The Topeka state journal., 1909-01-08
The Jury Returns a Verdict of
Guilty
Against Eight of the Night Rid
ers at Union City, Tenn.
MOVE FOR NEW TRIAL.
Will BE Made Saturday and Will
BE Refused.
Story of the Crime Which Led
to Conviction.

| Onlon City, Jan. S-With a verdict
Of guilty the jury in the night rider
trial reported at S:45 last night The
Il men found Garrett johnson, It'd
Burton. Boy Ransom Fred Pinion, Ar
thur Cloar and Sam Applewhite guilty
of murder in the first degree, with
| mitigating circumstances. and BUD
Norris and Bob Huffman the other
defendants, guilty of murder in the
second degree, and fixed their punish
ment at 20 years in the penitentiary.
The punishment of the six first named
defendants was left to the court, and
may be death. or life Imprisonment,
and the court has indicated, an inten-
ton to pronounce the death penalty.
Ihe defense made a motion for a new
trlal, which was set for hearing Satur-
day, and which will be overruled SEN
tences viii then be imposed.
There was a difference of opinion.
among the jurors as to the degree of
guilt OF the defendants, but an agree
ment was reached quickly The court
was was convened at p. M, and the jury
port shortly At S:45 d. m. the baiIiff
called for the county physician, Juror
RosSon was in a state of collapse and
needed attention. 1t was half an hour
oeIore Rosson was revived the jury
filed in and six deputies were sum
moned to carry in the bed upon which
the sick juror reclined. The foreman
announced the verdict, the defense
called for a poll which was made and
the judge dismissed the jury. Rosson's
condition is such that it was deemed
inadvisable to move him. The defense
demanded until Monday to move for a
new trial, but the state opposed it, and
the court fixed Saturday as the day, in
timatfng that the motion was a mere
form any way, which would be over
ruled.
I1n 1nfa
calmly, as they had been expecting it
since the closing arguments.
Attorney Pierce turned to them and
said: I'VE will tear this case to pieces
in the supreme court" The state ex-
pected a verdict OF first degre murder
in all eight cases, and was disappoint-
ed. bob" Huffman, one of the men
to escape with 20 years. is the one
who, according to the confession of
Frank Fehringer. fired the shot which
killed Ranken as he was being drawn
up by the rope. When the jurY's
readiness to report was announced the
militia quietly surrounded the court
house and detail with revolver hos
tiers open. was deployed around the
walls of the court room, but there
was no demonstration. The prisoners
were quickly handcuffed and under
military escort, taken to prison.
The verdict is considered a COM
promise, and no trouble is feared by
the authorities.
History of the Case.
The case was one of the most Wig
orodsly contested and notable GRIM
inal trials ever heard in the state. 1t
was the outcome of a series of lawless
acts ending in the murder of Captain
Ranken and causing the mastering
out of the state militia under the per-
sonal direction of Governor Patter-
son
Tho operations of the night rider
bands began with the burning of fish
docks extending to tha inf1icting of
corporal punishment on those whom
in opposition to the wishes of the clan.
Kanken and an assistant Stockholder
of tie West Tennessee Land COM
pany, Col. r. z. Taylor. an aged man,
had come to the lake region to con-
clude a deal for tie sale of some tim
ber lands. the property of the COM
pany.
Tho night riders. composed largely
of the fisher folk Of Reelfoot lake,
which is owned by the compar--, were
especially aggrieved ar the land com
pany because of their refusal to allow
the fishermen to fish at will in the
lake This they charged largely to
Kanken and Taylor According to the
evidence during the trial when it was
learned that the two were to pass the
night in the lake region. the band
was told to meet at a designated point.
The night riders walked to the Walnut
Log hotel where they captured the
two men and marched them to a Sc
cIuded spot. Here a short parley en-
sued. and the rope by which Ranken
was led from the hotel was attached
TO a tree. and he was drawn into the
air.
volley of shots followed and soon
Ranken was dead. Meanwhile Taylor
had pleaded for the release of Ranken
and his own substitution. When he saw
the men were determined to kill both he
made a dash for liberty. swimming the
bayou on the banks of which the lynch
ing occurred. and escaped through re-
Deated volleys from night riders rifles
After &c hours in the marshes he reach
ed a Mace of safety. Two days later
Governor 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 country was under military rule. A
military post was established at Reel
fessed and gradually those who were
deemed not guilty were allowed to re-
t,1r11 TO their homes. The ten regarded
as most responsible for the raid were
taken to Nashville for safe-keeping and
in the iail there two died. The other
eight were ordered freed on writs of
haheas corpus, but when they were re-
turned to Union City to be released in
dictments charging murder had been
returned.
DIlring the trial the court was under
military rule and armed soldiers were
constantly present Several of the al
legged members of the band told of its
workings and of the raids, describing
the murder of Captain Ranken. These
will be pardoned.