The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-07-19
CULTON BEGINS HIS STORY
IN IMPORTANT WITNESS IN GOE-
BEL MURDER CASE.
The Bringing OF Mountain Men TO til e
State Capital-Democratio Legislators
Were TO be Intimidnted or Ixilled-Tho
Talk of KILLING Goebel-GO Ov. Taylor
and the Mountaineers.

Georgetown, KY, July 1S.-During the
trial this afternoon of ex-StatG Secre-
tary Caleb II. Powers, charged with be-
ing an accessory to the murder Of Gov
ernor William Goebel, w. H. Coulton,
who is also under indictment as an ac-
cessory to the killing, was called. Coul-
ton is considered an important witness
by the prosecution. Counsel for the de-
fense raised point against the COM
potency of Coulton as a witness, he be-
ing under indictment along with Pow
ers and others as co-conspirator and
not having been tried. The jury was
excluded during the argument of the
point. At the conclusion of the argu-
ment the court told the lawyers on both
sides to prepare their authorities on the
question involved and present them at
the afternoon session.
Judge Cantrill this afternoon ruled
that while at common law Powers cou,d
not testify, that rule was abrogated un-
der the law of this state and that Coul-
ton is a competent witness, the right
to testify being a personal privilege.
The court instructed Coulton that he
might or might not testify, as he de-
sired, and if he did so he was not re-
quired to tell anything that would tend
to criminate himself Coulton replied
that he was testifying Of his own free
will.
Cuton said he knew all the persons
indicted as accessories to the Goebel
murder Witness said he attended a
conference in Frankfort in January at
which Powers and others were present
and the matter of bringing mountain
men to the state capital was being dis
cussed. Ham Howard, Frank Cecil and
other mountain men were there and
We're asked by Powers how many they
could bring from Harlan, Belle and
other counties. Powers said, according
to the witness, that when the men ar
rived at Frankfort they would give the
democratic Legislators thirty minutes in
which toGettle the contests, and If they
did not settle it in that time they would
xiii every one of them.
Coulton continued: THE mountain
men arrived in Frankfort January 25.
They numbered from 1000 to 1,200 men,
Coulton said Henry Youtsey came to
him and told him that he had found
way Goebel could be killed and no one
would find out who did it. Youtsey said
it could be done from the secretary of
states office and showed some steel bull
let's Ex-Governor Bradley had told
witness of heating that Goebel was
to be killed and said it must not be
done. Witness saw Youtsey again and
the latter said the idea had been aban-
doned. He declared Governor Taylor
furnished him (Culton) the money to
bring the Jackson county crowd. The
witness said he heard w. r. Johnson
of Jackson county talking about killing
Goebel with nitro-gycerine. Witness
said Governor Taylor did not want the
men to go home. Powers
said they ought to be sent away as
they had not done what they were
brought there for. Witness told Tay-
lor what Powers said Taylor replied
that Powers was hot-headed fool, but
he would wait and everything would
be all right.
Witness said he went to Berry How
ard and others at Taylor's instance
and told them the governor wanted
them to remain and not go home, as
Powers wished. On the day of the Van
Meter Berry contest in the legislature
the witness said Taylor sent orders by
him to assist Adjutant General Dixon
to have the troops in the arsenal ready
to be called out at any moments no.
tice. The court adjourned with Culton
On the stand.