Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1900-03-12
TAYLOR pEFlEs GoEBE11TEs.

Declares He Will Protect Life and
Liberty OF Powers and Davis.
Frankfort, Ky, March r." Cnder
this state of affairs. believing that each
one of said persons is innocent of any
completely in said crime, and further
believing that the enormous reward will
secure the conviction of these men, how
ever innocent / deemed it my solemn
I.duty 10 issue pardons TO them in order
that these political conspirators might
lnot be enabled to deprive them of their
lliberty or their life The guilty men
should be punished, but designing men
Icontrolling the courts should not be en-
| abied to shed the blood of innocent men.
and if it is in my power to prevent 1t [
| pledge myself in the name of God and
humanity that it shall not be done.
With these words Acting Governor
Taylor concluded an explanation of his
reasons for granting pardons To all the
men in prison and out. Who are accused
of having guilty knowledge of the as-
sassination of Goveinor-eiect William
Goebel.
The governors statement makes clear
the facts back of the finding of pardons
lin the possession of Acting Secretary of
State Caleb Powers and Capt John w.
/ Davis when they We're arrested III Lex
.iington Saturday Mr.. Taylor charged
that the democratic leaders are in a
/ conspiracy to get possession of the state
/ government aud continued
| Notwithstanding these consprators
lwere defeated at the polls as to the state
4 offices they succeeded in securing d ma
sljority III each of the two houses OF the
general assembly and in retaining in
Ipower the state canvassing and count
ing machine.
While many democratic members
We're honestly elected, yet others Were
elected by the manipulation Of dishon-
, est precinct officers and county canvas
sing boards before and during the elec-
ton, and then. after the election. by {
system of counting in ard counting ou'
until the majority aforesaid Was OBJ
tanned.
"As thus constituted the general as
|. sembly ard canvassing board have de
clarsd that the will of the people as e2
lpressed at the polls shall be set aside.
!, ..It is needless to say that such con
{ spiracies as this almost inevitably pro
{ duce revolution. because a free peopl.
Il will not willingly be deprived of thei
f right Of suffrage or consent that the mi
: nority instead of the majority shall ruie
$ pending this unfortunate struggl
81 the Hon. William Goebel. the contestar Ii
{ for the office of governor, was assassi
mated by some person whose identity i
]. unknown. Thereupon a conspiracy wa
: formed 10 fasten this heinous crime up
e on all or some of the state officers elect
led by the people, the purpose being t
: obscure and cover the political robber
5 and to terrorize and destroy all opposi
$ ton.
i I'm order to carry out this foul con
d spiracy they procured an act appropri
n ating 100000 ostensibly for the purpos
n of detecting the criminals. and HAY
. employed a lawyer whose course in tn
criminal practice in Cincinnati was 5
n odious as To cause a riot resulting i
i the destruction of the courthouse an
4 the loss of over forty lives.
Following this an employe of tn
q Cincinnati Enquirer has made afiida
Wits charging that Caleb Powers, secre
ltary OF state: his brother, John Power
n a captain of a company of state mil
! tia: w. III. Culton, a clerk in the aud
: tors office; Charles Finley, ex-secretar
a of state. and Capt. John w. Davis. p,
q liceman of the state house grounds. cor
!. spired, aided and assisted in said assa:
sination.
Warrants were issued, and said "
H. Culton wasalh.ing the night of Marc
= taken from his home, where his Wi
J. and child We're sick, and incarcerated
,r the county jail without bail or given d
d opportunity to secure BAIL
"On the day of said assassinatir
Harland Whitaker, whose residence
in Butler county, Kentucky. was arres
lie ed and charged with said crime and a
IS sassination, and was placed in Jail al
lie kept confined without trial for over
l. month in defiance of the provisions
the law requiring speedy examinil