Bradford County telegraph. (Starke, Fla.) 1888-current, 1900-03-30
ARRAIGNED In COURT
Alleged Assassins of William
Goebel Placed On Trial.
GREAT LEGAL BATTLE STARTS OFF
Secretary OF State, Caleb Powers, the First
Put Up-varIOus Witnesses
Testify In Case.

The preliminary examination Of Sec
rotary Of State Caleb Powers, charged
with abetting the assassination Of Will
liam Goebel, began at Frankfort Fri
day before Judge Moore. The court
house was guarded inside and out by
militia and scores of deputy sheriffs,
armed with winchesters, to prevent
possible interference from mountain
GERS, who were reported on their way
to Frankfort, but their presence was
unnecessary, as the mountsineers fail
ed to appear and no disorder occurred.
The commemorative witnesses were
called, numbering forty. F. W. Col
den was not in the list. The witnesses
at Fridays hearing included Warden
Eph Lillard, Detective Armstrong,
Sheriff BOsworth, of Fayette county,
who arrested Secretary Powers, and
Captain John Davis and Silas Jones,
of Whitelev county, who is now under
bonds charged with completely in the
| murder.
The testimony tended to show that
the shots came from that section of the
executive building in which Secretary
Powers's Office is located, although no
one swOre that the shots were from
the secretary's Office.
F. Wharton Golden, who is said to
have made q confession, will be put on
the stand later. Prosecuting Attorney
Polsgrove said that sufficient evidence
had already been heard to warrant
holding Powers, but that the case
would be much stronger before he was
through. Governor Brown, for the
defense, said that the evidence was de.
cidedly weak.
During the afternoon a soldier in
the rear court yard dropped his re-
volver on the stone tagging and it was
accidentally discharged.
In an instant every man in the
crowded courtroom was on his feet,
fully third of them with their hands
TO their hip pockets.
Eph Lillard, warden of the Frank
fort penitentiary, testified that no
walked just little ahead of Senator
Goebel, and when the first shot was
fired he saw that the second window
in the Office OF the secretary Of state
was slightly raised. The other shots,
ne said, did not come from the same
place. The first shot was evidently
from a rifle, while the others seemed
to be from pistols.
Policeman Wingate Thompson testi-
fed that as the crowd was carving
Senator Goebel out of the yard, he
saw armed men at the entrance to the
executive building and recognized
John Davis end Berry Howard among
them.
Detective Armstrong of Louisville
said that Secretary Powers refused
any information whatever at the time
of the shooting as to who was in the
| building.
Captain John F. Hawn, of Barbours-
vile, testified that Powers had asked
him to turn over his ammunition and
company to Lieutenant Gibson pre-
vious to the shooting.
Governor Brown made the point
that q man cannot be convicted as IN
alder of crime un.ess some priucipal
Is convicted of the crime. As the act.
ual murderer of Goebel has not vel
becn named, the point possibly in
volved the liberty of Secretary Pow
ers. Judge Moore ruled against the
defense.
Silas Jones, of Whitley county, tes-
tilted he thought the shots were
fred from the corner of the building
In which Secretary Powers's office is
located. He immediately walked into
the ante-rOom, where he saw Captain
Davis and Governor Taylor among the
others. There was considerable e1
element, the governor came to the
door and wanted to know who wa.
| shot
did you see any one try to open
Caleb Powers door?" asked ATTORNEY
Polsgrove."
Eyes, saw a man with sandy whis
= kers trying to open the door. H,
, struck 1t with Ratchet" replied Mr.
Jones.
Jones said there was much noise
but ne conld not say be heard aDy
from Secretary Powers Office.