Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1908-01-04
RIDERS RAID TOWN
Russellville, KY, Scene of Third Out
rage of Tobacco War.
TWO WAREHOUSES DYNAMITED
Fire Set to Debris Which Spreads to
Other Buildings,
POLICEMEN ARE ovERI & ED
Masked Men Also Take Possess =
Telephone Exchange. E
THREE CITIZENS ARE INJURE
Tobacco Growers Have Large Supplies
on Hand and Some Of Them
Are Preparing TO Sell
Out.
POLICEMEN ARE ovERI Z
Masked Men Also Take Possess
Telephone Exchange.
THREE CITIZENS ARE INJURE.

RUssBLLVILLE Ky, Jan. 3.-Night
riders. 100 strong, swooped down on Rus
sellville. Logan county, early this morning
ard after overpowering the three policemen
and providing against the giving OF an
alarm, dynamited and burned the two in
dependent tobacco concerns in the city and
several other establishments and rode away
out the Hopkinsville and Clarksville pike.
Three men were wounded and the tele-
phone girls and police were held prisoners
for nearly three hours. The following
buildings were destroyed
Frank G. Work, tobacco warehouse;
building and contents loss, $4,000.
American Snuff company. factory and
contents; loss, $1,000
Roberts g. Brown. planning mill; loss,
$1,000.
Alfred Underwood grocery; loss, 5000.
Landing G. Proctor, stable.
Joshua Knowles, cottage.
The wounded persons are:
DR.. Charles NJ Roberts of Evansville,
Ind.
]. r. Mclean, Russellville.
J. H. Moseley, Russellville.
chief of Police OverpOwered.
Captain w. r. Bruce, the chief of police,
as soon as he heard the noises hastened to
the fire tower, where he attempted to
sound the alarm, but was overpowered by
four of the masked night riders.
Two merchants, j. r. Mclean, proprietor
of a grocery store and ]. Henry Mosely,
proprietor Of dry goods store. did not
hurry into their homes as fast as the night
riders desired and were shot.
The most seriously injured was DR.. Rob
erts, who was a guest at the Forest house.
He was wounded about the head and face
by charge OF buckshot fired as the night
riders we're leaving town. He heard tho
confusion and, thinking that the raiders
had departed, ran out to see what had
happened. He came face to face with a
group OF the departing mob and as he
started to run was shot
II was said that the mob came to Rus
seliville from the direction Of Cave Springs,
near where the members are said TO have
had their rendezvous The mob seemed
TO be well .ofgsnlzed with a head and leu
tenants. All the men were mounted and
wore white caps, false boards and masks.
Except for the shots at those who appeared
on the streets there was little shooting
the chief business of the mob seeming to
be the destruction of the two tobacco
houses.
Defiance OF state Government
This is the third raid which has been
made by night riders in western Kentucky
and comes in the face of the announcement
by the governor that disorder must cease
At this time court is in progress at Hop
kinsville investigating a similar raid which
was made on that city several weeks ago
Troops are now on guard in HopIinsville
The night riders are attempting to In
fluence or intimidate certain tobacco grow
ers into holding their crops for higher
prices or not to sell to the American
Tobacco company. The situation is par
tlcularly acute at this time as many o.
the growers have two years crop on hand
Warchousemen have been notified from
time to time to refrain from buying any
tobacco, and many of them who defieC
the notice have had their houses destroye'
by fire. Nearly all the tobacco growers
are members of the Tobacco Growers Pro
tective association, but this organization
discbuntenances such acts as have beer
credited to the night riders.
HOPKINSVILLE, Ky, Jan. 3.--Stat
Fire Marshal Mott Ayres left today 70
Russellville, KY, to investigate the nigh
riders raid there last night