The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-08-24
CALEB POWERS CONVICT ED
THE JURY PLACE HIS PUNISHMENT AT
LIFE IMPRISONMENT
The Jury Only Out Fffty-Five Minutes
what Evidence Chiefly Influenced
Them-uow the Took the
Verdict, which Was a Great sur
prise 10 Him.

prise u GlIh-
Georgetown. KY, August 1--we
the jury. find the defendant guilty n
fix his punishment at confinement In
the penitentiary for the rest Of his nat
ural life"
This was the wording OF the verdict
rendered today in the case OF ex-Secre-
tary OF State Caleb Powers, charged
with being an accessory before the fact
TO the murder OF William Goebel.
The jury retired at l.32 o'clock p. m
and returned its verdict at 2-25 O'Clock.
having been out only hfty-three min
utes. The vote in favor OF a life SEN
tence was unanimous.
When the jury retired the belief was
general that its members o fail TO
agree, and in this opinion the defend
ant himself was firmly convinced.
When the verdict of guilty was re-
turned, Powers. for the first time dur
ing the weary six weeks of the trial.
betrayed his feelings. Under all OF the
trying incidents OF the trial he had
maintained a changeless expression.
The verdict Of guilty, however, appar-
emily staggered him. He was sitting
near the door of the jury room and
when the jurors knocked on the door
summoning the sheriff. his face took on
an anxious look. When the twelve
men filled into the room and took their
seats, and as Clerk Penn called the
roll of jurors the prisoner did not APP
pear to be more excited than the rest
Of the spectators.
Have you mad a verdict?" inquired
the court.
W have" the jurors assented. and
al the same time Mr.. Stone, the fore
man, passed the verdict up TO the
clerk, who read it aloud.
Powers, always pale, grew CHASTITY
white as the verdict was read, and his
face ~betokened great mental anguish.
Then somewhat r~egaining his compos
ure, he turned to the Misses Danger
field who had been in conversation with
him, and said: Il was not expecting
that. The verdict is unjust"
There was no sort of demonstration
following the verdict and the vast
crowd filed out Of the court house al
most in silence.
Powers remained in the court room
for some time after the verdict was
rendered, in conference with his attor-
neys, who will at once move for a new
trial and, failing in that, Will take an
appeal.
When the jurymen entered the jury
room, Juror Stone, the oldest man on
NAO PAAiSAs a "
Juror Porter, the only republican on
the jury, the first to speak, said:
Gentlemen, l am a republican and
have said that / did not believe Goe-
bells murder was the result of a con-
spiracy. / did not think Caleb Powers
could be guilty, but L have heard the
evidence and l am convinced he is"
Others also made talks and it is said
one of the men of the jury intimated
that he thought the death penalty
ought TO be inflicted. However, when
a ballot was taken all twelve of the jul
rors voted for life imprisonment.
The jury which sat in the case was
composed of eight democrats, three an
ti-Goebel democrats and one republi-
can.
One of the jurors said tonight that
the jurymen were influenced in making
up their verdict by many things in the
/, evidence, but that some of the chief
points were Powers own admission on
the stand that he organized the crowd
of 1,20O armed mountaineers which
came to Frankfort January 25th, his
corroboration of parts of the testimony
OF Noaies, Colder and Culton. the proof
that Ae gave Youtsey the key and tina,
the shot was fired from his office.
II is doubted whether the Youtsey
case will be tried, although il will be
called on Monday.
Ir. Crawford, of the defense, made a
III 1ouIl Ills AFTERNOON 1naf
Youtsey, according to his physician. is
stll threatened with typhoid fever
One of his attorneys, John NJ. Steven
son, IS also i'll of typhoid fever. and
Mr.. Crawford could not say whether OF
not the defense would be ready on Mon
day. In the event the Youtsey case Is
continued n of the other cases. either
that of Davis, Whitaker or Combs will
be taken up.
After the jury retired the case o.
Henry Youtsey, also charged with com
, plicity in the Goebel assassination
was called. The defense was repre-.
scented by L. J.. Crawford and r. n
Nelson of Newport and Judge Askev
: of Georgetown. A long list of wit.
aesses were called, but few answered
to their names.
Barbourviiie, Ky, August 1s.-Tht
announcement by the Associated Pres:
: of the conviction of Caleb Powers wa.
received by his town as a distinc-
shock. The verdict oming so duickI,
was a surprise to all, as a disagree.
ment had been expected. The feelinf
seems to be very deep, but the people
hesitate to discuss the matter saw.
with close friends. The chief topic O
conversation now is a new trial.
Lexington, KY, August 18.-Senatol
blackburn stopped here on his way
home between trains, when he hear
OF the Powers verdict. On being tolt
of the sentence he exclaimed: Thanh
God for that i had expected a huns
jury. I believed three men on tina
jury at least would hang it."
People here discuss the verdict will
{ intense but suppressed feeling.