The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1900-08-24
POWERS co HvIcTED.
Julry Holds Hin Guilty 81 Conspiring
sssss to XIII Goebel-Lifs Imprison.
a4#S S ment His Sentence.

Georgetown, KY, Aug. 2o.-"We, the
Jury, lind the defendant guilty and
Az his punishment at conhnement 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
fact to the murder Of William Goebel
The jury retired at 1892 p. NJ. Satur.
day and returned its verdict at 2:2s
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 life
sentence was unanimous. When the
jury retired the belief was general
that the jury would fail to agree, and
in this opinion the defendant himself
was firmly convinced. ..' .~:
When the verdict of guilty was re.
turned Powers for the first time dur.
ing the weary six weeks of the trial
betrayed his feelings. Under all OF
the trying incidents of the long ordeal
he had maintained changeless ex-
preston, the same whether things
were going favorable or against him.
The verdict of guilty, however. appar.
emily staggered him. Powers, always
pale, grew CHASTITY as the verdict was
read, and his face betokened great
mental anguish. This was only for a
few seconds, however, and then, some.
what regaining his composure, he
turned to the Misses Dangerfeld, who
had been in conversation with him,
and said: IL was not expecting that.
The verdict is unjust"
There was no sort of demonstration
following the verdict, and the vast
crowd filed out of the courthouse al
most in silence. Powers remained in
the courtroom for some time after the
verdict was rendered, in conference
with his attorneys, who will at once
move for a new trial, and, failing in
that, will take an appeal.
One of the jurors said the jurymen
were Influenced in making up their
verdict by many things in the evil
dence, but some of the chief points
were Powers own admission on the
stand that he organized the crowd OF
1900 armed mountaineers which came
to Frankfort on January Is, his cor
roboration of parts of the testimony
of Noakes, Golden and Culton, the
proof that he gave Youtsey the key,
and that the shot was fired from his
Office.
Georgetown, Ky, Aug. 20. - Caleb
Powers issued statement Sunday
evening. as follows:
ITO the Public: am asked myopinion
concerning my trial and the verdict Of the
jury. Could have but one opinion? Can
state have but one? That one of the great
est judicial. farces known to history has
been enacted here in my trial, under the
forms of law, no we'll informed man can
doubt. Innocence is no shield with 500, 00l
and the methods of Campbellism against
you. The rectitude Of ones past life counts
for naught They say Taylor is guilty be.
cause he was at his Office, and that I am
guilty because I was away from mine.
This has been a. political trial throughout
for political purposes, and no greater mis-
take has been made by the democratic
party since they robbed us of the offices
to which we were fairly elected by the PEG.
pie. There are good men and noble women
in the democratic party, and many of them
They are not all bad. far from it. A great
many Of them do not indorse the theft OF
the state offices. A great many more will
not indorse this mockery of trial, this
prostitution Of the; courts of justice fol
certain ends. From the beginning of the
campaign until nowtI have stood with what
little merit have had for the rights and
liberties Of the people. That is my crime
That is the only offense I:have committed
That is the only thing proven against me
1 swore to that myself in my testimony
have never had, and now have no apol-
ogy to make for being true to the trust i'm
posed upon me by majority Of the voters
of this state. History will draw its dark
lines around those who have outraged me
and disgraced the judiciary and blackened
the history Of the state. am, yours very
respectfully. CALEB POWERS"