The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-03-27
PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION INTO
THE G0EBEL MURDER.
FORTY WITNESSES FOR STATE
Evidence that the shots Came from
the section of the Building
in which the Secretary's ONCE Is
Located Golden to be Put
on the stand Later-The Court House
Guarded Inside and Outside by Troops
and Deputy Sherifs.

Franfort, KY, March 23.-The pre-
;iminary examination of SECRETARY of
State Caleb Powers, charged with
abetting the assassination of William
Goebel, began today before Judge
Moore. The court house was guarded
inside and out by militia and scores
Of deputy sheriffs armed with Win
chester rifles, to prevent possible in
reference from "m-ountaineers' who
were reported on their "a to Crank
fort, but their presence was unneces-
sary, as the -mountaineers failed TO
appear and no disorder occurred.
The commemorative witnesses were
called, numbering forty. Golden was
not in the list.
The witnesses today included Warden
Eph LiIlard, Detective Armstrong,
Sheriff Bosworth, of Fayerte county,
who arrested Secretary Powers, and
Captain John Davis, and Silas Jones,
of Whitley county, who is now under
bond charged with completely in the
murder.
The testimony tended to show that
the shots came from that section of
the executive building, in which Sec
rotary Powers office is located, al
though no one Swore that the shots
| were from the S~ecretary'S office.
F. Wharton Golden, who is said to
have made a confession, will be put on
the witness stand later.
Prosecuting Attorney Potsgrove said
tonight that sufficient evidence had
already been heard to warrant holding
Powers, but that the case would be
much stronger before he was through.
Former Governor Brown, for the de-
Tense, says the evidence 50 far is de-
cidedly weak.
1t is probable that all of the witnesses
for the prosecution Will be heard by TO-
morrow afternoon.
During the afternoon a soldier in the
rear courtyard dropped his revolver
or the stone tagging and it exploded.
In an instant every man in the crowd
ed court room was on his feet, fully a
third of them with their sands to their
rear pockets.
Eph Lillard, warden of the Frankfort
| p~enitentiary, testified that he walked
just a little a head of Senator Goebel
and when the first shot was fired he
saw that the second window in the Of
flee of the secretary of state, was
slightly raised. The other shots, ne
said, did not come from the sane
! place. The first shot was evidently
from a rifle, while the others seemed
to be from pistols.
Policeman Wingate Thompson teSti-
fed that as the crowd was carrying
Senate Goebel out of the yard, he say
and recognized John Davis and Berry
Howard among the men there.
Detective Armstrong;, of Louisville.
said that Secretary Powers refused
any information whatever at the time
of the shooting as to who was in the
building.
Captain John F. Hawn, of Barbour
vile, testified that Powers had asked
him to turn over his ammunition and
company to Lieutenant Gibson, preyi-
u to the shooting.
Governor Brown made the point that
a man n n be convicted as an alder
of a crime unless some principal is con
victed of the crime. AS the aetna
murder of Goebel has not yet bean
named, the point possibly involved the
liberty of Secretary Powers. Judge
Moore ruled against the defense.
Silas Jones, of Whitley county, testi.
fled he thought the shots were fired
from the corner of the building in
which Secretary Powers office is To-
Gated. He Immediately walked into
the ante-room where he saw Davis
and Governor Taylor among others
There was considerable excitement, thu
governor came to the door and wanted
to know who was shot.
Did you see any one try to oper
Caleb Powers door?" asked Attorna1
PotSgrove.
yet, 1 saw a man with sandy wills,
kers trying to open h door. H
struck it with a Ratchet" replied Mr.
Jones.
Jones said there was much noise, blu
he could not say that he heard an,
from Secretary Powers office.
On cross examination Jones said h,
saw Powers leave his office during tn,
morning for Louisville. This was pre-
vious to the shooting. The witnes.
said the shots sounded as if fired from
the same gun, but he could not say
positively whether they were fred from
h upper or the lower story of tn,
building.