The Washington herald., 1909-01-17
OF THE MASK" IN TENNESSEE

out to do a little regulating. whipped a
couple or people in the neighbrohood
where they lived. cut a telephone wire or
two, and otherwise disported themselves
in manner becoming 10 careless spirits.
Monument Erected 10 Night Rider.
The country people around about tele-
phoned TO ClsrksviIle that the enemy
was on the war path. Ciarksville had
been threatened with destruction so often
that CIarksviIle was nervous. While the
city prepared for defense six men took
the road and went out 20 lay for the
night riders who might well be march,
ing on the town in force for all they
knew. These six divided into groups Of
twos and hid beside the road. There
were only seven or eight night riders in
this particular band so thefClarksville
defenders found. and when a part Of il
passed the place where one Walter Hunt
and one John Gardner, watchmea. OF
Ciarksville. were hidden. Hunt and Gard
ner fired with automatic sh0tguns-
Vaughn Bennett was killed and Earle
Bennett. his brother. was wounded Hunt
and Gardner claim the night riders fired
first.
Very few night riders have ever been
brought 10 justice In Montgomery Coun-
ty but Hunt and Gardner. tfg men who
shot the Bennett boys. were arrested and
brought 10 trial The trial went against
them, the judgS making some noteworthy
decisions as 10 the exclusion from the
jury OF evidence tending to prove that the
night riders were an organized band OF
marauders. and the case was appealed To
the Supreme Court Of Tennessee. It viii
likely come before that tribunal at about
the time this article is printed.
Vaughn (or ''Voyn') Bennett was twen-
ty years old. and has been represented
as martyr 10 the wicked tobacco trust
A monument has been erected 20 him
Among the night riders OF Montgomery
County he is quite a hero
An attempt was made 10 show that he
and the other boys who were out that
night were merely working in imitation OF
the night riders who have been terroriz-
ing that part Of the country.
Feared Hanging.
Before I visited Clarksvilie, and while
was at Union City. in the Reelfoot Lake
district. where TIE conditions which led
I UP to the night rider outrages are not
ike those in the tobacco country. 1 ran
across a heavy-hearted old man one aft
ernoon who was fearful that there might
be a hanging in his own family
The old man belonged 10 the better
class Of farmers in the lake district. hard
working. peaceful Of disposition. intelli-
gent. His boy was one OF the night
rider gang that KILLED Capt. Quentin
Rankin The youth was under guard at
the time, and the Old man was trying 10
get permission to speak with him from
the military officer in charge. He waited
around the greater part Of one afternoon
and We became quite well acquainted
and fell into conversation
I can't think he was fl H. he would
/ say time after time. Il can't see why hs
should have been in IT, His mother and ]
always thought he. vas a good boy. ]
don't believe he was one Of them There S
| some mistake"
! There was 10 mistake but T thought
would rather let some one else tell the old
man that his sons confession was al
ready in the hands Of the authorities
-Yeu see. he said. there have been a
good many mistakes made about the peo-
/ pie that live near the lake One news
| paper described them as utter savages
/ and said they live in caves. But YOU
know that isn't so. There ara good peo-
pie there and bad people there just as
! there are everywhere There are tOughs
everywhere And I suppose a Tot OF Wild
/ er young men set drawn in along witt
the toughs without knowing what they
! are getting into. That IS the way thing,
I happen. And now-but nc, can't Jnink
/ he was in IL AZ all X wasn't Ike him
/ He knew what mother and 1 thought
about running around with that tough
( crowd. and I Just can't think he would
do tt
When Capt Quentin Rankin was mur-
/ dered in ObiOn County. Gov. Patterson
displayed a most commendable activity
4 He took charge Of the situation in per-
/ son; he threw troops into the affected
district and began spectacular round
I Up. But IN ClaTksvilie heard more