The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-07-31
CALEB POWERS As WITNESS
DEFENDANT Nv THE NOTED MUIR
DER TRIAL TAKES THE STAND.
Admit. Having Organized the Body
of Mountafneer.-But Denies Ever
Having Intended to Inttmidnte
Members of the state Legislature.

stand tn his own benzlf today. but DID not
complete MS testimony on direct exam
nation He vii - on Tire stand al day
tomorrow His defense t. an admission
that he organized the body OF mountain
GERS who went to Frankfort on several
occasions last winter fer influences with
the state contest board and the i@gisIa-
tu-s. but not 10 inttmiaate than. He en-
tered a denial % the damaging charges
made against him by Witnesses Cult0u.
Golden. Noakss and others. On the stand
this afternoon he denied that Horace
Youtsey had the keys 70 hts Office on the
day % the assassirat ton. but said there
were two keys to the Office. one Of which
was in the possession Of former Assist
ant Secretary ~ State w J. Davidson.
and another in the possession Of Ben
Rowe. Gov Tayior's colCred porter.
Powers said neither OF these keys were
ever in his possession. and that he had his
own key I'm his pocket IN Louisville the
day Of the assassination. Davidson is in
business in the far West, supposed 10 be
In the state Of Washington and Rowe.
the colored porter. Is somewhere In In
diana probably al Anderson.
The trial was resumed al O'Clock
The jury was polled and then excluded.
during which er-Gov. Brown, for the de-
Tense. made a motion for peremptory in
structions for a verdict OF acputtzL
The motion was submitted without argu-
court. The defendant occupied hts GUS
tOrlary seat among the attorneys for the
defense and seemed to direct for the most
part the movements OF his counsel A
large number OF witnesses for the de-
Tense. including ex-Ciov. W. O. Bradley.
arrived this morning.
Lawyer Faulkner. OF Barboursviale.
stated the case. giving the lire Of evil
dence OF the defense. He reviewed the
political events for the last nine months,
and said the defense would show that
~ 10 @ara r<F7
not tried on judicial lines but on a parti-
san basis, and that politics was RESPONSE
BILE for the present prosecution He In
umated that the prosecution knows the
identity of the assassin, but has concealed
him. He said II would ba admitted that
Caleb Powers and Charles Finley orga-
of mountain men who arrived there jan
uary Il. but this was only 10 petition the
legislature and not to intimate that body
He claimed II would be shown that the
men who composed the mountain army
were not bad characters. as charged by
the other side, and ne charged also that
the Democrats at that time had also
large bodies Of men in Frankfort to back
up the contestants.
He, said Powers had In his pocket at the
time Of the killing the keys to his once
given 20 Youtsey. that Powers never even
conferred with Youtsey, Berry. Jim How
ard. Golden or Dick Combs. and that
grounds until after the killing. II would
be proved he claimed. that Weaver. one
Of the main witnesses for the prosecution.
was never in Frankfort until yesterday.
that Finley. Anderson and Robert Noakes
testified for money and ". H Cnlton in
the hope Of obtaining immunity from
prosecution, and that Wharton Golden
would also be- successfully contradiefed.
Tho defendant Powers took the witness
stand. Witness said he never knew jim
Howard. Harland Whitaker or Richard
Combs prior to the assassination Had
only known Youtsey since January !. In
regard to the Bringing Of the mountain
GERS TO Frankfort. the witness said.
There were three crowds Of men
brought TO Frankfort. and I had some
thing 10 do with the organization. The
people with the matters IN hand at that
time and not TO intifnidate either the
state election board or the Legislature,
instructed the men TO do no acts Of
violence. and so far as I know. none was
Al the afternoon session the defendant
resumed the stand. He told % the Bar
bourviIie conference, at witch Finley.
Powers and others discussed the arrange
ments for taking. the mountaineers 70
Frankfort. with John A. Black, who
strongly opposed the arrangement. The
witness said he assured Black that he
and Finley would use their best eEldea-
ing into "A mob but denied that he told
Black he was going TO organize a mob.
He said he had no recollection q having
said In the presence OF W. II. Snlton that
the Legislature would be given thirty min
tlte= ia act ana II Il did not DO ii IN
that time they would XII! the Democratic
legislators. Afterward he said positively
that no such remark was made. and add
ed The men came, and nothing of the
sort was aone. We could have cleaned
them Up. as Cultnn put u, II we had de-
sired" In regard to sending the uan
from Frankfort. the evening or January
Il about which Thomas <0akes testified
isst wsek. and told 81 1. Sreach between
the witness and Gov. Taylor. Powers
the men. and / opposed Il, as the men had
been up all The night before. ! went 90
see Gov. Taylor He told me Il had bean
decIief 70 send them home, as their pres
% the anti-e3ocoel Democrats in the leg
islaturc had strongly Disappeared -
bringing the men armed. and had threat
ened 20 desert Gov Taylor In the contest
unless he sent the men home"
The witness iestiaed that he did not
give Youtsey a key OF KEYS nor did he
and Gptien in reference 20 G0ensl going
10 30 KILLED ~ rallow Dick Couas re
iafiye building and Yoatsev asked him 10
'et him into the office Witness Gid NOT
know why foutsey wanted % set IN
there, hut witness fi1 NOT want him n
there. Witness had his keys Ia his
pocket
Tie talked with Treasurer Day and with
" J Davidson. Monday evening jan
vary -. about bringing another body %
men 80 Frankfort, bat did NOT 6FcifA
uh Tuesday noTuing The m0ruluE q
fhe aHss ssiua'toa it was agreed % % IT,
Day. Golden and witness went O. L9gis-
yt3e Tor the purpose of securing IRE
transportation ~ tie crowd thai was got.
ten 10. TIE witness daelMre6 tbs silr ~
paper found IN hiss pocket when Ne was
arrested ard which reai 'FuWers Is oar
= ID siEasdl W .aal ~, Sas givea.
The asssssinafion. % Be taken 70 Pension
Assent Leslie Combs AZ Asouisviiie. who
had charge - the funds with which she
3 = ~ fetrss