The Topeka state journal., 1900-03-23
Republican Secretary of State
of Kentucky
Is Placed on Trial For Compile
ity in the Killing.
HIS WINDOW WAS OPEN
The First Shot Was Fired From
a Rifle.
Then Other Shots Fired From
ReVOlYerS.
HIS WINDOW WAS OPEN

Frankfort, KY, March 23.-A squad
of seventy-five ex-police officers and
deputy sheriffs guarded the outer en-
trance to the court house today, while
a file Of soldiers stood at the doors and
passed on the credentials of persons
entering the room. The cause of this
display of force was the opening of the
preliminary hearing of the GOebel sus-
poets. The general public was excluded
by an order of Judge Moore, only at
torneys, relatives of the accused, wit
nesses and officers of the court being
admitted. Those admitted, however,
soon filled the court room, which is on
the second floor of the building.
The Lexington and Winchester militia
companies, armed with Winchesters,
were scattered through various rooms.
Only the usual crowd was on the streets
and there was no excitement
Colonel Campbell a nephew Of Goe-
bel, appeared at the court house at $3.50.
A few minutes later Ex-Governor John
Young Brown, W. R. Ramsey, R. c.
Kinkead and J. c. Sims, attorneys for
the defense, arrived.
Judge Moore convened court at 10
o clock The prisoners, Republican Sec
'retary of State Caleb Powers, W. H.
GultOn and John Davis. were brought
into the court room and took seats by
their counsel. The commonwealth wit
nesses were called, numbering forty
The name Of Sergeant Golden was not
in the list.
At the conclusion of the call of COM
monwealth witnesses, County Attorney
PolsgrOve announced that he was ready
for the trial to proceed.
Ex-Governor Brown read the warrant
against Powers, which charged him
with being an accessory to the murder
of William Goebel Governor Brown
asked for the dismissal of the defendant
on the ground that the warrant was de-
1ective in not alleging that the crime
was committed in Franklin county,
and did not even show the offense to
nave been committed in Kentucky
County Attorney PolsgrOve said the
warrant followed the lines laid down in
the criminal case. Judge Moore over
ruled the objection to the form of the
warrant
The defense announced its readiness
TO proceed and called August Muninger,
a COVlngtOn undertaken. as the first
witness. He did not answer, and an at
tachment for him was issued by the
court. The witnesses present were or
uered TO retire and were admOnished
not to talk TO anybody.
Judge George Denny and W. G. Dun
zap, OF Lexington, who had been added
10 the list of attorneys for the defense.
Aook seats with their associate counsel
Eph L1llard, warden of the Frankfort
sworn. He testified that he was with
Senator Goebel when the latter was
SnoI he walked ahead of Senator
GOebel and was Just entering the state
house steps and saw what had hap
pened- be looked toward the executive
Duilclng anu saw that 1Iis saccz-es IN
dow OF the corner room was slightly
, raised. This was the office of the secre-
tary 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. The
first shot was evidently from a rifle
while the others seemed to be from
pistols.
Cross examined by x-Governor
Brown, Col. Lillard said he saw nobody
in the room from which the shots seem
ed to have been fired, and he did not
see any ons in the main door or on the
steps of the building at that time Of the
shooting
There was a long wrangle between
abe attorneys over the question whether