Evening star., 1900-03-24
HIRED TO DO MURDER
Purpose of Tavlorites in Bringing
Feudists to Frankfort.
GOLDEN ON TIE WITNESS STAND
He BIuntIy Tells of Intent to Re-
duce Democratic Majority.
TAKEN ILL WHILETESTIFYING

FRANKFORT, Ky, March 24.--The pros
| ecution in the case against Secretary of
State Caleb Powers. charged with COM
plicity in the Goebel assassination intro
| duced its principal witness today, +. Whar-
ton Golden of Knox county, an intimate
frie nd of Secretary Powers.
The court room was jammcd long before
the hour set for the examination, and when
finally the doors We're closed large crowd
remained outside The commonwealth eX-
poets to rest it's case during the morning
session Just what testimony in rebuttal
| the defense will introduce is not known
\ but unless Golden's testimony proves SEN
satiOnal. it is considered probable the de-
fense will submit the without argu-
ment.
Secretary of State Powers was the only
one of the defendants brought into court
Capt. Davis and Culton remaining in jail
F. Wharton Golden OF Barboursvillc was
sworn the first witness. He said he had
known Secretary Powers for seventeen or
eighteen years and was a good friend Of
all the defendants. Witness was in Frank
fort in January and February and saw
Powers nearly every day. He Was In
Frankfort on January II and went to Har-
Ian county on January ~: then went to
Laurel county for two or three days, from
/ there returning to Frankfort.
Where then did you go?-to Barhours-
vile?" asked Attorney Campbell.
Refused to Answer.
The witness refused to answer.
Powers told him to go to Harlan county
and tell Postmaster John Hirst to send
down ten witnesses in the contest case.
He told me to go to Harlan county and
tell Mr.. Hirst to send down ten men who
were regular mountain feudists.'
What was your understanding of that
| request?''
well, men who would stand uu. and. if
necessary. go into that legislative hall and
kill off enough to make it in our favor.
Il did not see Mr.. Hirst. | saw Hamp
Howard. | told him we wanted ten men
who had good Colts-forty-iives.
Were the forty-fves to be put in evi-
| dence?" asked Attorney Campbell.
Most assuredly they were. answered
Golden.
Golden said he did not know the wit
| nesses who came to Frankfort He deliv-
| cred the message to Howard on the Sunday
preceding the Goebel shooting.
When did you next see Caleb Powers?
II saw him on Tuesday. / got on the
train at Ferris station, Laurel county. He
Pease and Locket. He told me to take
care of them. ] next saw Powers in Frank
fort. l don't remember what conversation
we had then"
Who selected the men who came from
Harlan county,
"Hamp Howard selected thirty men. be-
sides the ten. Caleb Powers | think. Sc
lected the men from Knox county. There
were about seventy or eighty. County At
torney Sparks selected the men from Laurel
county.
Wanted an Army of MOuntaineers.
When witness saw Powers in London the
secretary said he wanted a regular army
of mountain men to come. In all about
200 or 800 men We're brought to Frank
| fort, the witness said. They were fed back
| of the state house, Captain Davis and
| Charlss Finley providing the provisions.
| Continuing, Golden said:
| We sent most of them back that night.
By we l mean myself, Powers, Captain
Davis. William CuEon and Governor Tay-
lor. Finley, Taylor and Powers decided to
send them back. all except ten or fifteen
from Zach county. About 115 mountaineers
brought to Frankfort remained here to see
| that we got justice.
We understood what they were kept here
| for. We knew that those men were here to
| go into that legislative hall and if necessary
clean out those fellows.
What feIlows?"
The dernocrats-enough to make a ma
jority on our side
| The answer created sensation in the
| court room.
| Golden said he was in the executive build
ing the day before the shooting He met
| Caleb Powers in Gov. Taylor's ante-room.
| Powers asked him to go to Louisville that
| day. He told John Powers he was going 10
Louisville with Caleb Powers. During a
| lengthy argument over technical point
| Golden became Ill and court was adjourned
| to / 80 O'Clock.