The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1900-08-01
HOUSTON POST: WEDNESDAY MORNING. AUGUST 1900
TRIAL OF CALEB POWERS
lie Admitted Having Written a Letter Say
Ing that He Was
FOR AN OPEN DECLARATION OF WAR
He Was Out After More Men, Intend
ing to Bring Them 10 Frankfort
When He Heard of Assassination.

Georgetown, KY. July s1.--The direct
testimony of ex-Secretary of stale Caleb
Powers as a witness In his own behalf,
was no concluded until o'clock this af-
ternoon and the oss-examination. which
will take up at least all OF tomorrow. had
progressed only short way when tho
court adjourned this afternoon.
Powers resumed the witness stand in
his own behalf today and took up the tes-
timony where he had left OH yesterday
afternoon. The witness said that on the
morning of the assassination he was pre-
pdring 10 go TO louisville to maze ar
rdngements Tor bringing more people 10
Frankfort. He locked ais office door as
described by Witness Golden. lie mad NJ
recollt ctlon OF anything he said concern
ing suspicious actions wnich Golden mad
referred to, and was certain uothlngN -
this sort was slid. AT La Grange tAe
party heard that Goebel had been assas-
sinated and that the shot had been fled
from the second or third story OF the eX
ecutive building. The witness c-ntinued:
Il said IL was shame and an outrage
and that it would blight the chances of
all OF US whose offices were in contest. l
expressed similar sentiments TO other peo-
pie that day. We went on to Louisville,
but as the assassination of Mr.. Goebel
had upset our political plans we of course
abandoned the idea of bringing more men
10 Frankfort"
Witness said that the statement of
Golden that he spoke derisively when told
of the shooting was absolutely false. Il
thought it my duty" he continued, TO
return to Frankfort as soon as possible.
and did so that afternoon. | went TO the
executive building and, with my key the
only one | ever had to the office, unlocked
the door. ! found that the lock had been
battered and had difficulty in getting the
key out of it. 4 did not take the lock off
and supplant 1t with a new one. as has
been stated in the evidence. J. B. nat
thews put on the new lock-"
The witness said he never heard any
sort of violence talked of in any OF the
councils in which he participated, except
in one held in the commissioner of agri-
cultures office in which Sheriff Burton
of Breckenridge county talked in an in
cendiary manner and was reproved by
witness.
The day after the assassination witness
said he begun an investigation to learn
where the shot was fred from. The news
papers were intimating that the shooting
was done from his office. He employed
J. B. Matthews and Detective Griffin of
Somerset to assist in the Investigation.
II made no statement to Golden that |
was satisfied the shots came from. my Of
flee and did not tell him l was thinking
of ing to the commemorative attorney
to tell him all ! knew. | did have talk
with Governor Bradley about going to
see Franklin, but he advised against II
and l did not 60
Powers then detailed the events imme-
diately preceding the arrest of himself
and Captain Davis. He said his attorney
Judge Yost, advised him to make his way
to the mountains and remain there until
public excitement died out before giving
himself up tor trial
The legislature had appropriated $780,,
600 for tho prosecution of persons charged
with the crime' and l did not believe It
was possible for me to get fair trial in
Franklin county. Moreover. l did not
believe that the civil authorities there
would protect me. l did not know that I
could get a change of venue and these
were the reasons that suggested fight
from Frankfort"
Witness said he wrote the letter to Prof.
Stevens of Barboursville, February 10,
saying: THE present demoralized condi-
tion of the democratic party is due to me
more than to any other man in the State.
They know that ann in favor of an open
declaration of war"
Ex-Governor Brown, who was conduct
ing the direct examination asked what
he meant by this expression. The prose-
cution objected to any explanation OF the
letter on the ground that there was no
ambiguity about the words used and that
it should so to the jury to be construed
1 by it. The court sustained this coaten-
Ition holding that as long as the defendant
and other witnesses had given the same
=, .ft H.,
letter that the jury should judge as to
the meaning of 1t. The defense made an
exception.
OF the $1,000 in money in his pockets al
the time of his arrest. $500 of 1t was $
own personal money snd $500 OF il be-
longed to the republican campaign fund.
The witness denied that he ever had
any one Of a half dozen or more CONVEX
stations with witness Wharton Golden
about which the latter told on the stand
last week, and denied that he ever talked
with him or any one else about the killing
OF Goebel.
! In regard to the testimony OF Robert
Noakes the witness said he never had a
conversation with Noakes in regard 10
the smokeless powder cartridges and
never saw Noakes at Frankfort Janua y
20, when Noakes alleged that the witness
: made so many damaging statements To
MIN. Inc NlJue0S was kept DuSy denying
statements made by witnesses Noakes
Golden Culton and Anderson.
The direct examination was concluded
= at 2:50, at the close OF which the lawyers
for the defense held a short consultation
When this was finished. the cross-ex-
animation was commenced, Colonel Camp
bell conducting 1t. Colonel Campbell sa 4
to the witness; you have stated TIA
the men you brought to Frankior, Jan
uary % were sober, good citizens and did
not contain any mountain feudsts, DC
:. you know Joseph Adkins, who is reputet
= to have killed half dozen menu
The witness said he had no recollection
! of seeing Adkins in Frankfort until af;el
, the assassination. dozen men of ques
tionable character were also menti,n
/ as being on the train, but the witness onll
), Identified few OF them. This line o
D Interrogation was still under way whel
l the court adjourned until tomorrow.