LAWLESSNESS IN AMERICA.

Colonist, Volume LI, Issue 12420, 9 December 1908, Page 1

LAWLESSNESS IN AMERICA.

i ! .^f nds of night-riders" in some ot the American States commit many deeds of lawlessness and murders in .cold blood. Captain Kankin and ■ Colonel laylor, two prominent lawi yers, were the chief promoters of the West Tennessee Land Company, which bought Keolfoot Lake and made stringent regulations witn res gard to iisuiiig privilogos. For generations those living around the L.iie have oarawl a living by fishing,* ami 3 in rceeiifc years have acted as guides to visiting sportsmen. Their oitter- . ness developed into loud threats of 5 violence when Colonel Taylor induced I the Legislature to pass a law makI ing it a misdemeanour for anybody '" . to -fish in the lake without paying a ! . heavy fee. Shortly afterwards the r ;two lawyers visited the locality, and | put up at an hotel near the lake. At r midnight a band of about thirty arm- . Ed and masked men appeared outside '. the hotel and demanded the appearI ance of the visitors, Not appreciat- . ing their peril, the two men descend- , cd. They were immediately seized, placed on horses, and quickly taken away to the lake, pn the edge of the lake the "nighfcriders" hanged Captain Rankin to a tree and riddled • his body with bullets. Until tho ! wretched man felt himself being lift--1 cd off his feet, he ' did not believe that murder was intended. Colonel laylor was then hurried off .to an- ■ other spot. How he escaped is best ' ■ told in his own words :— '.'l seized tho ' moment when the night-riders were discussing how to kill me, and their ' attention was momentarily diverted ; I sprang into the lake and swam for [ life. Bullets fell in showers all { around mo., but none struck me. As [ I reached the opposite bank I threw , up my hands and pitched heavily for- , ward, falling over a log, where I lay while the bullets rained. The as- , jsasKuis wore evidently satisfied they hid killod me; kit I lay there until dawn, whori I plunged into the undo ■growth and wnlkod all day, steering l).v the sun. and finally' making a '•nuch on a hrd of loaves." Six States an-. .ifFootod by tlio operation's «t ni^lit-ridfrs. a;iu it is propospd to (•.ill ;i ci.nfcrsMi.-i' <o rioviso nitons oF oxt'.-niiiiiatiii^ tliom.