The Ely miner., 1900-03-30
PUT ON THE STAR WITNESS.
Golden Testifies in. the Goebel
Murder Trial and Gives Sen
satiOnal Evidence.
EXPOSES PLOT TO KILL OFF DEMOCRATS
Says Regular Feudists with 45-Cal-
iber RevOlvers Were Ordered to
BE Brought to Frankfort by Pow
ers-Witness Brings in Name of
Taylor in His Testimony.

ers-Witness Brings in Name of
Taylor in His Testimony.
Frankfort, KY, March 26.-F. Whar
ton Golden, of Barboursville, was Sat-
urday put on the witness stand in the
examination of Secretary of State
Caleb Powers, charged with conspir-
acy to murder Senator Goebel. Gold
en- was rather nervous on the stand,
but did not hesitate in his replies to
questions, and his testimony made a
deep impression. According to Golden,
Caleb Powers was one of the prime
movers in the bringing to Frankfort
of the mountaineerS just before the as
sassination of Goebel, and that al
though Secretary Powers simply in
structed him to bring witnesses" who
were mountain feudists, yet Golden
understood they were to come to
Frankfort for possible more sinister
purpose, that of cleaning out" the
democratic majority in the legislature.
Golden also brought in the name of
Gov. Taylor in an incidental way, also
the names of Culton, John Powers,
Capt. Davis, Chales Finley, Judge
Bingham, and others. the plan to
bring the mountaineers to Frankfort
having taken on wider scope than ex-
pected. 1t is expected the common
wealth will rest at the conclusion of
Golden's testimony. Golden was
seized with slight hemorrhage dur
ing the morning and an adjournment
was taken earlier than the usual hour
Secretary Powers was the only one
of the defendants brought into court
Saturday morning, Capt. Davis and
Culton remaining in Jail. j. Wharton
Golden, of Barboursville, was sworn as
the first witness. He said he had known
Secretary Powers for II or 1S years,
also knew Mr.. Culton. He was also ac-
quainted with Gov. Taylor and Capt.
John Powers. He said he was good
friend to all the defendants. He was
in Frankfort in January and Febru-
ary and saw Secretary and John Pow
ers nearly every day. He was in Frank
fort on January IA and went to Harlan
county on the 18th, and then went to
Laurel county for two or three days,
from there returning to Frankfort.
Testimony in Detail.
"Where then did you go? To Barbours-
ville?" asked Attorney Campbell The wit
ness hesitated, then said:
81 won't answer that"
when did you have conversation with
Secretary Powers?'
when Mr.. Powers and I left here to-
gether. Col. Powers told me to go to Har-
Ian county and tell Postmaster John Hirst
to send down ten witnesses in the contest
case"
"How were these witnesses to be Sc
lected and in what manner were they to
Gomez"
Regular mountain feudists."
''Give the exact conversation between
you and Secretary Powers relative to get
ting witnesses in Harlan county,"
"He told me to go to Harlan county and
tell Mr.. Hirst to send down ten men who
were regular mountain feudists."
did he understand what you meant by
that, and if so what was your understand
ing of that request?"
Objected to, but overruled.
81 won't answer that" said Mr.. Golden.
To Kill OF Democratic Legislators.
After some parley Mr.. Golden said:
''Well, men who would stand up, and if
necessary go into that legiSla tive hall and
kill off enough to make it in our favor.
81 did not see Mr.. Hirst I saw Hamp
Howard. 1 told him we wanted ten regu-
lar mountain feudists for witnesses. We
wanted men who had good Colts 45's.'
Were the Colts ASS to be put in evil
dence?" asked Attorney Campbell.
Most assuredly they were." answered
Golden.
In reply to a question, Golden said he
did not know the witnesses who came to
Frankfort. He delivered the message to
Howard few days before GoebePs shoot
ing on Sunday preceding the shooting
when did you next see Caleb Powers?"
81 saw him on Tuesday. 1 got on the
train at Ferris Station, Laurel county. He
had couple of men on the train named
Pease and Locket. He told me to take
care of them. next saw Powers in Frank
fort. don't remember what conversation
we had then"
Howard Selected Men.
"Who selected the men who came from
Harlan county?
"Hamp Howard. He selected 80 men be-
sides the ten. Caleb Powers, I think, Sc
lected the men from Knox county. There
were about 70 or 80. Jim Sparks, county
attorney in Laurel county, selected the
men from Laurel county,
when was it determined to bring the
men to Frankfort"
81 don't know"
"Who informed you they were wanted?"
"Caleb Powers. 1 saw him in London.
Caleb said he wanted a regular army to
come to Frankfort.
do you mean United States army men?"
mo, mountaineerS."
Powers Gave Him Money.
In answer to further questions, Golden
said Powers gave him $160 to give to Judge
Bingham in Bell county.
81 gave some of it to Bingham to send
ten men down to Frankfort" said Golden.
The witness identified a receipt for $50
given by Bingham. Witness also said he
gave Mr.. Howard $3.50 for ten tickets to
Frankfort and return. He knew some OF
the men from Bell county. The men,
good many of them, were mountain feud-
lists. In all about 1000 or 1,5OO men were
brought to Frankfort They were fed back
of the statehouse, Capt. Davis and Charles
Finley providing the provisions. Contin-
ung Golden said:
Brings I'm Gov. TaylOr's Name.
"We sent most of them back that night
Rv we I mean mySelf Caleb Powers