The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-08-05
COLLIER IN THE WITNESS BOX
HE DETAILS THE MOVEMENTS OF
THE STATE GUARD.
Place where GoebeI Fell Said to he
Far from Where the Prosecu-
ton Located II.


Miller, chief clerk of the defendant. while
he acted as secretary of state. We're the fea-
lures of the Powers conspiracy trial to-day.
Miller had been brought back from Indiana
by the aefense. and he proved good wit
ness for their side 1t was his opinion that
the shot which resulted in the death of
Senator Goebel was fired, as were those
which followed it. outside the executive
building He was the person closest to the
private Office OF Powers, and he said the
shot did not come from that room. He
located the spot where Goebel fell about
fifteen feet away from the spot fixed by the
prosecution, and said the militia did not
appear on the scene for thirty minutes. He
also said Powers not in his office dur
ing the afternoon of Jan. %. the day on
which the mountain petitioners arrived at
the state capital, and at which time Wit
ress Noaks, OF the prosecution, charged
him with making several statements of a
threatening nature, and Of comforting with
Youtsey. Culton and others of the alleged
conspirat0rs.
Ben Rowe. coiored porter of the executive
office. also brought back from Indiana by
the defense. corroborated the statements
OF Miller about the movements of persons
in the pubic office of the secretary OF state
the time of the shooting. Miller quoted
Governor Taylor as saying. as he ran from
his private office into the room on hearing
the shots, What is the natter" and, on
being told that man was shot. said: 1t
is horrible
In the cro examination of General Col
Her tIc pros .sution was allowed much lati-
ft1do ba court houax-ar first admOniShing
the jury that statements concerning Incl
cents which occurred after the shooting
should be considered only to show the in
terest OF the witness, who was placed on
the stand by the defense. The prosecution
brought out that Collier, by order of Gov
trnor Taylor. kept civil officers from enter
ing the Capitol grounds for several days
after the firing of the fatal shot. He also
testified that by Governor Taylor's orders
ne prevented the General Assembly from
meeting at any point in the city of Frank
fort for several days after the Taylor proc
lamation adjourning it to London.
COLLIER ON THE STAND.
Adjutant General Collier, whose direct
examination was concluded at the adjourn
ment of court yesterday afternoon, was
placed on the witness stand this morning
for cross-examination. Attorney John X.
Hendrick conducted it. Witness told of
keeping SOLDIERS at the state arsenal at
Frankfort prior to the shooting. but could
not remember whether he had brought any
arms into the State Capitol grounds. He
admitted having refused TO allow civil Of
ficers to 90 into the executive building to
execute the writ of habeas corpus, saying
a Governor TaVlOr
10 do so.
Over the-ob1ection of the defense Judge
Cantrill allowed the prosecution 10 show by
the witness that on two occa sions prior to
Jan. 30-that Is, on the day OF the Colson-
Scott duel and of the arrival of the LOO
armed mountain petitioners-the feeling at
Frankfort was intense, but that no soldiers
were then called TO preserve peace
Witness said that he never, before the
shooting of Goebel, heard any one say that
the best way TO settle the contest was TO
Hill him. Witness told of preventing by
military force the assembling of the Legis-
lautre in the city Of Frankfort on the day
following the shooting. After an objection
by the defense had been overruled witness
stated that he went TO the Capitol Hotel
and warned the proprietor that he would
close his hotel IL he permitted the Assem-
bly, 10 meet there.
Witness Collier left the stand after two
hours, and the Rev. c.. t. Cody, of George
town, was next called. He testified TO
meeting Wharton Golden about March q
at the home of Witness John Stamper, and
of Golden saying that he had made con-
fession only for his own protection. On
cross-examinatfon prosecution brought out
that the witness had displayed much in
terest in the case on the side of the de-
Tense, working i'm conjunction with the at
torneys.
Reuben N Miller of Breckenridge county,
bat later OF indianapolis. was next placed
on the stand. He was in the general re-
ception room of the office of the secretary
II he .~fxr afc fff..ae of fha
defendant when Goebel was shot. He
heard five shots. The first shot seemed TO
come from the outside of the executive
building. Governor Taylor came from his
private Office into the room and inquired
what was happening outside Noon recess.
MILLER'S TESTIMONY.
The examination of Reuben Miller was
resumed at 1 o'clock. Witness said that
the occupants Of the executive building
received warning few moments after the
shooting of Goebel that the persons gath
cred outside were threatening TO mob them
To protect themselves they broke open the
door of Powers's private office and secured
guns Kept there. He estimated the crowd
outside the buildings at three hundred. He
SAID the soldiers did not appear on the
scene for thirty minutes. Witness occupied
a room with Powers at boarding house
and stated that the defendant was not at
his Office I'm the executive building during
the afternoon OF Jan. % when Witness
NoakS claims 10 have seen him and talked
10 him In that office.
At another point I'm his testimony the en-
gineer's plat of the capitol grounds
brought into the room. and witness located
the spot where GOebel fell as fifteen feet
nearer the front entrance than the spot
marked by the prosecution witnesses. On
cross-examination. Miller said that in
conversation he had prior to the shooting
with Sheriff Burton, OF Breckenridge coun-
~. Burton said that he thought Taylor
and defendant Powers were towards; that
he displayed some cartridges to Powers and
suggested one OF them as the best way TO
settle the contest Powers would not listen
60 him Witness could not state positively
whether any one entered the private Office
of Powers on the morning OF the shooting.
He saw Henry. Youtsey In the general re-
ceptfon room OF the Office two minutes
after the shots sounded, but could not re-
member anything that foutsey said or did.
The prosecution at another point brought
cut that Miller went 10 Indiana March 6,
and the court ruled out as incompetent a
question as TO whether or not he had dis
cussed the assassination since that time
with either Taylor or Finley. Before the
objection was heard witness answered that
he had not.
DR. W r.. Foster, OF LONDON Laurel
county, was next called 10 the stand. Fos-
ter was one OF the men Witness Golden, of
the prosecution, told OF meeting in Win
chester several days. after he made his con-