Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-07-27
YOUTSEY RIM TO BASEMENT.
A WITNESS WHO SAW HIM TAKE A
HURRIED DEPARTURE AFTER
THE SHOOTING.
He Was in the Office of the Secretary
of State When the Shooting Was
Done-Another Witness Heard
Youtsey Say He Had Made Up His
Mind to Kill Goebel-An Important
Letter Written by Noaks.

ed with completely in the shooting of
Governor Goebel, several interesting
features were developed.
Constable Davis Harrod, of Frank
fort, who entered the executive build
ing a minute or two after the shooting
of Governor Goebel, testified that he
saw a man whose description he de-
clared tailed with that of Henry Yout-
sey, close the door of the office of the
Secretary of State behind him and run
down the basement steps.
w. H. Wagner, of Williamsburg, the
home of Charles Finley, who said he
arrived in Frankfort with the noun
tain men January 20, and spent much
of his time up to the day of the as
sassination in Powers Office, said that
on Friday preceding the assassination,
several parties were in Powers office
discussing ways and means of defeat
ing Goebel before the legislature and
one man in the party said
Somebody ought to kill the d
rascal
Another replied: Il have made mp
my mind to do that myself
The witness said he did not know
either OF the men talking at that time,
but he had seen Youtsey recently and
was almost positive he was the man
who made the last remark. Witness
overheard Powers talking complain
ingly on the day Representative Berry
was unseated and according to this
statement, Powers SAID: I'VE might
be able to do something if the head of
the ticket would act. If he does not
intend to expose the whole d bust
ness"
Robert Noaks was put on the stand
this afternoon and questioned at length
for the purpose of laying foundation
to contradict his testimony.
A letter written by Noakes to his
cousin, Miss -4Ae Blankenship, at
Charlottesville, Ind, since his arrest,
promises to play an important part in
the mater so far as Noakes' testimony
is concerned, in the event the defense
can produce the letter. What is alleg-
ed to be the substance of it was pre-
scented to the court this afternoon
clipped from newspaper. The matter
was not given to the jury, Judge Can
trill ruling that the witness could not
be questioned concerning the letter or
it's contents without first showing that
the letter had either been lost or de-
stroyed. The defense will endeavor to
get the letter.
Walter Bronston. Lexington attor-
ney who assisted in the arrest of Caleb
Powers and John Davis at Lexington,
said Powers and Davis were disguised
as soldiers and were both armed, the
witness said. Witness identified them to
the police officers. After a forcible ar
rest, Powers was taken to Jail, where
the pardon granted him by Gov. Taylor
and $1,000 in money were found in his
pockets. Deputy Sheriff Rodgers, of
Lexington, corroborated this testimony.
The pardon granted Powers by Gov
ernor Taylor was then exhibited to the
jury.
Walter Bronston, recalled, told of
conversation with Powers after the
arrest, in which Powers, referring to
the pardon, said:
Il know this looks a little bad, bit
we are making our way to a place
where the pardon would have Decn
recognized"
Harry Tandy, assistant Secretary of
State, produced the executive journal.
kept by Governor Taylor. The journal
did not show an order calling out
troops atter the assassination. The
pardons issued to Powers, Finley, Gull
ton and Davis were recorded. The
prosecution wanted to show pardons is
sued by Governor Taylor to mountain
men who had been fined in the Frank
lin police courts for carrying pistols,
but the court excluded them.
Graham Vreeland, a Louisville news
paper man, testified that he saw the
crowd of mountaineers January %.
There probably were 1900 of them.
He was in the Office of the commits
sioner of agriculture that afternoon
and saw Charles Finley giving the
men their guns. A man whose name
he afterwards learned was Matthews,
called out with an oath to the crowd
in the room and said:
Boys, we ought to go up to the
hotel and get Goebel."
Witness heard so many threats that
he left the room as soon as he could
get out. He also detailed various in
stances OF disorder during the day.
Robert Noaks, recalled, was asked by
Judge Tinsley ~ he did not tell party
at Cumberland Gap that he was going
to get a part of that 100000 reward,
although he did not know anything
about the Goebel conspiracy.
Witness denied it. He was then
asked regarding letter written by
him to Miss Fife Blankenship, of CRAY
louisville, Ind, an alleged quotation
of which was presented in a newspaper
clipping. The prosecution objected to
the newspaper as evidence and there
was long debate between the lawyers.
The court ruled that the letter must be
produced or the evidence excluded.
Letters and kilograms from Powers to
Noaks were excluded. The court admit
ted one letter dated March 80 which said:
Dear Robert: They held me without
bail, although they had no evidence
against me. l am in the hands of the
gang and evidence does not count in these
courts except confession evidence l am
going to do all / can TO get a change of
venue Yes, will need you as a witness
on my final trial.
Chief of Police Williams, of Frankfort.
testified to the mountaineer convention
in front of the State house January %.
He said the mountaineers were disorderly
and terrorized the people