The St. Louis Republic., 1900-09-02
How the Mother
Took the News
of Her Sons
Conviction.
Observation-Disclosures

Special Correspondence Of The Sunday Republic.
Lexington. KY, Aug. a.-To see the home
of Caleb Powers It is necessary TO make a
trip TO the heart of the Kentucky noun
tains The man who. at the age of 81, has
gone into history ms a former Secretary OF
State, and who has been convicted as an
accessory before the fact to the murder of
VIM Goebel. was reared in a simple home
in Knox County in Southeastern Kentucky.
Up among the hills. nine miles from Bar
bourvilIe. in the beautiful little valley
which follows the windings OF Brush
Creek, is the home of the mother and
father of Caleb Powers. While beautiful
to look upon, the land is Of poor white clay.
which, with hard labor. will produce good
crop OF corn. This crop is TO the mountains
what the wheat crop is TO the Northwest,
and when 1t fails there is suffering always.
sometimes starvation. For more than
twenty years the Powers family has made
its home on Brush Creek. When they first
moved from Little Poplar 10 Brush Creek
the home was log cabin of two rooms,
situated Just back of the present home;
now Il is a little claphoarded cottage with
four small rooms and kitchen. surrounded
by a thick orchard Of apple trees. In the
rear are three or four log outhouses and
away to the right, aimos. hid among the
trees. is q log stable. where the saddle
horses. Indispensable TO mountain travel.
are kept. In this quiet retreat these two
old people sit and suffer at what they
think is crying injustice TO their son.
Sometimes the mother will break out in a
quiet remark which, in spite of her sixty
seven years, shows that she can still hate
and will remember till her dying day the
man who 'swore to a pack OF lies" and
condemned her eldest son to a prison cell.
IT is impossible TO reach Brush Creek ex-
cept on horseback. There is a roundabout
road that leads to the home, which may
be Travelled in a buggy. but this is only
possible when the Cumberland River is low
and the ford is passable. Acting on the
advice Of friends, your correspondent Sc
cured a companion for the trip who was
known to the mountain people.
mo harm will be done to you" 1t was
said your life will be as safe as II
would be anywhere. but ever since Caleb
Powers has been arrested Knox County
has been full of detectives. and the people
are suspicious. 1t is not impossible that
some one may stop you on the road, turn
your horse around and advise you to so
back to town.
-Four miles up the valley OF the Cum
berland. a mile over Hooker's Hill and
four miles up Brush Creek and the Pow
ers homestead is reached. The yard is sur
rounded by an old-time worm fence and
the gate is a homemade affair of long
slaves built on a frame of young saplings.
In the mountains every one is welcome TO
come in and receive the best that the house
affords, and the Powers home is no ex-
ception. Money is scarce. yet 1t Is the
rarest occurrence when a mountain man
win accept anything for entertaining a
stranger. Amos Powers the father OF
Caleb, hurried into the house at sight of
strangers and was ready to welcome them
on the front porch when they approached.
81 saw Caleb yesterday said your cor
respondent, land told bin that was COM
ing to Brush Creek. He told me to deliver
this message: Say to mother and father
that am going to come out of this They
know that I am innocent. Tell them that
i will finally get Justice: that 1 have not