New-York tribune., 1900-08-05
IN DEFENCE OF POWERS.
NEW LIGHT IN PROCEEDINGS AT KEN.
TUCKY's CAPITAL WHEN GoEBEL
WAS SHOT

Georgetown. KY. Aug. 4-Reubeu Miller. CHIEF
clerk Of Caleb Powers while he acted Secretary
OF State was the chief witness IN the Powers trial
to-day. Miller had been brought back from Indiana
by the defence. and he proved a good witness. He
expressed the belief that the shot which resulted IN
the death Of GoebeI was fred. as were those which
followed it, outside the Executive Building He
was the person closest to the private Office OF
Powers. and he said the shot did not come from
that room.
Miller located the spot where GoebsI fell abou.
fifteen feet away from the point fixed by the prose-
cution. and stated that the militia did appear
the scene for thirty minutes He declared that
Powers was not in his Office the afternoon OF jan
uary 25 the day which the mountain petitioners
arrived at the State capital and at which time
NoakeS charged the defendant with making sew
eral statements Of q threatening nature and Of
conferring with Youtsey, Culton and others.
Ben" Rowe, colored porter OF the Executive
Office. also brought back from Indiana By the de-
fence corroborated the statements OF Miller abou-
the movements OF persons in the public Office OF
the Secretary OF State the time Of the shooting.
Miller quoted Governor Taylor saying. he ral
from his private Office into the room on hearing
the shots What is the matter?'' and on being
told a man was shot said This is HORRIBLE
In the cross-examination OF General Collier, who
was Acknowledgement under Taylor. the prOsecu-
ton was allowed much latitude. the Court. how
ever, first admonishing the Jury that statements
concerning Incidents which occurred after the
shooting should considered only to show the In
terest OF the witness. who was placed on the stand
by the defence The prosecution endeavored to
show that Collier. by order OF Governor Taylor.
kept civil officers from entering the Capitol grounds
for several days after the firing Of the fatal shot
Collier stated that by Governor TayIor's orders he
prevented the General Assembly from meeting a
any point in the city OF Frankfort for several days
after the Taylor proclamation adjourning IL 70
London.
Adjutant-General Collier. whose direct exarnina-
tion was concluded AT the adjournment OF court
yesterday afternoon. was IN the witness stand to-
General Collier told Of keeping soldiers the STATE
5 oIeda al at 1ISo 1e,Se- pO % 5e5 bIc3,g5S sSv
arms into the State Capitol grounds. He admitted
Executive Building TO execute the writ Of habeas
corpus, saving that he had orders from Governor
& Oyer the objection 3 Of the dsfsPSs Sgdgs Can
ness that on two occasions prior to January o.
that is on the day of the COlsOn-Scott duel. and
petitioners-the feeling al Frankfort was intense
but that no soldiers were then called to preserve
The witness said that he never before the shoot
contest was TO Kin tioebeI The witness told Of
preventing oy mlltaty toTee tne asSsn6IinS o. & {le
following the shooting. After objection BY the
f5a he RSG Msnt 0fn to & Cap Hotel a6d
the proprietor that he would close his hotel II ne
permitted the Assembly meet there
General Collier left the. stand after two hours.
called He testified to meeting Wharton Golden
about March II at the home of John StamPer, and
only for his own protection on nainaton
had displayed much interest in the case on the
Reuben \ Miller. of Breckinridge County. but
later Of Indianapolis, was next placed on the stand
re was n taf seSSrd Pef5p'ICI fS lem ot ~ Sf the
defendant. when GOebel was shot. He heard
outside Of the Executive Building Governor Tay,
INQUIRED what was happSning outside.
At the afternoon session Miller'S examination
tive Building h TGGstved TaTPi9sS few mirSSSs
at threatening
To protect themselves they broke open the door
there. He estimated the crowd outside the build,
ngs at three hundred m d M ;ST, said the soldiers Wiz ea
ness occupied room with Powers at boarding
his office in the ESecutiye Rgildng on ne afternoon
90 Saw him and talked 20 him IN that offce
At another point IN his testimony the engineer
plan OF the Capitol grounds was brought. and ths
teen feet nearer the tront entrance than the spo1
on cross-eNsminat tion Miller said that in con
Burton OF Brecknridge County Burton said that
he thought Taylor and Powers We're Cowavds-that
gtsted one of them as the best way to settle the
contest Powers would not listen 70 him Wltnesss
the private ofitce Of Powers the mOrnins OF me
reception room of the Office two minutes after the
shots sounded, but could not remember anythlns
The prosecution at another point brOught out that
Miller went To Indiana on March . and the C0ute
ruled out as incompetent a question asked , as 70
whether or not he had discussed the aSsassna5Sion
the objection was heard the witness answered that
he had not
Dr. W. x. Foster. Of London, next callsus
Foster Of the men whom Golden told g
meeting in Winchester several DAYS after he uaoss
his confession and who. he alleged. intimidatsssa
him, causing him 20 deny ever havtng made ~ y.
Judge CantUil ruled out the testimony OF f0sle.
that he did not tntimdate Golden. The deIehV0
excepted to the ruling
Ben" Rowe was the last witness of The cay.
tie said he helped break open the door OF PoWsIS,s
OttiCe after the shooting, and COrrObCrated Mlet
testimony. Witness cleaned the private once =
Powers on the morning of January ~, and saw 80 80
rifles there. He denied that. stated by Sinc..
for the prosecution. he carried any telsSlspD
message that day for either Collier or IaSol'