The Irish standard., 1900-08-25
POWERS FOUND GUILTY.
Jury In the Famous Case at George
town, KY, Returns Verdict Of
Life imprisonment.

Georgetown, KY, Aug. 2o.-"We, the
jury, find the defendant guilty and
fix his punishment at confinement in
the penitentiary for the rest of his
natural life" This was the wording
of the verdict in the case of ex-Secre-
tary of State Caleb Powers, charged
with being an accessory before the
i fact to the murder of William Goebel.
The jury retired at 1882 p. m. Satur-
day and returned its verdict at 2:25
O'Clock, having been out only SO min
utes. Juror Craig stated afterward
that the verdict could have been re-
turned even sooner, but considerable
time was taken up in reading the in
structions. The vote in favor of q life
sentence was unanimous.
The assassination of William Goebel was
the climax of the contest growing out of the
state election in kentucky last fall. The
crime was committe while the contest COM
mittee OF the legislature was considering
the evidence presented by Goebel who
claimed the office of governor, then held by
Taylor, republican. According'to the evil
dence the murder was the result OF a plot
among the friends of the incumbent.
Senator Gocbel WAS walking through the
Ndpitdt oiilltlS W tIlt StitGupuSc On Junu-
AIRY 80 when Il rifle bullet fired from a win
dow of the building penetrated his side.
When the serious nature of the wound was
discovered the contest committee resolved
| to take no more evidence. but render a de-
| cision at once. The ruling was in favor of
Gocbcl. every democrat voting for him. the
two republican members standing by Tuy-
lor On his dcathbeu Goehcl was sworn in
| as governor and j. c. w. Beckhum as lieu
tenant governor.
With the denth of Gov. Goebcl the at
tempt to hunt Gown his assassin became the
one object OF his friends and followers. Ii
WAS claimed the po, to put him out of the
Way had been arranged by or with the ap-
proval OF several of the state officials whose
positions We're threatened hy the contests.
~ large reward was offered for the arrest of
the slayer, and every effort possible was
made to unravel the details OF the alleged
| conspiracy. Men said to have uttered
threats against the democratic contestant
were arrested. n peculiar feature Of the
case being the fact that several had on
| their persons official pardons signed by
Gov. Taylor. prepared seemingly for just
such Il contingency. Evidence involving
several of those in the Statuhouse at the
| time of the assassination accumulated until
finally three of the accused men, Wharton
Golden. w. II. Culton and II. L. Youtsey.
| made confessions which connected officials
with the crime.
NttoINlIlSs 10 lnt statement III tneSr VIII
ncsscs the conspirators' original plan was
TO fill the town with armed mnuntainccrs,
friends of TaNor. start Il riot in the state
assembly, and during the excitement to kill
Gocbcl and other leading democrats. When
that failcd Of execution, the witnesses said
man WAS hired to shoot Gocbel from Il
room in the StatchOuSr
Powers. with siN others who were in
volvcd by the testimony. was indicted by
the grand jury and placed in Jail at Frank
fort. bill holding Gov. Taylor impli-
Gated rs an accessory after the fact also
was returned, but in the meantime the re-
publican executive, ousted from Office by
the state court OF appeals and the United
States supreme court, had left tho state,
and eXtradition was refused by Gov. Mount,
OF Indiana.
The trials of the alleged consprators
were transferred from Frankfort to George
town. the prisoners claiming they could
not get Il fair hearing in the state capital
IL WAS decided to try each case separately,
some "i the accused men hoping to prove
! Innocence If given Il chance for Il defense
without the others.