Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1910-01-28
NIGHT RIDERS
CRUEL DEMONS
THEY RIDDLE HOUSES WITH Bull
LETS, USE FIRE AND FLoG
OPPONENTS.
OFFICIALS GATHER THE FACTS.
To Be Used in Suits by Government
Against the Burley Tobacco
Society.


department of justice in connection with
The WORK Of the murderous bands OF
| night riders who have been terrorizlng
| the independent tobacco farmers and
| their families in kentucky, Ohio and
| Indiana, will be submitted to Attorney
| General Wickersliam in Washington, to
| be used in the suits about to be brought
against the Burley Tobacco society,
| whose headquarters are ii Lexington,
Ky. That the night riders visited only
the homes of the independent tobacco
growers who refused to pool their crops
| wish The hurley society * ali established
| fact Whether {" Ios the Riders and
| their lawlessness can be connected direct
| Iy with the officials of the Burley society
is another matter. Some Of the cases i'll
vestigated by the agents OF the depart
lnent Of justice are SAD and eXasperatlng.
Mrs. Matte Kite runs a tobacco farm
at Walton Ky. Night riders told her
she. must pool her crop with the Burley
society, but she refused. Masked mount
ed men then went to her home. When
she again refused they riddIed her place
with bullets and rode off. She hired
man and his two sons, paying them
$50 each, and they succeeded in bring
ing her crop week ago to this city.
Thomas Muliin was on his way to
~
masked men jumped out of the road.
IF you buy a single pound of non
pooled tobacco you'll never get out Of
this place aiven' shouted the leader.
MUllin hurried back home.
Sampson Tomlin, who was driven
from his farm, attributes the loss of one
Of his children to the attacks made by
the night riders. Although warned. he
brought his crop to Cincinnati. Night
riders dragged him from his bed and
whipped him. Later, when a band of
them. all masked, appeared, Tomlin hid
behind the door in his WOOdShed and as
two men dismounted and walked through
the yard, fired. One night rider dropped
and the other fed. Carl Flynn, Tom
Inns brother-in-law. heard the shots and
by previous arrangement hurried Tom
Inns little baby boy away An hour
mostly masked, rode up. Hey, Tomin,
you" with an OATH, shouted the lead
er, will you pool your t0baccoY The
farmers answer was a we'll aimed shot
\ fuslade followed, and the house was
riddled with shot. Tomlin escaped IN
shouted. Now we are going to dyna-
then stepped to the window. pushed the
barrel of his gun through the glass and
fired. A moment later a shot struck
him in the shoulder. will you give up
I
tain. NO yelled Tomln He and
Flynn heard the leader order kerosene
spread over the place, but their vigOr-
GUS fire drove the band away The
child carried out of the house during the
first attack and taken to Il neighbours
died from the exposure. and Tomlin
gave up his farm and moved to Coving-
ton.
Phil Stayton, Cincinnati buyer. was
pulled off his wagon, tied to Il tree and
logged with blacksnake whips; then the
night riders, after putting the torch to
his load Of tobacco, dragged the partly
unconscious man to the river and threw
him in. H. escaped but has never been
i'll Kentucky since.
Another sad case is that of NJ S. Eu-
banks of Peoples, O.. While his wife
was sick in bed night riders fired his
barn and turned his crop of tobacco.
The sheriff, WHO put the bloodhounds on
the. trail. traced the riders into Ken
itucky. The experience preyed on Eu-
hanks mind TIL he became a lunatic,
while his wife is a hopeless cripple
Il. >. Mont &Omery, 4 6-fo0t Kentucky
farme" of Robertson county, had been
OH his place f0r over thirty years and
refused to join the pool. He had raised
very good crop and sold it TO the trust
He was ready to deliver it when at
p. III. two of his sons hurried into the
house, Dad they said, don't move
the tobacco; "" just seen $50 armed
men on horseback. They're laying in
ambush Two hours later they rode up.
Montgomery anl his wife went ont to
meet them. The latter is known as a
fearless woman ana an expert rifle shot.
~ have III time to talk to you" said
Mlnts0mery. addressing the chief 1T
IS shame rat Il m3n who has lived
here thrifty years car tsraise his crop to
SUE himself. If you men would only
Ioblge a lady by taking down those
masks" called out Mrs. Montgomery. II
would just love to look in your eyes and
see what kind of people you are.' The
baud rode away. Later Mrs Montgonl-
cry awoke her husband, calling: Get
up. Ed; Night Riders are here. There
are two men outside ui the door Shoot
them down Wh4e the farmer kept
idaushters built harr,cades of beds and
furniture, behind Which they hid. A
moment later a terrible fusiIlade opened.
he girls were in mysteries on the floor.
After the house hat been shot up the
,oand rode away. The strain made nerv-
Gus wrecks of the children, and finally
montgomery abandoned the farm,
II will die before l pool my tobacco"
Mike tlaherty, who owns a big farm
near Maysville, Ky, told the night rid
erS' tlaherty is known as desperate
lnghter. He sent word to the night riders
me would just love to receive them at
ms place. But they never called
Ferry Flora, who lives on his tobacco
farm just outside of Maysville, was CON
sSSldered stubborn fighter. He repeated
.ly refused to sign with the pool He
,changed his mind, however, when the
might riders dragged him out of bed at
L IN the morning and .ashed him until he
Twas nearly dead
Secretary Brooks of the Burley Tobac-
leo society declares that the society has
never had any connection whatsoever, di-
'rectly, indirectly, secretly or openly,