The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1909-01-12
(By the Associated Press

- t4-S AC0''
Union City, Tenn, Jan. with a
verdict of guilty. in varying degrees the
Jury in the night rider trials reported
at S:45 o'clock tonight. The twelve
men found Garrett Johnson, Tad Bur-
ton, Boy Ransom, Fred Pinion, Arthur
Cloar and Sam Applewhite guilty of
murder in the first degree, with miti-
eating circumstances, and Bud Morris
and Bob Huffman, the e~X-defendants,
guilty of murder in the second degree,
and fixed their punishment at twenty
years in the penitentiary.
The punishment of the six first
named defendants was left to the
court and may be death or life i'm
~prisOnment.
h defense filed a motion for a
new trial, which was set for hearing
saturday and will be Overruled as in
dicated by the court, when sentence
will be pronounced. The jury had
been out since > p. m. out because of
the illness of Juror Rosson, had not
been able to consult until 5 p. m.
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.
Court was convened at s D.. m. and
the jury sent word that it would be
able to report shortly. The room was
| crowded as it was during the argu-
ment. The minutes passed and at
S:45 o'clock the bailiff called for the
county physician. Juror ROSsOn was
in a state of collapse and needed at
tcntiOn. 1t was half an hour before
! Rosson was revived, the jury filed in
and six deputies we're summoned to
carry in the bed upon which the sick
Juror reclined. The foreman an
! nounced the verdict, the defense
! calling for a poll which was made
! ,,,I rbo ind 90 dismissed the iurOrS
Rosson's condition is such that it
was deemed inadvisable to move him
tonight.
The defense demanded until Mon
day to move for a new trial but the
state opposed it and The court fixed
Saturday as the day, intimating that
the motion was a mere fOrmality
any way which would be o~verruled.
The defendants ook the verdict
with ca!mness as they had been ex~
pecting it since the closing OF he
arguments.
ATTORNEY Pierce turned to them
whom if was announced and said: I'VE
will tear this case to pieces in the
Supreme Court.
The State expected a verdict of
first degree murder in all eight cases
and was visibIy disappointed. Box
Huffman. one of the men to escape
with twenty years, is the man Who,
according to the confession of Frank
Ef,ehringer. fred the-shot which
Killed Captain Ranken' as ne was be-
ing ldrawn up by the rope.
When the jury's readiness to report
was ANNOUNCED the military quietly
SURROUNDED the Court House and a de-
tail of soldiers with revolver holsters
open. was deployed round the walls
of the room. but aside from
whispered buzz of conversation there
was no demonstration.
The prisoners We're quickly hand
cuffed and under military escort taken
to prison.
The verdict is considered a COM
promise one and no trouble is feared
by the authorities.
History of the Case.
Thus is ended, in the lower court,
~ of the most vigorously contested
and notable criminal trials ever heard
in this State, the outcome of a reign
or laWlesSness, the eliminating act be.
ing that of which the men were found
guilty, calling forth the mastering of
the militia of the State, under the per-
sonal direction Of Governor Patterson,
TO the aid of the civil authorities in
the ferreting out and the taking into
custody of those who were charged
with the commission of the crime, the
so-called might rider clan" of Reel
foot Lake.
me operations OF the night rider
pand began with the burning of fish
docks extending to the inflicting of
orporal punishment on those whom
the leaders in their counsels deemed
guilty OF action in opposition to the
WISHES of the clan. finding a climax in
me lynching of Captain Ranken.
lAdnken n an associate stakeholder
u the West Tennessee Land Company,
Col. k. 4. Taylor. an aged man, and
uHe OF the most prominent men of
we horthWeStern section of Tennessee,
ia" come to the lake r~egiOn.to con-
,luue q teal as to the sale of some
elhber lands, the property of the COM
me night riders, composed largely
= me usher folk of ReelfoOt AXE.
mnIch Is owned by the land
mere especially aggrieved against tn
- company because of the refusal
10 allow the fishermen to ply their
~ tICatlon at will in the waters of the
Ca. This they charged largely to
rc"pIaIn kanken and Col Taylor. Ac-
triaI 10 the evidence during the
II ID ct1n