The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-07-31

CultOn in the hope Of obtaining i'm
munity from the prosecution, and that
Wharton Golden's evidence will be sue
cessfully contrsdicted.
The Defendant on the Stand.
The defendant. Caleb Powers, took
the witness stand. He declared that
he never knew Jim Howard Harland
Whitaker or Richard Coombs, three
OF the defendants, prior to the assas-
snation. He had only known Youtsey
since Jan. 1. In regard to the bring
ing of the mountaineers to Frankfort,
witness said:
There were three crowds of men
brought to Frankfort. and had some
thing to do with the organization of
each. The purpose was to show the
interest of these people in the matters
at issue at that time and not to in
timidate either the state election board
or the legislature. l instructed the
men to do no acts of violence and, so
far as i know, none were committed
by them"
Powers continued: "The last crowd
of men We're brought for a double
purpose. We expected to use them as
witnesses before the contest board
and also to show by their presence
the interest they felt in the contests.
We had also heard rumors that we
were to be forcibly elected from the
offices. These rumors based on
newspaper reports and we intended to
resist violence"
Mr.. Bradley, of counsel for prose-
cution, objected to the statement and
asked that II be excluded on the
ground that newspaper reports could
not be given as evidence. The court
ruled that it was incompetent for the
witness to detail newspaper reports
or to tell of apprehensions which he
based on common rumor.
Witness said he had received infor-
nation that Mr.. Hall, the contestan,
for secretary of state, would not wait
until the contests We're settled in court
but would try to take forcible posses.
sion as soon as the contest board act
ed. "If that sort OF thing had beer
attempted" he said, 1--WE intended tc
hold the offices. / had a conference
with Governor Taylor and he advised
the bringing OF n large body Of mer
to show their interest in political af'
| fairs. He also advised that they bf
brought armed and promised to pay
| the expenses. I acted on this. The
| plans were kept a secret to prevent
| dropping us through a bridge or de-
| railing our train. told those in tht
| conference that the utmost secrecy
must be observed in getting then
there before the news got out"
At the afternoon session the defend
q OF a
the jury receipts from various parties
which he said We're for money paid hy
| him for board for some OF the noun
| tain men brought by him to the state
| capital. He then told OF the Barbour
willie conference, at which Finley
| Powers and others discussed the ar
rangements with John a. Black, who
| strongly opposed the movement. Th1
witness said he assured Black that he
and Finley would use their best en-
| deavors to keep the crowd from de-
| generating into mob, but denied that
| he told Black he was going to organize
a mob He said that he had not sail
| i'm the presence of w. II. Culton that
the legislature would be given thirty
minutes to act and II 1t did not do Il
| in that time they would kill the Demo
| cratic legislators, In regard to send
| ing the men home from Frankfort tht
evening of jim. IS, about which VII
ness Noakes testified last week ant
| told of a breach between the witness
and Governor Taylor Powers said:
| IT heard that they were going tC
send the men home and l opposed it
as the men had been up all the night
before. went to see Governor Tay'
| lor. He told me II had been decidet
to send them home. as their presence
was having a bad effect. Some OF tht
anti-Goebel Democrats in the legtsa
ture had strongly disapproved OF
| bringing the men armed and had
threatened to desert Governor Taylor
| in the contest unless he sent the mer
| home"
Did Not Give Keys to Youtsey.
The witness did not give Youtsey ;
| key or keys to his office nor did h
| have a conversation with John Power
| and Golden in reference TO Goebel be
| ing killed by "Tallow Dick" Coombs
He did meet Youtsey in the hall o.
the legislative building and Youtse.
asked him to let him into the office
| Witness did not know why Youtse,
wanted to get in there, but witness
| did not want him in there. Witness
had his keys in his pocket. Previou