The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-07-21
SENSATIONAL
TESTIMONY in
POWERS. TRIAL.
Railroad Conductor Claims the Ac-
cused Said When Goebel Was
Dead No Man in the State
COULD SAVE THE PARTY.
Other Mention of the Killing of the
Governor = Nothing Incriminat-
ing Has Developed as Yet.

GEORGETOWN. ny. July 2o.-In
the trial OF Caleb Powers, charged with
completely in the Goehcl shooting. the
most important witness to-day and the
one who created n sensation by his tes-
tlmony, was Robert Noaks, n railroad
conductor. Noaks told OF being asked
by Caleb Powers TO get company Of
militia composed of men who would
fight Hc also asked Noaks to get
smokeess powder cartridges. He Sc
cured company and 1t was mustered
in. Then Powers directed him to cap
ture two trains and bring his company
to Frankfort. Charles Finley objected
and warned Noaks not to do that and
proposed to hire the trains.
Statement Created Sensation.
Noaks' next statement created n SEN
sation. Asked II Powers ever spoke TO
him about Goebel. he said: "Yes.
Powers" he said. declared the con-
tests would amount to nothing and that
when Goebel was dead no man in the
state could hold the party together"
Witness had another talk with the
prisoners brother. John Powers. who
said: This is a life and death strug-
gle, hut we intend to hold our own even
II we have to kill some one"
Witness formed company and said
Governor Bradley sent man. who
mustered it in.
On January u witness received n
message from Caleb Powers, who ask
ed him to take his company to Frank
fort. Powers said 1t had been arranged
berland division and train No. &c, of
the Knoxville branch. to take the men
to Frankfort. 1t was intended to send
1900 in all. On the nights Of January
% and %. Charles Finley awakened me.
Opposed Capturing Trains.
Finley was not satisfied with the ar
rangement for going to Frankfort and
opposed capturing trains. He warned
me to take no part In It and said he
would go to Barbourrille and try to
get Powers to abandon such plars. 3.
y. Witness said Finley Went TO Louis
vile. saying rather than capture trains
he would pay for them himself. That
day q telegram from Louisville asked
If Finley's check was good for $1,000.
Caleb Powers ther said: Finley, Is
getting too shaky."
Ibid Powers ever say anything to you
about Goebel?"
Yes, he was on my train one day
and said: The contests won't amount
to anything and when Goebel Is dead
and in his d. there isn't another man
In the state who can hold his party to-
gether
Finley sent us the train from Louis
Vile, which carried,thc men on January
25. At Richmond. Culton got on the
train and told US when we arrived at
Frankfort We should say we were going
to petition the legislature. I told the
boys to carry their guns rs naturally
rs II hunting and not In military posi-
tion. After we got there, John Powers
told me to stand closer to the executive
building as might get hurt. He said:
Said to Keep Cool..l
Some Of our men IRE upstairs and
when Goebel and these other fellows
come In. they are going to do the wave
for them
IT told him this must not be done. He
told me to keep cool. I went back into
the secretary OF states office. Caleb
Powers said Bob, understand you
have two men in your company who
would kill n man IL you wanted them to
do it. 1 told him I did not believe 1
had such man. and no mentioned
Chadweil and Jones. I told him did
not believe they were men OF that
kind.
II was tired and asked Powers how
long this wns going on. He snId not
much longer, us Goebel would be killed
and that would settle 1t. That morn
Ing I checked two large pistols and q
rifle for Berry Howard. saw Cover
nor Taylor that morning. ! went Into
his office and took my pistols OF and
put them into book case. 1 passed
some words with him at TINT time"
Nbalss will be cross-examined to-