Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1900-08-19

We, the jury, find the defenda 1T
guilty, and fix his punishment at con-
finement in the penitentiary for the
rest OF his natural life."
This was the wording of the verdict
rendered to-day in the case of ex-Sec-
rotary of State Caleb Powers, charged
with being an accessory before the fact
TO the murder of VIM. Goebel. The
jury retired at 1882 p. N. and return
ed its verdict at 2:25, having been out
only SO minutes.
The vote in favor Of life sentence
was unanimous.
When the jury retired the belief was
general that its members would fail to
agree and in this opinion the defendant
himself was fully convinced.
When the verdict of guilty was re
turned, Powers, for the first time during
the weary six weeks of the trial betray-
ed his feelings. Under all of the try
ing incidents of the trial, he had main
tanned a changeless expression. The
verdict Of guilty, however, apparently
staggered him. He was sitting near the
door of the jury room and when the
jurors knocked on the door summoning
the sheriff, his face took on an anxious
look. When the twelve men filed into
the room and took their seats and as
Clerk Penn called the roll OF jurors the
prisoner did not appear TO be more
excited than the vast throng of specta-
tors.
Have you made verdict gentle
men?" inquired the court.
I'VE have" the jurors assented, and
at the same time, Mr.. Stone. the fora,
man, passed the verdict to the clerk,
who read it aloud, Powers, always pale,
grew CHASTITY whfle as the verdict WAS
read, and his face
Bet0kened Great Mental Anguish.
Then, somewhat regaining his compos-
ure, he turned to the Misses Dangerheid,
who had been in conversation with
him, and said:
1 was not expecting that. The YER
dict is unjust
There was no sort of demonstration
following the verdict and the vast
crowd filed out of the court house
almost instantly. Powers remained
in the court room for some time after
the verdict was rendered, in confer
ence with his attorneys, who will at
once move for new trial, and, fail
ing in that, will take an appeal.
When the jurymen entered the jury
room Juror Stone, the oldest man on
the panel was elected foreman.
Juror Porter, the only Republican
on the jury, the first to speak, said:
Gentlemen, l am Republican and
l have said that | did not believe Goe-
bells murder was the result of a con-
spiracy. l did not think Caleb Powers
could be guilty but I have heard the
evidence and 1 am convinced he Is
Others also made talks, and it Is
said one Of the men of the jury in
timated that he thought the death
penalty ought to be inflicted. How
ever, when a ballot was taken
All Twelve OF
voted for life Imprisonment.
Ine jury which sat in the case was
composed OF eight Democrats, three
anti-Goebel Democrats and one Re-
publican.
One of the jurors said tonight that
the jurymen were influenced In making
up their verdict by many things in the
evidence. but that some Of the chief
points We're Powers own admission on
the stand that he organized the crowd
OF 1900 armed mountaineers which
came to Frankfort January Is. his
Confederation of parts of the testimony
of Noakes, Golden and Culton, the
proof that he gave Youtsey the key
and that the shot was fired from his
office. 1t is doubtful whether the
Youtsey case will be tried. although
it will be called on Monday.
Mr.. Crawford, of the defense, made
a statement in court this afternoon
that Youtsey, according to his physi-
clan, is still threatened with typhoid
fever One of his attorneys, John NJ.
Stephenson, is also i'll OF typhoid fever,
and Mr.. Crawford could not say wheth-
er or not the defense would be ready
On Monday. N the event LUS 1OuLsel
case is continued, one of the other
cases, either that Of Davis, Whitaker
or Combs will be taken up.
Mount Not Ready to Say.
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind, Aug. 1S.-Gov-
ernor Mount said this afternoon when
told OF the verdict in the Powers case
at Georgetown that ne was not sur
prised and had expected conviction
Asked as TO wha; he would now do
if another request is made for extra
dition of Charles Finley he refused to
say definitely. Il Will settle those mat
tiers as they come before me" was his
only reply.
Pleases blackburn.
Lexington. KY, Aug. Ex-senator
Blackburn stopped here on his way
home between trains when he heard
of the Powers verdict. On being told
of the sentence he exclaimed:
Thank God for tnat | had expected
hung jury. / believed three men on
that jury at least would hang it,
People here discuss the verdict with
intense but suppressed feelings.