Arizona republican., 1899-08-25
GOEBEL'S CAMPAIGN
The Ghost of John Sanford Is PIsy-
ing an Important PART.

Lexington. Ky.-OVer the Kentucky
campaign hangs the shadow of a ting
edy. -Four years ago William Goebel.
the democratic nominee. shot and
killed John Sanford. a bank president,
in Covington. Today the homicide 5
Paying its part in the heated politics
OF the state.
I It is Characteristic of the fight en-
! GOebel that those who are his friends
/ Loudly defend his action, while his en-
is bitterly denCunce him as muir
derer Undoubtedly he has the record
on mis- side. for he was acquitted on the
ground of self defense Sanford, en-
ragged at an assault upon him in 4
newspaper which GoebeI ownad. asked
him if he assumed responsibility for
the authorship of. the article 4 do,
said G2eosi. Beth men were armed.
Each had his hand n his pocket when
they met and each fired. Sanford fell
dead with q bullet between his eyes
GO5Del was arrested, was releaSd on
bail when The c0roner's jury refused
10 consider the case as a murder, and
At night when Gre Of his friends called
upon him, he was lying upon a lounge
cOOlly reading a story in a magazine.
This tragic incident IN G0ebel's ca
Ieer is tyricaI Of the man. Before
giving any details CT his remarkable
career. however. there is another chap
ter OF the killing which is worth tell
ing Sanford AMI Senator Blackburn
were bosom friends. Standing before
an assambIage Of mourners a., San
fcrd's bisr on Easter Sunday, 1895,
Senator Blackburn said:
John Sanford was to me like =
Brother I loved him. l hope God
may spare me, and l shall make it my
iila's mission to avenge him by bury
ing his slayer in the depths of merited
public execration.'
Last Monday, addressing an audi
ecce Of democrats at Wickliff. Senator
Blackburn said:
"GcebaI stands before the democracy
of the stG,te a worthy leader Of thu
cause"
All over the state these two utter
ances are being printed side by side,
while the spectacle Of Blackburn as
the travelling companion of the slayer
Of lis friend is only one Of the many
unique features of the campaign.
Fc.s3I alterations IN Kentucky are
not 50 unusual as to be long rameIl-
bered, and even the killing OF Sanford
would pass into oblivion were 1t not
IlJr two reasons. The first is that San
ford's wife, who is said TO have left
her husbands grave leaning on Black
burns arm, is at present an inmate of
a madhouse N this city. Since she
has been brought in.o court TO be ad-
judged insane, and as her last appear
ance was only recently, the friends of
Gcebel do not hesitate to charge that
her sad condition is being publicly ex
hibitsd for political effect They do
but one can hardly cred. such ghoul-
sshness Of purpose. There is no doubt,
however, that oft-repeated references
TO Mrs. Sanford pitiable plight do not
appear in print without a purpose.
To excite sympathy for a woman
crazed by her husbands sudden death
is one way of bringing the Sanford
case into the campaign; to play upon
the sentim entaIity of the ex-confeder-
ates is another Sanford was a great
friend Of the 6X-cOnfederate soldier. He
was r-ch and generous, and to his old
comrades his purse and heart we:e
ever open. His memory is just now
being lauded with more than usual
vigor by those democrats who are Op-
posed % GOebeI. I talked today with |
Major W. II. Thomas, who lived for
fifteen years in Washington. who is an
eI-c0nfederate veret3n, and whose de- |
nUnciation CT Goebel as the murderer |
of the best friend the ex-confederates |
ever had'' was extremely bitter Major !
Thomas said that to his mind there |
was Cne paramount reason why GOe- |
bel should ncE be elected: The next |
confederate reunion ne said, is to |
be held in Louisville 1t will be the
duty of the governor TO welcome the |
veterans 10 the state and to grasp Their |
hands. Who of Us wants to take rhe /
hand Of Sa1ford's slayer?''
With the unquiet ghost OF Sanford /
thus stalking through the state. con-
jUTed up to arouse prejudice and pas
sion, Goebel, nevertheless, pursues his
own undisturbed way. This, too, IS
characteristic. He was cool and
prompt when he shot Sanford. His
nerve never deserts him A man