The age-herald., 1900-07-21
NOAKES PROVES A
 DAMAGING WITNESS Gave Some Sensational Evidence in Powers Case. IS A RAILROAD CONDUCTOR He Told a Startling Story of the Plans ! of Powers to Have Goebel Kill
 ed-Jury Was Strong I ly Impressed t~..
IS A RAILROAD CONDUCTOR

l sensational testimony yet given in the 1 trial of Secretary of State Caleb Powers was given by Robert Noaks, Louisville
 and Nashville NRairoad conductor of Cor l bin, Whitley county. The manner of the witness and the ease and accuracy with
 which he detailed events was such to make a deep impression on the audience | which was larger today than at any time | since the first and second days of the trial l During the testimony against him. the l first that has so far been brought out di- | rectly connecting Powers with the assassi- nation, the defendant did not change color. | At no time since the trial, whether the | evidence was favorable or otherwise, has Powers changed expression more than to smile occasionally when things were go- ing his way, or to blush barely perceptibly l on other occasions Today, as usual, he sat with his counsel and prompted them as to | the questioning on cross-examination. | Miss Anna Weist of Louisville, who was | stenographer to Auditor Sweeny and was l in the executive building when the assas- | sination occurred, was the first witness | called in the Powers trial today. She heard | only three shots, and the sound came from
 the direction of the office of the Secretary | of State She was in the Auditors office l at the time.
 Immediately after the shooting several 1 persons came into the room, but l did not | know any of them I never heard anybody | ask who was shot, and 1t was five minutes l before l heard what had occurred Youtsey Had Rifle
 | Asked as to what conversations she had | heard prior to the shooting, witness said Henry Youtsey came into her office the 1 day of the VanmeterB Berry contest and | told her she had better leave the State | House, as trouble was likely to occur | Youtsey had a rifle in his hand at the | time.
 Miss Weist said that few minutes after | the shooting, Assistant Secretary of State | Matthews stationed two men with guns at the door of the building, with orders to allow no one to either enter leave the | building.
 l Miss Snuffer of Williamsburg testified | that Powers told her January IA that be- | fore he would be robbed he would kill the | last one of them, at the same time exhibit l ing a pistol.
 Also read from letter from Powers say l ing mountaineers produced a good effect. 1 In another letter Powers said he did not l want to see Charles Finley. There was no l need of an understanding for them to tell | the truth. Finley was as innocent as he l (Powers) was. This was written four days | before Powers arrest.
 l Noakes on stand
 Robert Noakes was called as a witness. l Noakes said John and Caleb Powers and Charles Finley conferred with him in No- vember after the election relative to bring | ing armed men to Frankfort at the time l of the meeting of the State Election Con- | mission Board They told him they wanted 1 him to bring as many men as he could and 1 when they reached Frankfort they should | act in such a manner so as to give the ex- l cuse to call out the militia. The object 1 was explained to witness as an effort to | intimidate the election commissioners 1 Noakes told of being asked by Caleb Pow l CTS to get company of militia composed l Of men who would fight. He also asked l Noakes to get smokeless powder cartridges 1 He secured company and 1t was mustered l in. Then Powers directed him to capture | two trains and bring his company to Frank l fort. Charles Finley objected and warned | Noakes not to do that and proposed to hire | the trains. Asked if Powers ever spoke to l him about Goebel, he said yes. Powers 1 said the contests would amount to nothing | and that when Goebel was dead not a man | in the state could hold the party together Witnesses had talked with. John T. Pow | CTS, who said: This is life and death oti uSSiS Wltu us, Dul we intend 10 hold | own even if we have to kill some one," Wit | ness Noakes continued.
 T formed company and Governor Brad- l ley sent a man who mustered the com | pany in"
 Received Message from Powers On January 12th witness received a mes- | sage from Caleb Powers, who asked him | to take his company to Frankfort Powers l said it had been arranged to capture train No S0 of | train No. 26 of the Knoxville branch to take | the men to Frankfort. It was intended to | send 1,500 in all. On the nights of January | P and g Charles Finley awakened Noaks. | Finley was not satisfied with the arrange ment for going to Frankfort and opposed | capturing trains He warned Noaks not to | take part in it, and said he would go to | Barbourvile and try toget Powers to aban- don such plans.
 Witness said Finley went to Louisville.
 saying rather than capture trains he would l pay for them himself. That day a teIe- l gram from Louisville asked if Finlev,s l check was good for $1000. Caleb Powers
 then said Finley was getting too d-n | shaky"
 l Did Powers ever say anything to you | about Goebel?" | Yes: he was on my train one day and
 said, The contests won't amount to | d-n, and Goebel is dead and in h-l There | Is not another man in the State who can | hold his party together
 The train was from Louisville which car l ried the men on January 25. At Richmond | Culton got on the train and told us when we arrived at Frankfort we should say we | were going to petition the Legislature. | told the boys to carry their guns naturally | as if hunting, and not in military position | After we got to the state house John Pow
 l CTS told me to stand closer to the executive | building as I might get hurt. He said: | Some of our men are upstairs and when
 | Goebel and those other fellows come in | they going to do the work for them. Must Not be Done
 | I told him this must not be done He | told me to keep cool. I went back into the l Secretary of States office. Caleb Powers | said: Bob, I understand you have two | men in your company who would kill la | man if you wanted them to do it.' I told l him l did not believe I had such a man. | and he mentioned Chadweu and Jones' I
 told him I did not believe they were men