The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1900-03-30
ARRAIGNED in COURT
Alleged Assassins Of William
Goebel Placed On Trial.
GREAT LEGAL BATTLE STARTS OFF
Secretary OF State, Caleb Powers, tho First
Put Up-Various Witnesses
Testify In Case.

The preliminary examination of Sec
rotary of State Caleb Powers, charged
with abetting the assassination Of Will
liam Goebel, began at Frankfort Fri
day before Judge Moore. The court
house was guarded inside and out by
militia and scores of deputy sheriffs,
armed with winchesters, to prevent
possible interference from mountain
GERS, who were reported on their way
to Frankfort, but their presence was
unnecessary, as the mountaineers fail
ed to appear and no disorder occurred.
The commonwealth witnesses were
called, numbering forty +. w. Col
den was not in the list. The witnesses
at Friday's' hearing included Warden
Eph Lillard, Detective Armstrong,
Sheriff Bosworth, of Fayette county,
who arrested Secretary Powers, and
Captain John Davis and Silas Jones,
of Whitley county, who is now under
bonds charged with completely in the
murder.
The testimony tended to show that
the shots came from that section of the
executive building in which Secretary
Powerss Office is located, although no
one swore that the shots were from
the secretarys office.
F. Wharton Golden, who is said to
have made a confession, will be put on
the stand later. Prosecuting Attorney
Polsgrove said that sufficient evidence
had already been heard to warrant
holding Powers, but that the case
would be much stronger before he was
through. Governor Brown, for the
defense, said that the evidence was de-
cidedly weak.
During the afternoon a soldier in
the rear court yard dropped his re-
volver on the stone tagging and it was
accidentally discharged.
In an instant every man in the
crowded courtroom was on his feet,
fully third of them with their hands
to their hip pockets.
Eph Lillard, warden of the Frank
fort penitentiary, testified that he
walked just little ahead of Senator
Goebel, and when the first shot was
fred he saw that the second window
in the Office of the secretary of state
was slightly raised. The other shots,
ne said, did not come from the same
place. The first shot was evidently
from rifle, while the others seemed
to be from pistols.
Policeman Wingate Thompson test.
fed that as the crowd was carrying
Senator Goebel out of the yard, he
saw armed men at the entrance to the
executive building and recognized
John Davis and Berry Howard among
them.
Detective Armstrong of Louisville
said that Secretary Powers refused
any information whatever at the tim,
Of the shooting as to who was in th,
building
Captain John F. Hawn, of Barbours
vile, testified that Powers had asked
him to turn over his ammunition ant
company to Lieutenant Gibson pre-
vious to the shooting.
Governor Brown made the poin
that man cannot be convicted as al
alder of crime unless some priucipa
is convicted of the crime. AS the act
ual murderer of Goebel has not We
been named, the point possibly in
volved the liberty of Secretary Pow
ers. Judge Moore ruled against th
defense.
Silas Jones, of Whitley county, tes
titled he thought the shots wer
fred from che corner of the building
in which Secretary Powers's office
located. He Immediately walked int
the ante-room, where he saw Capital
Davis'and Governor Taylor among tb
others. There was considerable ez
element, the governor came to tn
door and wanted to know who wa
shot.
odd yon see any one try to opel
Caleb Powers door?" asked Attorne
Polsgrove."
''Yes, saw a man with sandy whi'
kers trying to open the door. II
struck it with hatchet," replied Nj
Jones.
Jones said there was much noise
but he could not say he heard an
from Secretary Powers Office.
Preparing ror the Eclipse
Extensive preparations are bein
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