The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-03-25
OLD-BLOODED PLAN TO
ASSASS|NATE COEBEL
Startling Testimony is Brought Out at Murder Trial
at Frankfort Yesterday.
Proposed to Kill Enough Democratic Legislators to Give
Republicans Majority.

man Vera brougft to Frankfort. They
were fed back of the state house Cap
tain Davis and Charles Finley provides
the provisions.
Continuing, Golden said: I'VE sent
most of them back that night By We
I mean myself, Powers, Davis. CultOn
and Governor Taylor Finley Taylor
and Powers decided to send back all
EXCEPT ten or fifteen from each county
I selected twelve armed men to be kept
from Knox county. Deputy Marshal
George Thomas selected the men from
Laurel county. About 175 men Of the
mountaineers brought to Frankfort re-
manned here to see that we got justice"
Clean Out the Democrats.
Did you have any further converse
ton with Powers regarding the work
to be done by the men coming here?'
mo, sir. They understood what they
were kept here for We knew that
those men were here to go into that leg
islative hall and, If necessary. clean
out enough Democrats to make "a ma
jorfty on our side"
The answer created a sensation. Col
den said he was in the executive build
ing on the day before the shooting. He
met Powers in Governor Taylor'S ante
room Powers asked him TO go to
Louisville that day. He told Powers
/ AJOLtlg AG NdS SO4ll6 " L1DA-os Vile Win
Caleb Powers.
During a lengthy argument over a
technical point Golden became i'll and
court adjourned to 100 o'clock
Golden resumed his testimony at the
afternoon session. He said John Powers
and a blaek-eyed, mOustached man had
a talk concerning the closing Of Secre-
tary Powers Office during the latter's
absence.
at bad nv hail 4,,ry,e5 ., ro+5 Golden
''but when I turned I saw John Powers
give the key to the man. John Powers
said to me:
GOebel Going to Be Killed.
'GoebeI is going to be killed this
done He said: Don't get excited; I
gave that man the wrong key said:
We must go and see Caleb John
Powers saw him; did not"
What was next done2"
I've all went back to the state house.
did not go TO Louisville that morning.
1 can't say why"
DO you know a man named Dick
Coombs?' asked Attorney Campbell
1 do He is a colored man and liveq
IN -BeattYville- He came down with
the Lee county contingent
Did you have any talk with Caleb
or John Powers about Dick Coombs?' %
mo, but they had two negroes there
TO kill Goebel John Powers told ma
so. They were Hooker Smith and DfcH
| CoOmbs. saw Dick Cooubs at the
| drug store near the depot every morn
I ing for a week or so previous to tia
/ shooting. CoOmbS, talking to a man
named Wallace, in my presence, saidi
On him, I know him as far as I can
| see him, and can kill him as far as s
| can see him He was talking of GoebeI
| This conversation was in the adjutant
| generals Office. He also said:
Boast of the Assassin.
know his every. movemer+ and 7
| can MT him With this as far as !. can
see him. He carried a Colts 90 that
shoots Winchester cartridge. CooTnbs
was IN the assistant adjuta1t general's
once IN the morning of the SHOOTING
with Kicker Smith and Jim Wa1Iace
l saw the man who got the kew froT,
John Powers there. He is a. little man
When We John Powers and mvseJ0
| went back there he said: TYou haI-a
| given me the wrong key I don't re-
MEMBER what John said to him The
rest OF the day I was around town
No reference was made to the kew H.,
rest OF the day. The key was in CaIeh'S
On Tuesday did you meet Caleb and