The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1909-01-29
ADMITSIIHEsWAS
A NIGHT RIDER
BUT Ed MARSHALL DECLARES
He WAS FORCED TO JOIN
UNDER THREATS.
SAYS He TRIED TO SAVE RANKIN
Many Witnesses Testify to The Guilt
or Defendant in Case at
Union City.

UNION CITY, Jan. 25-Ed Mar
shalrs participation in various night
raids and in the killing of Captain
Rankin has been proven by witness
after witness today, and finally admit
fed nv the defendant himself when he
went on the stand late this afternoon.
The defense claims, however, that ne
was forced into membership and into
taking part in the outrages through
fear of his life, and that at the time I
Rankin was killed he begged and plead
with the riders to avoid violence, and
event went to the extent of offering
his own life for those of the intended !
victims.
Warren Morris, the poet laureate OF
the night riders of Reelfoot lake, was
introduced and said that Marshall
tried to get Garrett Johnson to fol-
low the crowd after they had gone into
the slough with Taylor and Rankin
and prevail on them to spare their
victims lives, but Garrett said ne
could do nothing with them, ana
would not try.
Ethelbert Rogers, who confessed on
promise of clemency, is a nelghbor
and close personal friend of Marshall.
According to his testimony, MarshaH
was at the state line meeting when
Rogers was sworn in rs night rider
Int got scared and slipped away be-
fore the ceremony was concluoed.
Some time later there was a report
current among the clan that the Ten
nessee riders were going to Hickman
10 aid the Kentucky chapter IN an
: attempt to burn the Mengel box fac
tory because that corporation had in
Cured the displeasure OF the BAND
Marshall and witness went together
to see Garrett Johnson to nave the
! report contradicted. Rogers corroOo-
rated other witnesses as to meetlhg
, Marshall at Powell's fence the night
= of the murder, and further said that
Marshall went with the crowd toward
T the hotel when they went after Taylor
] and Rankin. Half of the crowd wanted
i to kill the men, but he and Marshall
opposed any violence. Rogers stated
a that he offered to take Taylor ana
a Rankin to Hickman and send them
: home When the mob took RANKIN
y and TAYLOR away to kill them, witness
e and Marshall refused to 60, and stayed
e with the horses Marshall insisting
that the contemplated crime would De
= am awful stain on the county
4 Tom Cloar, another confessed rider
i said that the day after the murder
h he was riding with Marshall in a bug
gy and the latter told him of the XIII
f, ing saving he begged for their lives
and declared that he would go on ne
u more raids At this time it was gen
! orally supposed that Colonel Taylor
, had also been murdered. Cloar sac
J. that when Marshall was asked t
IS come to Union City to hang Judge
ID Harris, who was a guest here at I'M
20 time. he refused, saying: Boys, yo'
are going up against bad thing
e Zen McMurttrie, who testified be
= fore the grand jury that on the nigh
y captain Rankin was killed he awok
,e Marshall and John Ratliff to get som
1t medicine for his sick baby was intro
Id duced by the state to correct that te'
timonv He said that some time afte
iS the killing Marshall and Ratliff caile
u at his house one night after ne ia
7. retired and called him out to the gait
lie They told him they wanted him
az help them fix up an alibi for the nlgl
es Rankin was murdered, as men Wer
X being arrested for the crime, and tine
II wanted to be in a position to prov
u that they we're not there. They asKe
:, him If he did not think he could r
~ member that his baby was sick tn'
night. and that he called both OF the
er to get some medicine. On crosse
IS animation McMurtrie said that ne ns
become convinced that 1t would
Its better to tell the truth, even II
~ hung for 1t.
:. "Then you swore to lie before u
he grand jury, did your" said Mr.. Pierc
ly- Eyes, I did" shouted McMurtri'
he "but I'll tell the truth now, II my ne'
me is broken"
on McMurtrie is in custody at the oa
racks. and is under indictment !
ie' night-riding and conspiracy II
yn state rested at O'Clock and AFTER
M. conference lasting forty minutes =
defense placed the defendant, MI