The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-05-05
A NET IS CLOSING
AROUND YOUTSEY
The Most Important Testi-
mony Yet Given.
IT Is DEAD AGAINST HIM
Tayloy's Private Secretary and Asst
Sec'y. Of State Testify.
IT Is DEAD AGAINST HIM
TWO OTHER PEOPLE MAKE STATEMENTS
Secretary Of States Office Locked. Three Guns
Therein. One Seemed to Have Been
Fired. Youtsey's Position at Window
His Flight Through Basement.
(By the Associated Press.)

Frankfort KY, May 1.-The most i'm
portant testimony yet in connection
with the Goebel assassination was
brought out tonight in the hearing for
hail in the Culton case. Assistant Secre
tary of State ]. B. Matthews and Nc
Kenzie Todd, private secretary to Cover
nor Taylor were star witnesses. Mat
thews stated that pardons were issued 10
Charles Finley, John l.. Powers, liar
land Whitaker and possibly W. II. Culton.
At tonight's session of the trial OF Cap
tain Culton Assistant Secretary OF state
j. b. Matthews testified
Il was in the Governors reception loom
when the assassination occurred John
Davis had just handed me my mail The
first shot sounded to me as if it came
from between the two buildings. !. got
pistol and started out AS | opened the
door I met Henry Youtsey who was COM
ing in. He had revolver in his hand.
He asked me where the shooting was.
Governor Taylor asked Mr.. Hargrove TO
so out and see what had happened. Tar
grove went out just ahead of me. | re-
NAMED out of the office but a few min
utes, and when l returned several per-
pie had come into the office. We tried
to get in the Secretary of States Office
to get some guns there. but the doors
were locked and | had to crowd ever the
transom to get in. The windows and cur
tains were down. A rifle was lying Try one
of Che windows with the butt toward me
east. There was also rifle III each
corner of the left side of the
room. Two were of 3S-calibre. I
examined them to see if they had re-
Gently been fired. ! am positive that two
of them were loaded but am not sure
as to the other one. 1t soiled my HANDS.
but l do not know that this was caused
by powder. Don't know where this rife
is now. The extreme west window was
raised about four inches when inspected
the room"
Ex-State Auditor L. c. Norman testi-
fled that prior to the assassination ne
overheard Judge George Denny of Lexing-
ton say:
Somebody ought to kill Goabnl, and
Governor Taylor ought to pardon the man
that did it,"
Witness communicated tho remark TO
Goebel Mckenzie food, Private Secre-
tary to Governor Taylor testified that he
saw two guns in the office of the Secre-
assassination. Youtsey was in the room
and later picked up one of the guns and
took position near the window. He
asked Youtsey what he was going to do.
Youtsey said he thought there was trou-
BILE in the Legislature building AID that
if it started he wanted to be pres ent.
Ed Steffe who was standing Oh the
rortico in front of the State House,
saw Goebel fall. Looking up he thought
he saw the barrel of a rifle pointing Oh.
of the window of the office IF the Secre-
tary of State. The rifle, according to
the witness, was drawn in and the win
dow closed. On cross examination Steffe
said that after the shot was md he
thought he saw a little smoke Use ABOVE
the window
Wade Watts. bootblack in the base
ment of the executive building. said he
heard somebody run down the steps into
the basement after the assassination and
then saw Youtsey running through the
basement. He overheard some men whom