Almost a Night Rider Incident

Mason, this county, has had an experience with “near night-riders.” G. A. Simpson, who is a prominent farmer living between Mason and Heekin grew this year a very large crop of tobacco.  His neighbors pooled their crops and he refused to do so, declaring that he lost money for the past two years because he had been in the pool.

  Naturally, his neighbors who were in the pool were pretty “sore” because of Simpson’s attitude.  It is reported that Simpson received more than one warning and that he finally decided to ship his crop to Lexington without stripping.

  Last week he started to haul his tobacco to the depot and load it into freight cars.   He received a warning notice to desist of there would be trouble.  He paid no attention to the warning but secured a large force of men who helped him in the hauling.  Several of these men were from this place.

  A report was current here that he had soldiers guarding his crop, and reports from Cynthiana stated that a squad of several soldiers from the Cynthiana military company had moved under sealed orders to Grant was verification of this report.

  On Friday night, F. P. Cunningham, who is in the employ of the Q & C Railroad as Detective, received orders to go to Mason and protect the railroad company’s property.  Cunningham declares there was a body of men on horseback in Mason that night, but that none of them came about the cars, two of which had been loaded, except one man who walked down the track and looked them over.  The night was very dark and stormy and Cunningham did not recognize any of the crowd.  His duty was to see that cars were not molested and ended there.

  Saturday morning a jug of coal oil was found under one of the cars, but whether it was placed there by some “night rider” with the view of scaring Simpson, or whether it was their intention to burn the cars is guess work.

  Since Saturday there has been no further demonstration and Simpson has gone ahead and finished shipping his tobacco.

  One of the boys who was working for Simpson has given out the information that there were 22 men in the crew working for him, and that eight were soldiers in citizens clothing.  Simpson declares that he had no soldiers.  He will send men to Lexington to strip tobacco which will be sold on the open market.   

from the Boone County Recorder, November 3, 1909, and acknowledged to be reprinted from the Grant County News.