Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1900-08-23

Georgetown, Aug. 1--we, the jury,
find the defendant guilty, and fix his
punishment a. confinement in the pen
ltentiary for the rest of his natural
life. This was the wording of the
verdict in the case of ex-Secretarv of
state Caleb Powers, charged with be-
ing an accessory before the fact to the
murder of VIM Goebel. The Jury re-
tired at 1852 and returned its verdict
at 2:25. The vote in favor Of a life
sentence was unanimous. When the
jury retired the belief was general
that it would fail to agree, and u this
opinion the defendant himself was
firmly convinced. When the verdict of
guilty was returned, Powers for tie
first time during the weark six weeks
of the trial, betrayed his feelings
When the twelve men filed into the
room and took their seats and Clerk
Penn called the roll of jurors the pris.
oner did not appear any more excited
than the vast thrOng Of spectators who
craned their necks to catch the first
lntimation of the verdict. Foreman
Stone passed the verdict up to the
clerk, who read it aloud. Powers, al
ways pale, grew ghastly so as the YER
dict was read his face betokened great
mental anguish. This was only for a
few seconds, however, then somewhat
regaining his cOmposure, he turned to
the Misses Dangerfield, who had been
IN conversation with him, and said:
i was not expecting that. The YER
| dict is unjust" There was no dem
onstratiOn following the verdict, the
vast. crowd filed out of the court house
almost in silence. Powers remained in
the court room some time after the
| verdict was rendered in conference
with his attorneys, who will at once
move for new trial; failing in that
! they will take an appeal The jury
which sat in the case is composed of
eight democrats, three anti Goebel
democrats and one republican. One of
the jurors said that the jury
men were influenced in making
up the verdict by many things in the
| evidence, but that some Of the chief
points were Powers own admission on
the stand that he organized crowd
of 1900 armed mOuntaineers which
came to Frankfort January 10, his cor
| rObOratiOn of parts OF the testimony
| that he gave YOutsey the key and that
| the fatal shot was fired from his office.
1t is doubtful whether the YOutsey case
| will be tried, though it will be called
| Monday. Youtsey is still threatened
with typhoid fever, and one of his at
torneys, John NJ. Stevenson, is also i'll
of typhoid. In the event the Youtsey
case is continued, one of the other
cases, either that of Davis, Whitaker
or Combs will be taken up.
Gov. William Goebel was shot down
! by concealed assassin while he and
some friends were passing the state
house Jan. 80. His wounds were NOR
| tai and he died a few days later. The
capital was in a state of tumult owing
to the contested election which was on
trial before the legislature. Bands Of
armed men had been brought in from
the mountain districts by the republi-
can state administration to help main
tain its power, and it was charged that
one OF these men, ambushed in one Of
the state Offices, fred the fatal shot.
Taylor, who claimed the governor
ship as the republican candidate; Ca
leb Powers, secretary of state, and
others were indicted for completely in
the crime. Taylor escaped from the
state and the republican governor of
Indiana refused to honor the requisi-
ton issued by the governor of Ken
lucky. 1t is now stated that Taylor
will be brought to trial.