Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1900-02-08
SKETCH OF GOEBEL'S CAREER.
Was an Able Lawyer Fought Railroads
Had Shot One Man.

Had Shot One Man.
Mr.. Gocbcl was born in Pennsylvania,
but removed when "A child of four years
with his parents to Coving ton. Ky, whore
he had lived ever since He received hls
schooling in the public schools of Coving
ton and then read law with ex-Gov. John
i G.. Stevenson lie showed such marked
ability that Gov. Stevenson made him his
law partner and this partnership was con-
tinued until the death of the governor,
who made Mr.. Goebel executor of his laVge
estate without bond.
Ex-Secretary of the Treasury Carlisle
was so impressed with the ability of Mr..
Goehel that he formed a partnership with
him after the death of Gov Atkinson,
which lasted numbec of years. and was
only terminated when the gifted Ken
tuckian was made secretary OF the treas
ury Of the United States.
With two such associates as Stevenson
and Carlisle, 1T was no wonder the young
attorney rose rapidly in the law, ana it
was not long until he commanded a prac-
tice OF $685. 900 a year He made a pecialy
of cases against corporations including
railroads, and was successful in that
he soon found himself with more work
than he could well do.
He thought the bridge tolls across the
Ohio river were TOO high, and so he intro
duced bill through the kentucky legis-
lature reducing the tolls to one cent Tor
foot passenger. Col. John Sanford, m
cX-Confederate soldier was large stock
holder in one of the bridge COMPANIES,
and he denounced Goebel for fathering the
bill and wrote a severe article, which was
published in a CovIngton paper, abusing
Goebel for the part he took in reducing
tolls. GOehcl replied sharply in an un-
signed article
Goehel was soon informed that Col San
ford had threatened to kill him on sight.
He procured a pistol. and he and the
colonel mot a short time alterward on
the steps of the bank in which the colon
81 was cashier The colonel asked Mr.
Goehel il he was the author of the article
in which he was so numerically attacked.
Goebel replied Yes" The colonel made
a motion as If 10 draw a weapon but b.
fore he could get his hand on his pistol
othol had shot him dead. IL was acqut-
ted at the examining trial on the ground
that he acted in self defence The anger
of Sanford's. friends had been renewed
recently by the unhappy circumstance of
Col. Sanford's widow becoming insane and
! being inCarCerated in a private asylum
! One of the first bills Goebel made law
after he went to the State Senate was
that TO make gambling a felony. Several
efforts have been made to repeal the fell
ony clause but the senator always fought
against it and was successful. He was the
author of the free public library bill and
supported what is known as the McChord
railroad rate bill and the Chinn school
book bill to give school books at cost.
! Whom he opened his campeign for gov
ernor last year he said he was opposed
by all the corporations in the State. by
all the banks. and by nearly all the news
Papers He went into the convention with
only q small portion OF the delegates
pledged to him, but by his generalship he
won the nomination after a struggle last
ing eight days and seven nights.
His management of this convention
gives an insight into his cool and calcu-
htins character Knowing the necessity
of keeping posted as to the changes in
the nalotinS. he secured the services of a
boOkmakers sheetwriter of Chicago, and
this individual kept tally on the ballot
ing in a manner similar to the way he
keeps his bets in the bookmaker's nox AS
result, Mr. Goebel could tell AT glance
at any time just how he stood and Just
how his opponents stood.
He also had a set of signals and a line
of men scattered through the hail. so that
he could communicat e cretely with every
. one of his lieutenants at any moment.
lie was considered one of the most eX-
pert parllamentariars in the State, and
was a leading member of the convention
that revised the State constitution. He
was president pro tenn. of the Senate and
the leader of the democratic side of that
body, as well as being chairman of the jul
dietary committee.
Mr. Goebel was unmarried. Unlike the
average Kentuckian politician, he neither
used tobacco nor liquor. Out of his earn
ings as a lawyer he educated one brother
and assisted the other one to engage in
a lucrative business.