The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1900-05-04
SENSATIONAL
TESTIMONY.
w. H. Culton Tells of the
Plot
TO AssAsslNATE GOV. GOEBEL.
Designates James Howard as the
Assassin and Strongly Accuses
Taylor as an Accessory Before the
Fact.

The Courier-J journal this morning
contains lengthy report of the Culton
trial yesterday, which brings out some
interesting and sensational facts. { ul-
ton, 1T appears, was very unwilling
witness, and at first denied that he had
anything to do with the conspiracy, but
after persistent cross examination, the
facts were brought out. The Courier
journal, in summarizing the testimony,
says:
For three hours yesterday afternoon
William III. Culton, testifying in his
own behalf in support of motion for
bail, gave the most sensational test
mony yet given in the Goebel assassina-
ton conspiracy. Many of the state
ments were dragged from him af err the
most persistent ss-examination by
Col. T. G.. Campbell.
"Culton's testimony convicts Yout-
sey of being an active leader in the con,
spiracy; designates James Howard as the
man who fired the fatal shot; duplicates
w. s. Taylor IA an accessory both be-
fore and after the fact, and also con-
victs Finley, Caleb Powers and himself
"Culton had not finished his testi
mony when court adjourned for the day.
his testimony showed that armed men
were brought to Frankfort, and that
their expenses were paid by Taylor and
others; that an order was carried by
him from Taylor to the Adiutant- Ger
eral to have the militia ready to get out
quickly and stand off the police, and also
confirms every one of the sensational
statements made by Wharton Golden
when he took the witness and during
the mining trial of Caleb Powers.
"After the murder, according to Gull
ton, Taylor was apprehensive lest Yout-
sey should tell OF the conspiracy, and
spoke of furnishing him money to send
him out of the State.
''Culton said that after the mountain
GERS came to Frankfort it was planned
that on the day of the Van Meter Berry
contest the Republicans were to throng
| the Statehouse and start rough
| house He said Democrats were to
have been killed, but that he did not re-
member that Goebel was designated
This plan miscarried for some reason.
Culton then told that DR.. W. r. John
son, Of Jackson county, one of the men
from the mountains, came to him and
| Sdlu. Il ne way 10 90 away WIFI Zoe
bel is TO kill him with nitro glycerine
That can be done in his room Culton
heard no more from johnson, but Yout
sey came to him later and said I've
got the richest scheme yet to kill Goe
BELL Culton says he asked Youtsey
what it was, and Youtsey then drew
from his pocket a box of smokeless
powder cartridges, which to him ap
peared to be about As calibre. He said
Youtsey told him he had got them ir
Cincinnati, and no one would ever fine
him out Youtsey is then quoted as
having said that they would do the work
"Culton says that he went to ex-Gov
Bradley and told him what Youtsey hao
said about killing Goebel. My, thi.
must not be DONE said Bradley. 'Yor
tell these boys they will ruin everything
and that for the sake of the party, it fol
nothing else, they must stop thinking o
such deed
'.On the Friday before Goebel wa.
shot Culton carried message from Tay
lor to Col. Dixon, Assistant Adjutan
General telling him that Taylor said tt
have soldiers, arms and ammunition
ready for use on a moments notice
This was the day when it was plan Zee
to kill the Democrats in the Legisla
ture."