The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-12-22
Blood Curdling is
Night Riders Story
lcentInuea Fron, First Page,

ped had been summoned, Garrett
johnson sent out general order to
hang any ofsthe men who testified
on his way to court near Sleepy Hol-
low. whipped him savagely and sent
him home. He did not testify.
Several prospective Witnesses were
similarly treated, but few of them
viii tell OF 1t now, SO great is their
terror.
Old man Bogus (no other name
known testified as to the burning of
fish docks by the riders. The outlaws
met few nights later and got into
row as to whether to hang Bogus
o. only whip him, but Bogus was
never at home when the riders called.
The riders went to the. home of
John Thurman one night to tell
Thurman's daughter, Mrs. Joe John
son. to withdraw her suit for divorce
would not urge his daughter to live
with her husband again
On the night of the ride Joe John
son, husband of the woman. was with
them! A few nights later Mrs. John
son, who is young and pretty, but
who married an old man, was taken
from her fathers home to the woods
Nearby and fearfully whipped She
was stripped to the waist and beaten
with buggy whip, the end of which
had been split into five strips Feb
ringer was not on this ride.
The Passwords.
When a. night rider approached a
place of meeting he gave two long and
Dne snort whistles The sentry replied
with the same whistle. then called
Tut. who comes there?" The de-
sly was The Seven Wonders" Then
the sentry replied, Il wonder" and
admitted the member. The whistle is
> peculiar sibilant, piercing note. The
defendants smiled and looked at each
pther az the whistle and pass words
were repeated in court
Just before the murder Of Captain
Ranken the riders decided 20 make a
raid on Tiptonville and kill Judge Har-
ris- Tiptonville heard of il and pre-
pared to repel it, and the riders aban-
Honed their plan.
After Ranken.
On October 18th the riders learned
MAT Ranl1en and Col Taylor were at
Walnut Log hotel in the heart of the |
riders country. It'd Burton. one of
the defendants. told Fehringer to noti- |
~ the band to meet that night to at
tend to Ranken and Taylor. Fehrin- |
ger got one of Garrett Johnson's |
horses and rode all day sunmoning |
the band.
The riders met near Johnsonis that I
night and IL included the eight de- |
PENDANTS. name by name They pro-
seeded to the hotel after Garrett /
johnson had forced Ed Powell to take /
The rider oath.
Garrett Johnson was the spokesman,
wore the rope and whip, and gave /
he orders to Ranken and Taylor to
fress-
On the march TO the densely wood
ed bank of the slough where Ranken
WAS slain johnson did all the talking, /
the others, about fifty in number, in |
rluding the defendants, following ST.
lently, as they put the rope on Ran
ken,s neck. Fehringer said to the
victim:
DO you want to say anything to the
Lord? II you do. say it now" RAN
ken replied:
ct have attended to that just
as they pulled the rope Bob Hoffman
shot him and Sam Applewhite said: /
I know he is dead, for put load
of bicycle ball bearings in him. - /
Jesse Carter, one of the defendants
and a man yet to be tried, put the
rope around Ranken's neck.
TayIor,s Escape.
When Col. Taylor jumped into the
slough everybody shot into the water
and Fehringer beat around in it with
a pole. Meantime the men holding
the rope let go and Ranken's body
crumpled up and dropped to the
ground His stiff hat fell beneath his
head, holding it OF the ground. his
glasses dropped back into the hat