Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-07-28
THE KENTUCKY TRAGEDY
WITNESSES DESCRIBE WHAT pow
ERs AND Ex-GOv. TAYLOR SAID.
Various Plans Discussed for Carrying
on the Political Contest-Armed
Aid Secured.

| the legislature from Knox county. testified
yesterday in the trial at Georgetown. KY,
of Caleb Powers, charged with completely
in the murder Of the late William Goebel.
that he was talking with Governor Taylor
in January upon the subject of contest.
Hampton said Taylor told him that human
life would have to be sacrificed. The wit
ness continued:
II replied Well. if the governor says
but he broke in and said to me, oh, can't
advise you.
II had called on the governor to urge
| him to call out the militia. He told me
something would have to be done before he
| could do this. 1t was in this connection
that he spoke of sacrificing human life"
| On the day after the contest board was
drawn Hampton said he heard that Taylor
| was curs!nG the republican members. He
went to the executive office and Taylor said
| to him with an oath: You fellows sat over
there and allowed me to be robbed
Hampton also said he was in frequent
| conference with Caleb Powers, and asked
hold on to his office even II Taylor should
| be unseated. Powers replied that he did
| not want the office II Taylor lost the gov
| ernorship as Goebel would have him assas-
sinated Powers also told Hampton he in
| tended to fight till death rather than give
up. The defense did not cross-examine
Hampton.
Procured the Mountaineers.
Sergeant F. Wharton Golden was then
called. He started out by telling that he
was a guard at the Frankfort penitentiary
under the republican administration from
1895 until 1898 and was an applicant for as
sistant adjutant general under General Tay-
lor. Caleb Powers came to him in January
and asked him to go to the mountains and
get crowd of mountain feudists to bring
to Frankfort. Powers accompanied Golden
part of the way the trip and Golden
went through Harlan, Bell and other coun-
ties. getting up the crowd. Receipts from
Hamp Howard. DR.. Bingham and other
mountain men for money paid to them by
Golden were produced and exhibited to the
jury. Golden got the money from Powers.
AT Barboursville Golden saw Powers and
Charles Finley. Finley said: I'VE will go
down there and petition the legislature and
II they don't drop that thing, We will kill
them.
Powers. who was present spoke APPROX
ingly. Powers and Golden went to Scott
Green of Knox county. to ask him to bring
some men for the Frankfort trip Green
could not go, and said:
IF were to go 1 would kill Goebel and
end this business"
Gave Youtsey the Keys.
On the day before the shooting Golden
saw John Powers give Youtsey the keys to
the secretary of states office ana later Pow
ers told them they had procured two
groes. Mason Hockersmith and ''Tallow
Dick Combs to kill Goebel Golden told
Powers this must not be DONE as it would
ruin the party After this Youtsey came to
Powers again and said something about the
KEY. Powers gave him another key.
On the morning of the assassination Col
den Caleb and John Powers and Walter
Dag went to Louisville Before leaving wit
ness was in the secretary of states office.
Gov. Taylor was there, as We're several
men from the mountains. E. ]. Howard of
Harlan
out the troops. but the governor replied:
You all must act first On the way to
Louisville they heard of the assassination.
Caleb Powers said. sarcastically, That is
d shame" John Powers also laughed over
it. Day said nothing. Caleb Powers told
Golden that they had all made mistake
cous." On the way back to Frankfort
Caleb Powers said he was liable to be ar
rested. and asked permission to put his pls-
tol in Goldens valise.
Discussing Ways and Means.
Golden said that early In January he and
Caleb Powers took a walk together and
Powers said he thought they should get
several hundred mountain men to stay In
Frankfort all the time. Golden suggested
that they bring farmer from the noun
tains and let him kill Goebel by raising a
fight with him on the street. Powers said
that wouldn't do. as the police would kill
too many of our men that way In Feb
ruary Golden was in Powers office when a
civil engineer was making some measure
ments Powers said: They say the shot
came from this room, and they are going to
prove it. 1 believe 1t would be better for us
to go TO Franklin and Polsgrove and tell
them all about it,
Golden walked home with Gov Taylor
one evening. and the latter asked him II
the other mountain men would back up a
republican member of the legislature in
case fight should be precipitated. and
further along in the conversation he said:
Golden. it looks like horrible thing to
kill a man, but that looks like the only way
to handle Goebel and his gang
The cross-exam animation was begun. but
had not progressed far when court add
iOul med,