Richmond daily register. (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1917-1978, 1921-01-24
NIGHT RIDERS SAY
QUIT SELLING WEED
Big Growers In Bath and Flcm-
ing Counties Warned By
Midnight Riders
Morrow To Investigate
tBy Associated Press)

Lexington, Ky, Jan. 24-Gov.
Morrow today planned an investl-
grass tobacco belt after the ap-
pearance or riders Saturday night
Tor the first time i'll years. Fifteen
farmers i'll Bath and Fleming
counties were visited and warned
that selling their tobacco or plant
ing Il new crop this year would
result in destruction of their pro-
pcrty.
Masked men, heavily armed, dashed
through portions of Fleming and
Bath counties on horseback late Sat
ur,lay night and carly Sunday morn
ing and warned Tobacco growers to
haul no more tobacco to the Carlisle
and Flcmingsburg tobacco markets,
says Mondays Lexington Herald.
The nightriders also threatened vi
olence if the farmers visited disObey-
cd their onlers and demanded that no
preparations be made for planting
hurley tobacco this year.
Reports of the activities of the
nightridcrs were received from Car
lslc, Mt. Sterling and F'lcmingsburg.
Two towns were visited by the night
ridcrs-Sherbournc, in Fleming coun
ty, II miles from Flcmingsburg, and
Bethel, in Bath county, IL miles from
Carlisle.
Reports concerning the activities
and number Of the nightridcrs con-
flict. From Flcmingsburg it was re-
ported that in Sherbourne there were
from % to 30 men, mounted on horse
back. The reports from Carlisc tsatc
that the group Of men that visited
Bethel was composed of ten men ON
horseback and four unmOunted.
AncordnG to news received in Lex
ington, Is or more farmers were Wis
itcd by the nightriderS during their
sweep along the county lines of Bath
and Fleming and late Sunday night
confirmation of six visits had been
received.
cor,linG to reports from Carlisle, the
nigh,riders appeared at the home of
II. s. Robertson, of Bethel, wealthy
farmer aud extensive grower of to
bacco.
They called Mr.. Robertson from
his house. Four men on foot, with
their backs turned from Robertson,
addressed aim and told him not to
not to haul amy of his Tobacco to the
markets and sell it, not to rent any
of his farms for tobacco production
during the coming year and not raise
any of the leaf himself.
Should he fail to follow these in
Structions, the nightridcrs, it is said
threatened him with violence and dc
atruction of his property.
The mon went to the home of
Thomas Crouth and repeated the
warning they had made at the home
of Robertson. The men also visited
the home Of Il man named Stevens,
near Bethel, and Jake Boyd. At these
places the same warning was also
given.
A report that the telephone wires
of the Robertson home were cut by
the nightridcrs before they left to
visit other persons in the community
was also received.
The number Of men that visited the
Robertson home and the other three
farmers near Bethel was estimated
at 23. Nineteen ofthcsc were horse
back and four were afoot.
The party next went to Sher-
bourne. Here they visited the homes
Of two men, Mr. Shields and Mr.. Tom
lin, owners of trucks, who haul to-
b;lco crops to the surrounding mar
kcts for the farmers.
They were called from their homes
and instructed not to haul any more
tobacco to the markets. No threats
as far as couhl be learned were made
against either Shields or Tomlin, the
nightriders departing after giving
their Instructions.
kehOe Condemns It
Maysville, Ky, Jan. 24.-James N.