Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-01-12
aflistellaneuus Reading,
THE NIGHT RIDER CASES.
Review of the Tragedy at ReeIfoot
Lake.

Review of the Tragedy at ReeIfoot
Lake.
The operations of the night rider
band began with the burning of the fish
docks, extending to the infiiction of COR
poral punishment on those whom the
leaders in their councils deemed guilty
of actions in opposition to the wishes
of the clan, and finding a climax in the
lynching of Capt Quentin Rankin.
Captain Rankin and an associate stock
holder of the West Tennessee Land
company Col. R. Z. Taylor an aged
man, and one of the most prominent
men of the northwestern section Of
Tennessee, had come to the lake re-
gion to conclude a deal as to the sale
OF some timber lands, the property Of
the company
The night riders, composed largely
Of the fisher folk Of Reelfoot Lake,
which is owned by the land company,
were especially aggrieved against the
land company because of the refusal to
allow the fishermen to ply their voca-
tion at will in the waters Of the lake.
This, they charged, largely to Capt.
Rankin and Col. Taylor. According
to the evidence during the trial, when
1t was learned that the two were to
spend the night in the lake region, the
band was told to meet at a designated
point and toward midnight they donned
their fantastic garbs of long cloaks and
masks and marched to the Walnut Log
hotel, where Capt. Rankin and Col.
Taylor had quarters. Forcing them
hastily to don their clothes, it is relat-
ed, they marched them to a secluded
spot among the wooded recesses of the
lake. Here a short parley ensued and
not reaching a conclusion satisfactory
to the riders, the rope by which Ran
kin was led from the hotel was thrown
over a forked limb of a tree and the
man drawn into the air. A volley of
shots followed and within a few sec
cnds Rankin was dead. In the mean
time Taylor hau pleaded for the re-
lease of Rankin and his substitution.
When he saw the men were determined
to kill both, he made dash for liberty,
swimming the bayou on the banks of
which the lynching occurred, and
though several volleys from a score of
rifles followed him, he succeeded in
escaping, reaching a place Of safety
after thirty-siX hours spent in the
marshes.
Two days later Gov. Patterson and
two companies of state troops arrived
and the work of hunting down the
perpetrators began. Arrests by the
wholesale were made and the county
was placed under military rule. A
military post was established at Reel
foot Lake and those who were arrested
were held practically incommunicado.
Several of those arrested confessed and
gradually those who were deemed not
guilty were weeded out and allowed
to return to their homes.
The ten men held most responsible
for the raids of the band were taken
to Nashville for safe keeping and in the
iails there two of them died. The other
eight sought release under writs OF
habeas corpus and were ordered set at
liberty on the charges on which they
were held, other than that of the kill
ing of Capt. Rankin. When they were
returned to Union City to be released
however, indictments charging mur-
der had been returned and they were
Immediately rearrested.
The trials began month ago ana
the court was under the protection or
the military. During the sessions arm
ed soldiers were constantly on guard
and during the night the men were un-
der the care of the military as were
others held to await trial. During the
trials several of the alleged members
of the band told of the working of the
clan and of the raids, describing the
murder of Capt. Rankin, showing 1t to
have been most brutal. These will be
granted pardon.
The defendants were represented by
Rice A. Pierce and other prominent at
torneys, who exerted every legal effort
in the aid of their clients and as de-
fense sought to establish alibis. The
case of the state was cared for by At
torney General Caldwell and other
attorneys.
The present term Of court is the Sec
ond special term called to consider the
night rider cases. The first term was
called Immediately on the arrival OF
the troops and its legality, because OF
failure to announce the fact of its
converting in advance, was questioned.
This was remedied at the present
term, the trials being deferred until
the present term began.
The other alleged members OF the
band were more than a score in num-
ber and are held in the county jail
here awaiting trial on charges Of mur-
der, violation of the Ku Klux act and
other crimes, resulting from the raids
of the band. Their trial, it is probable,
e