The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-02-02
SHOT BY A PERSON CONCEALED IN THE
STATE BUILDING.
WOUND IS PRONOUNCED MORTAL
Not Expected to Live Until Morning.
shot While Walking to the Capitol.
chesters Prevent Search OF the Build
ing Intense Excitement Assassin
Not Known-A Man Arrested-Troops
Guarding the Capitol.


to the capitol building at I:10 o'clock
this morning, william Goebel. the dem
ocratic contestant for governor Of Ken
lucky, was shot down and very danger
ously wounded.
Harland Whitaker, a farmer from
Butler county, the home county of Gov
ernor Taylor, is now in jail at Louis
vile, charged with the crime. There
is no direct evidence against Whitta-
ker, and he was placed under arrest
more because he was caught around
the capitol building when the shots
were fired than for any other apparent
reason. He denies in the most posi-
tive ann that he hand any connec-
ton with the shooting or knew any
thing about it. He was running to-
ward the scene of the shooting and not
away from it when he was arrested.
Senator Goebel was Wounded by a
rifle ball of small calibre, not over SO,
which struck him in the right side just
below the arm pit. The ball passed
through the back part Of the right lung,
across the body in a diagonal line,
passing out below the left shoulder
blade. The vital organs were not in
jured with the exception of the right
lung.
Mr.. Goebel was on his way to the
senate chamber in company with Colo
mel Jack Chinn, and Warden Eph Lill-
ard, of the Frankfort p~enitentiary.
Mr.. Lillard vas a few feet in advance
of Goebel and Chinn, who were walk
ing side-by-side, GOebel being on the
right and him upon the left.
SHOT FROM STATE BUILDING.
From the outer edge of the capitol
- l. l-,:ll
ding, the distance is abou 300 feet.
Two-thirds of this had been passed, and
the men were walking slowly, when
suddenly Il shot rang out from a large
three-Story building which stands fifty
feet east of the capitol building. This
building is used for offices by nearly
all the leading officials of the state,
Governor Taylor and the secretary OF
state having rooms on the first floor.
AS the shot was heard, Goebel gave a
quick involuntary exclamation of pain,
and made an effort to draw his own
revolver. His strength was uneqsa to
the task, however, and he sank upon
the pavement. With great rapidity
| several more shots were fired, the bull
lets all striking the brick sidewalk
close to where Goebel lay. None of
them touched him, however.
Lillard hastily turned around 10 aid
Goebel, who was supported by Chinn,
who had his arms about him almost as
soon as he touched the pavement.
'Get help, said Chinn to Lillard,
and turning to Goebel he asked: Are
you hurt, Goebel? Did they get. your
They have got me this time" said
Goebel. Il guess they have killed me-"
In less than a minute a crowd of men
was around Goebel. He was losing
much blood and was becoming very
weak. He was hastily carried to the
office of DR.. E. E. Hume, in the base
ment of the Capitol hotel about 1000
feet from the spot where the shooting
occurred. He was laid on a sofa, while
DR.. Hume made a haSty examination,
~pronouncing the wound to be of a ma
ture that must cause death in a short
time.
Goebel, who showed great fortitude
nj courage throughout, smiled weak
ly as he heard the verdict Inc feebly
rolled his head from side to side in tok-
en- of dissent from that opinion. He
was carried to his room on the second
floor of the capitol hotel, and, in
addition to DR.. Hume, Drs. Mccormick
n Ely were summoned to attend him.
After a careful examination of the
wound, the doctors announced that
while exceedingly dangerous, it was not
necessarily fatal, unless complications
or blood poisoning should set in. The
I ~ itAAbS$A ASPS ~ 49, Noo1oSS
insisting again and again that he was
not going to die.
1t was decided by his friends to call
in also the services of DR.. McMurty, a
prominent surgeon of Louisville, and
rel messages were at once sent for
him. After the wound had been dress
ed Senator Goebel showed great ex-
hauStion, Inc it was by the
physicians hat he would, in all prob
ability die in a short time. He rallied,
however, and under the influence of an
opiate sank into a gentle m
which lasted several hours.
THE ASSASSIN'S HIDING PLACE.
The bullet which struck Mr.. Goebel
was fired from a window in the cen
ter of the third story of the office build
ing just east Of the capitol. That win
dow was raised about eight inches
from the still, to permit an unobstruct-
ed passage for the bullet when Mr..
Goebel should come within range.
SHOT FROM OTHER POINTS
Both Chinn and Lilliard assert that,
while the first shot came from the di-
rection of the window in the third
story, there were other shots fired from
different portions of the same building
Some of those who heard the shots say
that at least one shot was fired from
the office of the secretary of state
This, however, is not true, as there
were men in the office of the secretary
of state who rushed to the window as
soon as the shots were heard and Ii
of them declare that there was no shot
fired at all from that part of the build
ing.
The window in the third story was
left open, no effort being made to close
it by the would-be assassin, while no
another window in h building was
opened, nor were there any place:
where bullets had been fired through
them.
WHITAKER ARRESTED.
Whitaker was arrested, as he cam
down the steps to the east side of thu
state office building directly below tn
window from which the shots had beer
fired. AS he reached the sidewalk ar
was fastening toward the scene of tn,
shooting, he was met by John E. Miles
who is 76 years of age. Without hest
tation, Miles threw himself upol
Whitaker, winding his arms arounC
him and calling loudly for help.
Help was right at hand and in al