Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-05-23
rHE GovERNon OLE INDIANA.

It has all along been suspected that
Governor Mount, of Indiana, Republl-
IAN, would refuse to honor any requi-
sition from Governor Beckham, OF
Kentucky, Democrat, for men charged
DIR suspected of being concerned in the
murder of William Goebel, in the State
House grounds at Frankfort, This is
what happened Monday evening
Immediately after Governor Beck
ham received news of the decision of
the Supreme Court of the United
States he issued requisition papers
upon Governor Mount, of Indiana, for
Charles S. Finley, formerly Secretary
of State of the State of Kentucky and
now a fugitive from justice at Indian
Apolis. The requisition was placed in
the hands of q. T. Thomson, police
officer of Frankfort, who at once left
for Indianapolis, where he arrived at
D. m. on Monday. He went to po-
lice headquarters, stated his errand,
and Finley was arrested, taken to
headquarters and there detained.
Later he had to be released. Of
ficer Thomason and Detective Holtz
then waited upon Governor Mount, at
his hotel. The Governor was at sup
per. and kept the officers waiting for
an hour. The telegraph tells the rest
of the story thus:
The official papers borne by OFFICER
Thomason, consisted of the .requisltion
which bore the official seal Of the state,
and were in regular form, the a1lldaVlt
signed by the prosecuting attorney OF
Franklin county, KY, charging Finley
with being accessory before the fact to
the wilful murder of VIM Goebel
Governor Mounts refusal to honor the
reuuisition was written on the back of
the requisition paper and was as folloWs:
THE within application for the extrad1-
ton Of Charles Finley ,o Is ! hereby refused
After 1t became known that Charles
Finley had been arrested and lodged IN
Jail, State officers and the chairman and
secretary of the State Republican COM
mittee held conference in the lobby of
the Dennison hotel and sent representa-
lives to Governor Mounts room.
Col. Wilson went to Gov. Mounts room,
where a conference was held. In short
lime the announcement came that Gov
srnor Mount had refused to honor the
;equtSlt1on.
When Governor Mount was handed the
,equisition he asked to be shown the in
iictment What was the complexion.
politically, of the grand jury that found
this Indictment" he asked.
Thomson replied that he did not know.
Were not all the members Democrats
but two?' the Governor asked. He was
given the same reply. after which the
Governor said very emphatically:
Il shall not honor this requisition. I
am in hurry to catch train and can
not give you my reasons. | shall simply
endorse that the requisition has been re-
fused"
Later Governor Mount said
when the proper time comes, will
give an explanation for my refusal which
will be satisfactory to any fair minded
person"
Did the conference of State officers
and Republican State Committee officials
nave any influence over your decision?'
he was asked.
mot in the least" was the reply. 81
did not know conference was being
held"
The Governor said next:
The charge that / am protecting Re-
publican refugees of Kentucky is not true.
! am acting on my own individual opinion
In the matter.
Il recognize Mr.. Beckham as Governor
OF Kentucky, since the Supreme Court de-
cision to-day, but | acted on this requi-
sitlon on its merits alone, as I think
When the time comes l will give my reas-
onS for doing it,
w. s. Taylor of Kentucky, arrived here
this afternoon at 5 o'clock on the j.. NJ &
/, railroad, and got off at the siding some
distance from the station. He cannot be
located, though 1t is believed he and Fin
ley met each other at midnight tonight
This is truly pretty state of affairs.
The highest Courts in the land have
confirmed Governor Beckham in an
office to which he succeeded by the as
sassination of William Goebel. as the
result of political plot. A person
charged with completely in that MUIR
der seeks refuge in neighborng
State, and apparently for purely po-
Iltlcal reasons Republican Governor
refuses to honor a requisition that
there may be trial and the facts ar
rived at. To fly from an accusation
is generally esteemed to be a confess
sion OF guilt, or, at least, a desire to
shield guilty parties. The innocent
man does not shrink from an inyesti-
cation. Finley is afraid to face the
music. and Governor Mount is backina
him up in his desire to escape interro-
cation. Its pretty spectacle.