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Judge Harris Dies In Lake
Friday 6/17/1910

Tiptonville, Tennessee June 11-
Judge Harris, the millionaire land owner of this town, whose name is forever linked with the history of the Reelfoot Night Riders, was drowned this afternoon in Black Bayou, an outlet of the lake, while in swimming. His death was due to heart failure, and his body was recovered half an hour later with fishing line.

Judge Harris was out on the lake in his launch with a gentleman named Clegg of St. Louis, general manager of the Western Electric Company, and George F. River. His father, the late Col. James C. Harris, was a noted man, and a wealthy one, his fortune consisting of many thousand acres of land, and even the land under Reelfoot Lake. Judge inherited a large part of his father's estate and his lawsuits, one of them, being that for the recovery of Reelfoot Lake, known as the West Tennessee Land Company suits, which led to troubles with the Night riders. As is well known, Capt. Quintin Rankin of Trenton, Tennessee lost his life at their hands, and Col. R. Z. Taylor had a narrow escape at the same time.

Harris was a marked man, and his life so often threatened that he had his palatial home here surrounded with torpedoes and bombs connected with an electrical system operated from the house. At any time he could have blown up a thousand men had they approached his home. He went about with a bodyguard, and finally had to go to St. Louis and reside until the heat of the danger had blown over.

After Capt. Rankin was assassinated, Harris organized a posse and equipped them at his own expense, which he place at the disposal of the authorities, going with them to hunt down the Night Riders. During the campaign in October 1908, he was a picturesque figure around Camp Nemo and Samburg and Walnut Log on the lake.

He was largely interested in everything here, the bank, the mercantile business, planting and fishing and had large real estate holdings in other places. His wife and two children survive him and two sisters, Mrs D. W. Hubbs of Nashville and Mrs. A. U. Markham of this place.

The funeral will take place Monday with Masonic honors.

Abstracts from and About Harris Will

Lake Co.,  Court Records contain a case in which  Judge Harris' wife had to sue the estate for her 1/3 dowry rights.

In his will, he only left her the dining room set he bought for her, his gun collection & books. She could give them away or sell them at her discretion.

The will also stated that all money left after funeral expenses was to be in the J. C. Harris Trust and all property (land, etc)  was to stay in the trust, also.

Next, the childen and Mrs. Harris were to be provided for the rest of their lives with the interest on the money he had ... then,  in parenthesis in the same sentence,  he put children only. In essence, she was out of the will and got next to nothing considering what he had.   Mrs. Harris was forced to sue the estate for her 1/3 dowry rights.

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