The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1900-07-26
TIE GOEBEL MURDER TRIAL.
Startling Testimony From Re publican
Witness.

Georgetown. Ky, Special.-In the
trial of Caleb Powers, charged with
completely in the Goebel shooting.
| Jno. A. Black. Of Barbourville, bank
er and Republican of prominence,
was the first witness. He said Powers
cane to him in January to advise him
as to the pro.Niety Of the mountain
organization which he said Powers
was getting up. Il asked Powers"
sad the witness, what sort Of
ciJT.d he was getting up, and he said
he vas organized an armed mob 20
go i Frankfort. | discouraged this
anS told him it would injure the Re-
;Gbi.can party; would be stigma on
uu:' end of the State and ought to be
abandoned. Powers, however, insisted
| hat the mob should be formed. His
idea was that it would intimidate the
legislature"
Black, continuing, said: Il saw
! Powers later and again demonstrated
against the mountain mob going to
Frankfort. Powers told me it was
being formed with the approval OF
Governor Taylor, Charles Finley and
other Republican leaders at Frankfort.
Finley also came to me and endeaVor-
ed to get me to cooperate with them.
7 li arlv hnnQ
very angry with me on account Of The
position | took l tried to disuade
them from the dirty band and to send
people of influence, if any"
A check from Charles Finley, to the
Louisville and Nashville Railroad for
s., 900 for transportation of the men to
Frankfort was produced by Black in
response to a question from the prose-
cution.
w. H. Culton, who is under indict-
ment as an accessory to the killing Of
Governor Goebel, was called next
Cuiton said he attended conference
at Frankfort in January at which the
Powers brothers were present and the
/ matter of bringing mountain men to
Frankfort was being discussed. Hamp
Howard, Frank Cecil and other noun
tain men were asked by Powers how
many they could bring from Harlan,
Belle and other couLties. They prom
ised to bring from 80 to 200 from each
Of the counties. Powers said, accord
ing to the witness, that when the IN. Il
arrived at Frankfort they would give
the Democratic legislators 30 minutes
in which 70 settle the contests and ii
they did not settle it in that ,ime thsy
would kill every one OF them
Culton continued: THE mountain
men arrived in Frankfort January -.
They numbered from 1000 to 1900
men. These who carried guns hal
them stacked in the Office OF the Con-
missioner of Agriculture and each
man was given tag corresponding
with number on his gun. After hold
ing the meeting II the State house yard
the larger part of the crowd was sent
home"
SullUu Sdlu I1eEIy lOuCoSy tOiu 'ih
he had found a way Gcebel could be
killed and no one find out who did i.
Youtsey said it could be done from the
Secretary Of States Office, and showed
some steel bullets. The witness told
Youtsey such a thing should not be
done. Ex-Governor Bradley had told
witness of hearing that Goebel was to
be killed and said It must not be done.
Witness saw Youtsey again and the lat
ter said the idea had been abandoned.
Powers, the witness alleged, diStr:but-
ed money among the various captains
who were to bring the mountaineers
to Frankfort. He did not know whence
the money came.
He declared Governor Taylor furn-
ished him (Cultou) the money to bring
the Jackson county crowd. Witness
said Governor Taylor did not want the
mountain men to go home. He went to
Berry Howard and others, at Taylor's
instance, and tod them the Governor
wanted them to remain and not go
home as Powers wished.
On the day Of the VanMeter-Berry
contest in the legislature the witness
said Taylor sent orders by him to AS
sistant A6jutant General Dixon to have
the troops in the arsenal ready to be
called out at a moments notice. The
court adjourned with Culton on the
stand.