The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1900-03-29
tn,rton Golden Takes the Stand
.nd Testilies Against Secre-
tary of State Powers
lystssE 1HROsG IN TUE cOrRT.
,...or, That the Defendant Sum-
uoued Mountain Feudists to
Come to Frankfort.
49,. Were 20 lie nroaRht Who
,y..,a stand Up In the Lesss-
,ou,e Hall and KIN on
the Democrats.

r.,,t,or,. ny. March .24.-The pre-
-, examination Of Secretary OF
l'l,h Powers. charged with aid
"a ,bc,iirq in the assassination
'n'r',m Gochcl. was begun before
,c Moore.
u;,pes,cs heard included War
rpb L.!lard. Of The state pen'te"-
ue,ec,ive Dee Armstrong.
~ Ellsworth. Of Fayette county
- crested Secretary Powers and
!, lohn Davis while the latter
,,,cmpfing to escape from
,olfor,. and Silas Jones' who is
/, under bonds. charged with com
r.,y ina the murder.
.-aolfort Nv. March 25.-Secre-
!. po,crs was the only one of the
I,nd,pts brought in court Satur-
: morning. Capt. Davis and Culton
named in jail. J. Wharton Golden
Rsrboursyillc. was sworn as the
!, witness. lie said he had known
.-o.orv Powers for Il or IS years,
n knew Mr.. Cnlton. He was also
.naiptcd with Gov. Taylor and
!, Iohp Powers. He said he was
N friend 10 all cf the defendants.
When did you fayc a conversation
n Secretary Powers"
When Mr.. Powers and | left here
ether. Col. Powers told me to go
Harlan county and tell Postmaster
NJ Hrs, 10 send down ten witness
IN the contest case
lie told NE 20 90 TO Harlan county
tell Mr. llirst TO send down ten
D who were regular mountaln
Is's
i,er some parley. Golden said:
el men who would stand up. and
necessary. 60 INTO that Legislative
aud lill oE enough to make ii in
favor. did not see Mr.. Hirst.
as llamp Howard. told him we
ried ten regular mountain feud-
for witnesses. We wanted men
q had good Colts forty-fives.'
Who selected the men who came
N Harlan coun'y?'
llamp Howard. He selected 30 men
ieS the ten. Caleb Powers. /
as. selected the men from Knox /
MY. There were about - or so. !
Sparks, county attorney in Laur- !
county. selected the men from |
rel county"
b answer to further questions, Col
said Powers gave him $lGO to
- 20 Judge bingham in Bell county.
he witness Identified 4 receipt for
given by Bingham. Witness also
he gave Mr.. Howard $3.50 for
tickets TO Frankfort and return.
knew some Of the men from Bell
n'y. The men. a good many of
m. We're mountain feudiSts. In all
nt l.20O or 1900 men were brought
tmnh'orr They were fed back of
state house. Capt. Davis and Char
Finley proNiding the provisions.
.'luing. Golden said: I'VE sent
81 OF Them back that night. BY
] mean myself. Caleb Powers,
IT, Davis, Bin Cnlton and Gov. Tay-
Finley, Taylor and Powers de-
ID 10 send them back. all except
or hiieen from each county. l
'e'ed the men to be kept from
'A county, T. Of them. well armed.
a'y Marshal George Thompson
.f'.I The men from Lanrcl coun'y.
'-' l'j men nl me mountaineers
,Ai To Frankfort remained here
nee mat we go' Justice"
Od 'ou have any further conver-
.'D with Powers regarding the
'S OF - be done by the men re-
ming here"
No. Sir; We understood what tbev I
.r Kept here for. We knew that {
se men were here to 20 into that
>a'"e y hall and if necessary clean
those fellows" ,
What fellows?"
'De democrats; enough to make O
loh'y on our side"
'',en resumed his testimony at
'''''hoon session. He said John ]
. .,' and black-red moustached 5
., "Sl a talk concerning the clos
V' secretary Powers Office during ,
ALTERS absence.
~1' my back turned" said Col 1
, out when ] turned | saw John
~ vi, = give the key TO the man.
M O"cTS said to me 'Goebel is I
4 a 10 70 be killed this morning. Il
4 r, ,''S must not he done He 5
n n ~ Don I get excited, ! gave that |
!, '-e wrong key | said. I'VE q
= '.l'' 70 and See Caleb John Pow. q
~, "a" him, l did not" I
...s. IN you o have any talk with Caleb
No o." t,' lowers about Dick Coombs?"
re - 'p' 1',, 'hey had two negroes a
N. MI 90, Goebel. John Powers S
M',. Me- 80 They were Hockersmitb I
II. S,os. eOoinos. saw Dick Coombs I
norn'p. ss'oFe near the depot ev.
n, .ning ~ for week or so nrs. $
lsinr - 'he shooting. Coombs
senre ma. man named Wallace in nv
ow S, said: d him
dI can ,rs us lar as can see him !
A, "e was talkino &