The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-01-31
GOEBEL'S REMARKABLE CAREER
The achievements of n Born Lender
in the Face of Disadvantages.


picture the characteristics Of the man the
requirements are great.
GOebel, the studious, persevering youth;
Goebel. the frugal. keen-witted. ambitious
young lawyer; Goebei, the reticent. deter
mined, fearless master Of political craft
and Goebel, the powerful respected
wealthy leader Of great party-that is his
history His character is one which only
those who knew him can fully understand
and they were not his iutlmates. for init
mates he had none.
Ia the State where ancestry, breeding
and social position are usually elements Of
tremendous importance in the making of a
mans career, GOebel is supreme with
none of them. Simple acuf4en and force of
character had raised him above the idea
Of the South, the caste OF Kentucky.
lie IS a man Of the people, he has con
sistently been for the people and the re-
suit is a personal supremacy which Joe"
blackburn himself never enjoyed. Upon
one quality m,Te than any other depended
the remarkable power Of the man from
henton county. He has in a degree that is
seldom equalti the faculty of making men
bhndiy do Is bidding. He is a born
leader
Ihlrty-nine years ago in Sullivan Coun-
", Pennsylvania the first son was born
70 the honest toilfng German IMMIGRANT.
william Goebel. Before the boy had
grown beyond infancy the GoebeI family
had removed 20 Covington. KY. and
there tine father conducted a little grocery
shop In the back room. where precious
cheese from tie fatherland and little bar
rels OF the modest brew OF a neighboring
"hrauerei' we're stored, sat the boy VIII
lam. with a book. The thirst for knowI-
edge was born in him
Father COebel was wise in his dav and
generation. He let William keep his book.
when he might have earned two or even
three dollars a week by laying IL aside
and putting his time 10 practical use. Il
vas perhaps the thought OF ali he had 10
do in the world that made the boys char
acter He had no playmates He was a
peculiar fellow altogether.
Finally William CoebeI having flashed
his career in the royington public schools.
decided within him that he should be a
lawyer. He lid not ask anyone's advice
about H. lie simply informed Father Toe
bel OF his decision and Father Goebel.
with that superior II untaught wisdom
which marked him, gave approval.
II the boy lad not made compauions Of
his own age he had carefully cultivated
speaking acquaintance vito grown men. and
lawyers especially. Therefore he Wns able
10 speak Tor himself when ke called upon
John ". Stevenson. former Governor OF
Kentucky. and foremost among the Law
yers Of the Common wealth. Here the story
Of Goebel the boy. ends II was not Ten
years afterward that John ". Stevenson
died, leaving a large est e. to be executed
without bond b. bis law partner William
GOebel. That trust remained In the hands
OF The man when he became the choice OF
the Democratic party fer Governor OF the
Commonwealth.
he aar nh !.
eruOr Stevenson's once be had acquired a
fortune OF his own. had established his
brother IN a mercantile business row
grown TO immense proportions. had sent
another brother 10 graduate az Yale had
become master IN the politics OF his
State, had fought the bitterest personal
and political rivslries. had overcome the
snimosities OF men and the prejudlces CT
society. and all without mourning the
slightest breath OF scandal either as 10 his
personal or public life.
IN 1887 he made his frst campaign. and
was elected 70 the Kentucky Senate He
was returned 20 the senate az every cleo
ton after that time and was the repre-
senteLlFe Of henton county in the consti-
tuJioual convention OF 'Sg-'9l For a short
time Law partnership between himself and
John G.. Carlisle existed
In all his career as attorney and Iegis-
latOr the keynote Of his policy had been
opposition to the entertainments OF cor
porations and this was what gave him his
strength in the State At large. His support
did not come from a personal following. for
he WAS lacking in the qualities OF the DO
liriCal mixer When he made a campaign
il was solely upon the issues current He
was not 'handshaker'
TIE most tragic episode Ia CoebeVs ca
reer was his encounter with John W Sand
ford, o. Coyington. which resulted in sand
ford 5 death. Il was most deplorable AZ
fair. but one which. under the eircum-
stances, Goebel could not have avoided with
honor According TO his policy Of opposing
corporations. GoebeI passed a bill cutting
down the revenues Of turnpikes. Sanford.
hacker and large holder Of turnpike stock
10 henton county, on this account bitterly
opposed Goebels reelection 10 the senate
That WAS eleven years ago. aud IL was the
beginning OF the Goebel- SANFORD quarrel
For four years the enmiJy grew. and
finally. at the approach OF an election. the
matter came 70 deadly issue Goebel OBJ
tained indisputable evidence that Sanford
was the author Of violent attacks made
upon him by local paper. GOebel replied
20 them in another paper making no effort
10 conceal his authorship
Everyone familiar with the circum-
stances foresaw a tragedy. Ssndford vas
skilled In the use OF firearms and a veteran
Of Morgan command. GCebcl had been
student and lawyer all his life A good
many predicted that Goebel would avoid a
meeting With the banker. One bright
morning i've years ago they met acct
dentally on the principal street OF COving-
ton.
sandford said: Are you the author o,
that artiCle7-
GOebel replied: Il am"
They fired almost simultaneously. sand
ford's bullet penetrated Goebels clothing
and underclothing, leaving a red welt
across lis body. GOebel's bullet struck
Sanford in the forehead, and he died in
d few hours.
The testimony al the CorOner's inquest
and he examining trial was that Sanford
had been the aggressor, and GOebel was
acquitted fact that had never before
been published is that Gov. John
Young Brown, knowing all the circum-
stances OF the case, sent GOebel a pard n
before he had been tried
GOebel had never had a love affair A
year ago he Rstonished friend by remark
ing; Il believe ought to have a wife,
In the discussion which followed he said
that he would not require that the woman
he married should be either rich. beautiful
or high In the social scale. He would look
to her mental qualities only
He was declared the Democratic candi-
date for Governor Of Kentucky on June q,
1893, after tuInultuous convention lasting
a week. Twenty-Five ballots were taken
without result and then the hsndmost
candidate. Capt. W. !. Stone, of Kuttawa
was dropped The race was left between
Goebel and p Watt Hardin. OF Mercer