The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1900-07-19
Saws Former Governor Furnished
Money to Transport
Mountalneers.
POWERS INSISTED ON A MOB.
You,sey Alleged to Have Revealed
Plot Whereby Governor GOe-
bel Could BE Killed With
out Detection.

Il
| startling testimony to-day In the trial OF
Caleb Powers. charged with completely in
| the murder of Governor William Goebel.
| John A Black OF Barboursville and W. III.
! Culton. prominent Republicans. the latter
\ being under Indictment as an accessory,
| were the Only Witnesses examined.
| Black told of his efforts To .lissuade Pow
ers from t.kine a mob" to Frankfort TO
intir.lidate the Legislature
Chiffon voluntarily took the stand lie
| stated that Governor Taylor furnished the
| money for transporting the Jackson toun-
| ~ crowd To the capital
| Powers Wanted Mob.
John A Black OF Barboursvilie. banker
| of that place and Republican, OF promi-
| neuce WAS the first witness called VIII
! ness said Powers told him in January he
| was organizing an armed mob to 90 TO
| Frankfort Witness discouraged the prof.
| ect but Powers insisted that the mob
should be formed. saying it would int'mldate
| Jhe Legislature
| Black continuing. said.
| Il saw Mr. Powers later and again re-
| monstratsi against the formation OF the
| mob which was going to Frankfort POW
| ers told me il was being formed with the
| approval OF Governor Taylor Charlrs Fin
| ley and other Republican leaders at Frank
| fort Charles Finley also came TO me and
endeavored to get me To cooperate with
| them. l protested bitterly. Powers be-
| came very angry with me on account Of the
position took. tried 10 persuade them to
| send good citizens. people ~ influence. II any
| crowd was to be sent.
| check from Charles Finley 10 the L.
| & n Railroad. for N.ca0 for transportation
| of the men TO Frankfort was produced 10y
! Black in response 10 a question from the
| prosecution.
| W. II Culton who IL himself under in
| dictment az an accessory. and supposed to
| be the star witness Of the prosecution Tor
today. was called next.
| The defense raised a point against the
competency Of CultOn as a witness, he be-
| ing under Indictment and not having been
! tried. The jury was excluded during the
| argument Of the point.
| At the conclusion OF the argument the
Court told the LAWYERS on both sides 10 pre-
pare their authorities on the question in
/ volved ard present them.
Judge Cantrill ruled that while a. COM
mon law p pariiceps cr:mnis could not tes-
! himself remained untried. that ruiz was
| sbrogated under the law OF this State aud
! that CultoE was a competent witne-s. the
4 right to testify being personal privilege.
| CuitOn DfscIOses Piaus-
| Cuiton again resumed the stand The
| Court instructed the witness tina; he
| might might not testify. he desired.
| and. II he DID 50. he rot required 10
tell anything that would tend to ircriui-
, mate himself but could refuse to answer
| such questions. He replied he would testi-
| ~ of his own free will.
Jul,on said he knew all the persons IN
dicted as accessories To the Goebal murder.
| Witness said he attended conference al
! Frankfort in January. at which Powers
! and others were present. and that th" mat
| ter "f bringing mountain men To the ca7i-
| tai was discussed.
| Hamp Howard. Frank Cecti and other
J mountain men were there and vera asked
! by Powers how many men they could bring
| 4, Harlan Bel and other counties. They
! promised To brig crowds ranging from nfty
| to 300 men from each of the counties repre-
| scented. Those I'm the meeting were 10 take
I charge of the men I'm their respective coun-
| ties and bring them to Frankfort armed.
| Powers said that when the men arrived at
| Frankfort they would give the Democratic
| legislators thirty minutes In which to set
| tie the contests. and If they did not settle
II In that time. they would kill every ID
or" or them"
| CuItou continued: THE mountain rnyn ar
| rived In Frankfort January - They mum
| h. red from I.tet tn l.@1 men. Those who
carried guns had them stacked In the Of
| fee Of the Commissioner of Agriculture,
| and each man was given a tag correspond
| ing with the number on his gun. C-ptain
Bullock, afterwards connected with the
| Williamsburg militia company. had charge
Of this part. After holding the meeting In
! the Statehuuse yard. the bigger part of the
1 crowd was sent home.
| CuIton further said that Henry Youi.ey
| came to him ans; told him he had found
a way In which Goebe could be killed and
no one lind out who did IL foutsey said IL
could be done from the Secretary Of States
office and he showed witness some steel
bullets. Witness told YOutsey such a thing
should not be done.
| E,y-(,pylrrpr Er11lPy told Witness 10 had
heard Goebsi was to be killed and said
| IL must not no done. Witness saw Youtscy
| again. and tho latter said the idea had
been abandoned. Cul;oD said Powers dis
| tributed the morey among the various Cap
| tains who were tn bring the mountaineers
| to Frankfort. Witness did not know who
furnished IT.
duplicates Taylor.
Witness further said Governor Taylor fur
nishcd the money 10 bring the jackson
County crowd. Witness heard W. 4. John
| son Of Jackson County talking about kill
ing Goebei with nitrogiycerin. Witness
said Governor Taylor did not want the
mountain rIen to go home. He said that
Powers had said they ought to be sent
away, because they had not done what
they were brought TO Frankfort for Wit
ness told Taylor what Powers said AMI
Taylor replied that Powers was hot-headed
but he would wait and everything would
be all right. Witness said Taylor sent word
10 Powers that he would pay the expenses
of the men. Witness went To Berry Howard
and others at Taylor's instance and told
them the Governor wanted them 20 remain.
on the day of the Van Meter-Berry con-
test Governor Taylor sent orders by wit
hess TO assist Adjutant General Dixon to
have the troops in the arsenal ready to be
called out at a moments notice
Tie court adjourned with Culton on the
stand.
Taylor and Finley Coming.
The statement was made tonight by an
attorney for the Commonwealth that h. had
been informed by prominent Republican,
who stands close 10 Ex-Governor Taylor
that both Taylor and ex-Secretary of State
Charles Finley will return to Kentucky
near the close of the trial Of Caleb Powers
and will go on the witness stand In his
behalf.
The statement cannot be verified. as the
attorney for the Commonwealth declined
To give the name of his informant If IL
proves true 1t will also mean that TAYLOR
and Finley will face the charge against
them. which is the same as that against
Powers.
Arthur Goebei in discussing the matter
tonight, said it duty they owed
Powers to testify and he hoped they would
come to Kentucky.