The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-09-16
WHERE POWERS GREW UP.
His Unhappy Old Parents in the Ken.
lucky Mountains

| Lexington, NY, Aug. 3l.-TO see tbs
home Of Caleb Powers it is necessary 4
| make trip to the heart OF the Kentuck!
mountains. The man, who. at the age o
thirty-one. has gone into history as
| former Secretary of State, and who ha!
| been convicted as an accessory before
| the fact to the murder of William Goe-
bel. was reared in simple home In
| Knox County, in southeastern Kentucky
| Up among the hills. nine miles from
! Barbourville. in the beautiful little val
| ley which follows the windings of Brush
Creek. is the home of the mother and
| father of Caleb Powers While beautiful
| to look upon. the hand is of poor white
clay. which. with hard labor, VIII pro-
duee good crop of corn 3ias =
For more than twenty yearsGthe Pow
ers family has made its home ON Brush
Creek The home is little clapboardec
cottage with four small rooms and a
kitchen. surrounded, by thick orchard
of apple trees. In the rear are three or
four log outhouses, and away to the
right, almost hid among the trees. Is a
log stable. where the saddle horses. in
dispensabie to mountain travel. are
kept In this quiet retreat these two old
people sit and suffer at what they think
is crying injustice TO their son.
II is impossible to reach Brush Creek
except on horseback Acting in the ad-
vice Of friends, your correspondent Sc
cured companion for the trip who was
known TO the mountain people.
No harm will be done to you,'' il was
said. Your life will be as safe as 1t
would be anywhere, but ever since Caleb
Powers has been arrested Knox County
has been full of detectives, and the peo-
pie are suspicious. 1t. is net impossible
that someone may stop you on the road
turn your horse around, and advise you
tc go back to town.
The yard of the Powers place is sur
rounded by an old-t time worm fence and the
gate is homemade affair Of long slaves
built on a frame of young saplings In the
mountains every one is welcome TO come in
and receive the best that the house affords,
and the Powers home is no exception
Money is scarce, yet it is the rarest &C
currenee when mountain man will accept
anything for entertaining stranger Amos
Powers. the father Of Caleb, hurried into
the house at sight of strangers and was
ready to welcome then. on the front porch
when they approached.
Il saw Caleb yesterday" said your cor
respondent, ''and told him that was COM
ing to Brush Creek He told me to deliver
this message: Say to mother and father
that 1 am going to come out of this. Taey
know that | am innocent. Tell them that
l will finally get justice; that l have not
given up and that I am going to fight 1t
out to the last.
Il am mighty glad to hear from the
boy said the father. Caleb has been
good boy"
To one who has seen the spruce young
man now convicted OF a serious charge the
contrast between the father and the son
would be surprising. Amos Powers. is not
yet sixty years old. He VIII round off hia
three-score years on the 18th Of naxt De-
cember. He is in comparatively feeble
health and no longer does work about the
farm. He wore plain blue overalls, q
striped shirt, much soiled. with the collar
attached, and rough brogan shoes.
An unusually high forehead. topped by
mass of hair which was grizzled rather
than grey. light brown eyes, a straight
nose, rather large, with mouth which
showed none too much OF determination,
concealed in a bunch OF iron grey wills.
kers. This is the father of the boy whose
name has become known to the entire coun.
try. Wrinkles have almost distorted the
features Of the old man, yet it is no effort
to see that it is an intelligent face. Yet
you wonder where Caleb Powers got tns
courage and determination. as we'll as the
almost Indian-like stoicism. which he dis
played during the progress Of the trial.
The question is solved when you see his
mother.
She had come from the kitchen. where
she was preparing dinner, and leaned on
the facing of the door leading to the
porch. She had heard Caleb's name mem
toned, and she wished to hear the news
Dressed even more simply il possible than
her husband. she wore plain calico
dress, which hung down loose from the
shoulders. The sleeves were rolled up to
the elbows, and the arms thus barred to
view Warn hrOWn and
these of an athlete than those of an aged
woman. The face was the face of Caleb.
with time and with the trials
Of an arduous life. The forehead. jutting
out about eyes that are both blue and
brown, the determined jaw and lips press
ed close together were like the sons. |
Simple, unlearned. there was determine
lion of purpose written all over the fea- |,
lures of that face. 1t could love it could |
hate, quietly but as fercely as the burn |
ng of hidden fire.
An afternoon paper of the day before |
had been brought cut and the old people |
listened with interest to the reading of |
he story of the sons removal from
to the Jail at Louisville. |
Bound Like the Beast of the Field" was |
he flaming headlines telling of the taking |
II the prisoner in hanseuffs to the Jail
IF l had anything to do witt, it, it
mother of the boy. Then changing her
one she said. Hospitality, Dinner is
eady; come right in"
Right in" meant passing through the
louse to the porch in the rear. where din
Ter was served for the sake OF GOODNESS |
Bacon. corn and beans, corn bread, baked
n skillet. buttermilk and sweet milk
nd mountain honey-this was the bill of
are. nos
n i
nd sat under the apple tree with his
avorite quid OF tobacco. Mrs. Powers
usied herself about the table, clearing
p the dishes. tr
Dent mind me, she said, 81 always
as a busybody. | was raised un to
fork. was born over in Whitne. ('oun-
y siXty-seven years ago, and in times
hen the girls made as good field lands
s the boys and worked Jus; as hard"
1T must have been Il blow to you when
GU heard the news of Caleb's convic-
ion said the correspondent
Yes" she said. 1T was the first trcu-
lie that l ever -had-not the first, he
auss Caleb's arrest was the frst-but
nev,r had any trouble before they tried
o mix him up in this matter. I'm like
aleh, though, and don't give 10 until /
ave to.
But I manned it out" continued Mrs.
overs. And she is the sort of z woman
} man it out"
There are five children in the Powers
lmily. All were born in Knox County !
kept Caleb, who was year old when
he family novel from Whitney The
lree daughters are married: the {
oungest, Rebecca, ''the baby child" as |
Irs Powers calls her. having run away
n her way to school and married Hayes ;
rcen last November just after election
9th Mr.. and Mrs. Green teach school