Evening star., 1897-04-17
iNDICTMENTSAT FRANKFORT
True Bills Against Number of Kentucky
Politicians.
DIR. Hunter Charged With COnspirinr
to Bribe-IndiEnntion Among
the Republican,.

LOUISVILLE, KY, April IA special
to the Evening Post from Frankfort says:
The Franklin county grand jury has re-
turned true bills against Dr. W. Godfrey
Hunter the republican nominee for the
United States Senate, ex-Congressman John
Henry Wilson of the eleventh district Mr.
E. 7. Franks of the second district, Capt
Noel Gaines and his brother-in-law, Thos
Tanner of Frankfort. Those named have
been indicted for conspiracy to bribe All
are republicans with the exception of
Gaines and Turner.
The indictments were all included In one
bill and were filed in court at 10 20 o'clock
The news at once became. public and
created the greatest ind gnation among the
republicans, all OF whom denounced it as
conspiracy among Frankfort democrats to
defeat and humliate Hunter. They claim
ed that the indictments against Gaines and
lanner, the democrats, were returned SIM
Ply as savers to prevent the public gen.
orally from gaining the impression that the
grand jury had been made an engine of
political persecution, and that they would
ne dismissed at the first hearing on account
OF insufficient evidence.
Chairman Jones of the republican caucus
said that it was 'diabohcal and hellish
conspiracy" and that the republicans
would disprove and resent it In proper
spirit. State Senator Deboe was of the
same opinion, and not one of the repub-
lican leaders hesitated to condemn the ac-
ton of the grand jury as partisan and
prejudiced.
Cases Fixed for September.
When the indictments had been returned
Judge Cantrill ordered that bench war
rants be issued for the arrest Of the ac-
cused and made rcturnable for the next
term of the court. which is in September
Bail fixed SDiD in
asked why he set the cases for next Sep
tember. Judge Cantrill said:
Il do not think II proper TO try the cases
at this term Of the court, but If, the par
tles come in and ask for an immediate
trlal Will proceed wiih It at once, other
wise 1t will go until September"
Conspir lcy To bribe is common law Of
Tense In Kentucky, the penalty being a
fine or Imprisonment OF both, at the dis
cretion of the grand jury. The friends of
Dr. Hunter are greatly rejoicad that no
Indictment charging perjury was returned.
as this is felony. ~ ~ =: -
The accused have engaged the best at
torneys in the state to defend them and.
whlle no consultation has ben held and no
steps decided on, it is said that immediate
trials will be asked. . 49,
Capt. Gaines Denies Guilt.
Capt. Noel Gaines, one of the indicted
parties. and the man who claimed that
Hunter and his lieutenants had endeayored
to secure his assistance in obtaining votes.
gave out red hot interview this morning,
asserting his innocence, and saying, among
other things: 4A -,o@' tA'9' r--f'h,'-'
"A man may be forgiven for stealing, as
when starvation is at hand, but no man
should be countenanced for lying as these
men Hunter, Wilson and. ..others) have
done"
He said that-he, was satisfied that he
Nx-nu hn
was heard. p"s~esa ~ 49, ..''-ls
Tne vital portion of the true bill returned
by the Franklin county grand jury is as
follows:
Wilson. Noel Gaines, E. T. Franks and
Thomas R. Tanner did unfawfully, cor
ruptly and wickedly conspire, combine,
confederate and agree together to attempt
TO bribe them, the said W. G. Gossam
Merge Clarke and Johns (members of the
legtsiature) and then offer them the sum Of
$4,000 each for the vile purpose of secur-
ing and influencing them to cast their votes
for said elec ton for the said w. Godfrey
Hunter. and by such unlawful means to
secure his election to the said Office
Formal Ballot Only..c.g
special to the Evening Post from
Frankfort says: The session of the gen
eral assembly this morning was -unevent-
full In the extreme, the bribery indictments
Overshadowing all else. Many Of the mem
bers were absent, and those who were not
had made pairs. According to previous
agreement formal ballot was taken and
one vote was cast for each of the candi-
dates, Hunter, Blackburn, Martin, Boyle
and Stone.
1t is not believed here that tie indict-
ments will force Hunter to withdraw On
the contrary 1t is believed that Ii will So
lidify his forces and that he will stand like
stone wall against all opposing forces
from now on, as the majority of the re-
publicans now here are inclined to the opin-
ion that 1t Is nothing more OF less than
political persecution.
The bolting republicans, however are
gleeful, and are urging call for another
caucus. Hunter men insist that If a new
caucus is called they will again win
WOODS HELD.