The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-05-08
THE GOEBEL MURDER.
Some important Evidence Brought Out
in the Investigation.

Frankfort, KY, May 4.-The most
important testimony yet in connection
with the Goebel assassination was
brought out today in the hearing for
bail in the Culton case. Assistant
Secretary of State j. B. Matthews,
and Mckenzie Todd, private secretary
to Governor Taylor, were star wit
nesses. Matthews stated that Par
dons were issued to Charles Finley,
John l.. Powers, Harland Whitaker
and, possibly, w. H. Culton.
Assistant Secretary of State ]. B..
Matthews testified as follows:
Il was in the governors reception
room when the assassination occurred
John Davis a just handed me my
mail. The first shot sounded to me as
if it came from between the two build
ings. 1 got a pistol and started out.
AS 1 opened the door 1 met Henry
Youtsey, who was coming in. He had
a revolver in his hand. He asked me
where the shooting was. Governor
Taylor asked Mr.. Hargrove to go out
and see what had happened.
"Hargrove went out just ahead of
me. i remained out of the office but
a few minutes, and when 1 returned
We tried to get int the secretary of
states office to get some guns there,
but the doors were locked and / had
to crawl over the transom to get in.
The windows n curtains were down.
a rifle was lying by one of the win
dows with the butt toward the east.
There vas also a rifle in each corner
of the left side of the room. Two
were of 3S-calibre. 1 examined them
to see if they had recently been fired.
/ am positive that two of them were
loaded, but am not sure as to the other
one. 1t soiled my hands, but 1 do not
know that this vas aused by powder.
/ don't know where this rifle is now
The extreme west window was raised
about four inches when / inspected
the room"
EX-State auditor l.. C. Norman teS-
titled that prior to the assassination
he overheard Judge George Denny, OF
Lexington say: Somebody ought to
kill Goebel and Governor Taylor ought
to pardon the man that did it." The
witnesses communicated the remark
to Goebel.
Mckenzie Todd, private secretary to
Governor Taylor testified that he saw
two guns in the office of the secretary
of state on Saturday prior to the as
sasSination. Youtsey was in the room
and the later picked up one of the
guns and took a pistol near the win.
dow. He asked Youtsey what he wa:
SUNS W w. iOoNoOy odid hC liiOdSi
there was trouble in the Legislature
building and if it started hi
wanted to be prepared"
Ed. Steffe, who was standing on tn,
portico in front of the state house, saw
Goebel fall. Looking up he though
he saw the barrel of a rifle pointing
out of the window of the office of tn,
secretary Of state. The rifle, according
to the witness, was drawn in and tn,
window closed.
On cross examination Steffe said tina
after the shot was fired he thought h,
saw a little smoke rise above the win
dow.
Wade Watts, a bootblack in tn
basement of the executive building
said he heard somebody run DOWN tn
steps into the basement after the as
sassination and then saw Youtse,
running through the basement. H
overheard some men whom he did nc
know, talking about killing the dem
ocrats in the legislature. Witness sal
the shots seemed to come from tn
west end of the building. He said
81 went with Davis to his house an
he got a gun We came back imme
diately. The door to the office of tn
secretary of state was opened Will
we were gone"