Hopkinsville Kentuckian., 1900-04-03
Committee Collecting a Defense
Fund for Assassins.
Senator Grenshaw Invited to Give
Money to Defeat the Ends
Of Justice.

Dee, few days ago received the
following circnlar letter from the
committee attempting to raise funds
to defend Gov. Goebel's assassins:
Louisville, Ky, March 20, 1900.
My Dear Sir-We desire to have
your assistance in the work fully
set forth in the accompanying doc
ument. If you realize, as we do,
the disgrace which would follow the
conviction of an innocent man, or
the conviction of any man without
a fair trial, we would be pleased to
have from you ds liberal a contri-
button to this fund as you feel able
to make. 1t is of first Importance
that what is done be done quickly,
Contributions should be sent TO
Capt. John H. Leathers, or they
may be sent to any member of the
committee. Urge others to send
contributions also. We do not pro-
pose to publish the names or con-
to this fund.
JOHN H. WARD, Oh m.
ANDREW CowAN,
NORRIS B. BELKNAP,
DONALD MCDONALD,
RICHARD w. KNOTT.
Committee.
Accompanying this circular was
another setting forth reasons at
length for asking for donations,
treason 7th" being that there was
danger of the conviction of innocent
men who were too poor to escape
with a 100000 reward fund to
prosecute them. 1t was said fur
ther that the money was to hire at
torneys to defend the "innocents -
about to be convicted.
Senator Crenshaw sent the follow
ing letter in reply, which it is safe
to say Dickey Knott will not pub
lIsh in his Pest. Just why Senator
Crenshaw was sent one of these cir
culars, which are in general circu-
lation, it is hard to understand.
Here is his reply:
Senator Crenshaw's Reply.
JOHN H. LEATHERs, ESQ.
Louisville, Ky.
DEAR SIR
The circular letter from your COM
mittee asking a contribution to the
"Defense Fund" to hand and noted.
Being somewhat familiar with some
Of the circumstance that brought
about the assassination of Governor
Goebel do not apprehend that
there is the least probabil-
ity Of convicting an innocent per-
son. Certainly there are enough
guilty ones to satisfy his most ar
dent friends and supporters if they
can be caught and punished. And
certainly a sufficient amount of ev-
idence can be procured with little
trouble to connect them with the
crime, My only fear is that the
guilty will go unpunished / feel
that the efforts of every honest law
abiding man in the State should be
ent IN endeavoring to ferret out
and convict the guilty instead of
able counsel to defend
hem and let them go unwhipped of
Justice. While 100000 would
hardly be sufficient to cause the
of an innocent person
when the guilty ones can be so cas-
ly found, yet a large sum coutri-
outed for the defense might by inn
proper use enable the guilty % es-
ape a just punishment. The laws
If the State are sufficient to protect
he innocent, but too frequently
hey are not applied to the crimi-
lal and he is turned loose upon so
.iety to continue his nefarious work.
In this case the motto Of every
rue Kentuckian should be LET no
ruilty man escape. p" # we can
punish every one that had hand
n the assassination Of Governor
Soebel it would go long way in !
our State of the disgrace
Observation-Disclosures we have abroad |
+ holding human life too cheap. |
When We properly apply the law to