Governor Patterson, and Tells Unwritten Facts
 LeRdinE to the Crime.

No little human Interest Is wrapped in the incidents and sidelights of the Reelfoot Lake outrage of the night riders as revealed by pr. William R.
 Rankin, brother of the victim of that awful tragedy who returned wednes- day night to Montgomery.
 Dr. Rankin had an excellent oppor- tunity to gather the antecedents of the crime. He spent several days in the soldiers camp in the vicinity of the crime. He was In the presence of the Governor and the commander of the troops during much of the searching examination of suspected night riders. He heard one of the confessions and is convinced that this and others were genuine and that the tnufdefers of his brother will be brought to unde- layed Justice.
 That the inhabitants of the lake re- zion are primitive. pr. Rankin ad- mits. Their ignorance is in a measure
 responsible for the narrowing deeds of the night rider clan. But there must have been a leader of the be- nighted and ignorant There usually is. Governor Patterson accepted this as the basis of his heroice investiga- ton, started so swiftly after the re- port of the ,lynching of Capt. Quentin Rankin less than month ago.
 In the opinion of Dr. Rankin this coHspifater is a lawyer of the region, living ifi Obioff County, named Carpens ter. Whether he Is convicted of a guilty knowledge of the outrages of the rider clan, his character will be considerably blackened before the prosecutions have ended. And 1t is by no means sure that he will escape the tolls of the net which Governor Pat terson and the military leaders are weaving about the scores Of night riders.
 It was this Attorney Carpenter who inveisled the law Arm. of Taylor and Rankin into visiting Walnut Log that fateful night when they were dragged from their bed room, escorted by mask ed men to the lakeside. taunted for their organization of the West Ten- nessee Land Company, and Captain Rankin was hanged to a tree to be 'riddled with bullets. while Colonel Fay. Tor made a miraculous escape.
 Carpenter had sent for Messrs. Tays Tor and Carpenter to visit Walnut Log under. the pretense of purchasing the lake property of the land company. Tn the opinion of Dr. Rankin and a3- cording to the theory of Governor Pat terson. Attorney Carpenter really was at the head of a secret organization who yearned for possession of the rich
 
 half-civilized condition of the inhab- itants and their misguided passions, this lawyer is believed to have decoy- ed the lawyers, fnr and part owners of the lake property. into the region for purposes of intimidation. The rid CTS were to openly threaten the attor- neys on the night of their arrival. It. was to be done to render insecure the holdings of the company and inttmi- date the officers into selling the lake at a sacrifice.
 And all of this the rider elan did,
 fl do not believe that 1t was in the conspiracy to kill" said pr. Rankin Friday discussing the affair. T give them credit for that. believe 1t was only their purpose to intlmidate and bear down the value of the lake land. Then it was to be bought in at a sac- rifice price. My brother was firm. That was one of his deepest traits. I am satisfied that he would not listen to their threats to his face any more than he needed the written warnings that came many days before that ter rible night.
 And when he made no concessions they got quick revenge. It was mur. der born of the moment Indeed, the shooting was such surprise to that part of the band who were watching Colonel Taylor that when they heard the shots fired they turned their gaze in the direction of the main party. This gave Colonel Taylor his slim chance for escape. He plunged for dear life into the lake. This was probably done before his guardsmen had chance to know what had hap. pened
 "The rest of his story has been told. How he remained after the band left. submerged ali but his face in the lake water. shaking with cold. How he Jeff the water after half hours dwelling there and then for couple hours more hid in the woods fringing the lake. It is said that Colonel Taylor sIinned back to the side of my brothers body. have never talked to him about if. saw him little while but he could not speak long of the tragedy ue breaks down and cries like a habs, Memory is cruel on this point of his
 II was when Governor Pattsrsnr had Attorney Carpenter on the grill that pr: Rankin heard the short paaN. age between the two. The lawyer bna made the remark that he rather "Su ax pected the men to get whipped when they went to Walnut Log, but he was mortified, he said to learn that one man had been killed by the masked men. and was very sorry about if.
 Taking your own statement" Gov ernor Patterson is said to have ad. dressed Carpenter, do you not think you have said?'
 Well. admit that 1t is rather in- Carpenter replied, but God knows I'm innocent"
 Governor Patterson has demonstrat-