New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-03-24
GOEBEL MURDER INQUIRY.
ARMED MEN IN COURTHOUSE AT FRANK
FORT. BUT NO CONFLICT-EvIDENCE
OF VARIOUS WITNESSES.

FORT, BUT NO CONFLICT-EVIDENCE
OF VARIOUS WITNESSES.
Frankfort. KY March 2s.-The preliminary ex-
animation of the Secretary OF State, Caleb Powers
charged with abetting the assassination of William
Goebel began to-day before Judge Moore. The
courthouse guarded inside and out by militia
and scores of deputy sheriffs. armed with Win
chester rifles. prevent possible interference from
mountaineers who were reported on their way to
Frankfort but their presence was unnecessary. as
the mountaineers failed appear, and disorder
occurred
The witnesses to-day included Warden Lillard.
D. E. Armstrong. detective; Sheriff Bosworth. of
Fayette County, who arrested Secretary Powers
and Captain John DAVIS. and Silas Jones, who is
now under bonds charged with completely in the
murder. The testimony tended TO show that the
shots from that part of the Executive Build
ing in which Secretary Powerss office is situated,
although swore that the shots were from
the Secretary's office. The strongest evidence,
perhaps, given bv Snas Jones, who in
Governor Taylor's anteroOm when the shooting ttok
place. No evidence adduced tending TO show
that the defendant was implicated in any consplr-
acy but IN OF the frequent wordy disputes
between the attorneys for the defence and the
Commonwealth, the fact brought out that F.
Wharton Golden. who is said to have made con-
fess!on will be put the witness stand before the
hearing ends
Eph Lillard, Warden of the Frankfort peniten-
tiary, the first witness sworn. He testified
that he was with Senator GOebel when the lat
shot. He walked ahead of Senator Goebel
and just entering the State House when the
shot fired. He turned back from the State
House steps and saw what had happened He
looked toward the executive building, and saw that
the second window Of the corner room was slightly
raised This the office of the Secretary OF
State. He thought the shot had been fired from
this room There were several other shots, but he
said they did not come from the same place Inc
first shot was evidently from a rife. while the
others seemed 10 be from pistols. On cross-exarl-
inatlon Colonel Lnlard said he nobody in
the room from which the shots seemed TO nave
been fired. and he did not any one in the main
door or on the steps of the building at the time
of the shooting
Wingate Thompson. policeman. testified that as
the crowd was carrying Senator Goebel out OF the
yard he saw armed men at the entrance TO the
executive building. and recognized John Davis
and Berry Howard among them A detective
named Armstrong. of Louisville. said that Secre-
tary Powers refused TO tell him who was IN the
Office of the Secretary of State at the time Oh
the shooting, and declined 10 say VINO was IN
charge but said that he (Powers) was out OF the
city that day.
When the court reconvened for the afternoon
session Attorney Sims demanded that the COM
rnonwealth furnish the defence the names OF wit
vet 10 be heard, whether they nave nave pSeH tt
subpoanaed or not Judge Moore finally ruled thaI
the Commonwealth must produce the lIst - aIae anu
County Attorney POlsgroVe then gave the names
q BoTe45 Ge4Tes SID rSer f Wharton Golden and
Dr. W R johnson as pronaq5e 25 %re7ie testified
IN a conversation with Powers at Barbourville,
previous TO the shooting in which Powers asked
him 10 turn over his ammunition and company 70
Lieutenant Gibson. Previously Havn had toIu
Powers he was not in political sympathy with him.
Secretary Powers said. They are robong US az
Frankfort continued Captain Hawn, put ne
did say why he wanted the military company
at Frankfort ~. -.
he was IN the leading 10 Governor IaYioI ;
office when the shots were fired. There were many
in there whom ne did not know. IL was MS I'M
preston that the shots fired from the Execu.
tive Building and he thought from the corner OF
the building in which Secretary Powers's ONCE is
located When the shots were fired he walked INTO
The aureroon. where he Captain Davis ana
Governor Taylor. among others. There was con-
siderable excitement Governor Taylor came 10
the door and wanted to know who was shot
Did you see any one try 10 open caleb FoWerss
door," asked Attorney POlsgrOve.
Yes l q with sandy WhlSkerS trying
10 open the door. He struck II with hatcnet
replied Mr. Jones. Jones said there was mucn noise
bur ne could not say that he heard any from
Secretary POwerss office.
on cross-examination Jones said he saw Powers
leave his office the morning for Louisville. ms
was previous 10 the shooting. The witness SAID
the shots sounded if fired from the same gun.
but he could say positively whether they were
building.
State Senator Fraser testified that he Jllc
steps of the State House when the shots We're fired
These steps face the Executive Building. The shots
though he looked around, he one and could
state what part Of the Executive Building the
shots came from.
Sheriff Henry y. Bosworth of Fayette County
papers found the prisoners including the parions
issued by Governor Taylor, were placed on record
The trial adjourned until 10 o'clock to-InOr-
morning.