Hopkinsville Kentuckian., 1900-07-20
culton's Story Told to the Jury
Proves Sensational.
Details Conversations lie Alleges,
lie Had In Reference to the Kill
ing Of Goebel.

that during the day some very SEN
sational evidence would be brought
out
John A. Black, of Barbourville, a
banker Of that place, and a Repub-
lican OF prominence, was the first
witness. He said Powers came to
him in January to advise him as tothe
propriety of the mountain organi-
zation which Powers was getting
up.
II asked Powers, said the wit
ness, ''what sort of a crowd he was
getting up, and he said he was or
ganizing an armed mob to 60 to
Frankfort, 1 discouraged this, and
told him it would injure the Repub-
lican party, would be a stigma on
our end of the State, and ought to
be abandoned. Powers, however,
insisted that the mob should be
formed. His idea was that it would
intimidate the Legislature.
Il saw Mr.. Powers later, and
again demonstrated against the for
nation Of the mob, which was 60
ing to Frankfort. Powers told me
it was being formed with the ap-
proval of Gov. Taylor, Chas. Finley
and other Republican leaders at
Frankfort. Chas, Finley also
came to me and endeavored to get
me to cooperate with them. pro-
tested bitterly. Powers became
very angry with me on account of
the position took. l tried to dis
suade them from the dirty band,
and send good citizens, people of
influence, if any crowd was to be
sent.
w. H. Culton, who is himself un-
der indictment as an accessory,
and supposed to be the star wit
ness for the prosecution for to-day,
was called.
The defense, through Mr.. Ovens,
raised point against the comPe-
tency of Culton as a witness, he be-
ing under indictment along with
Powers and others as a co-conspira-
tor and not having been tried.
The jury was excluded during the
of the point.
Judge Cantrill this afternoon
ruled that while at common law a
particeps criminis could not testify
against a co-conspirator so long as
he himself remained untried, that
rule was abrogated under the law
of this State, and that Culton was
witness, the right to tes-
tify being a personal privilege.
Culton was then placed upon the
stand and said he knew all the per-
sons indicted as accessories to the
Goebel murder. Witness said he
attended a conference at Frankfort
in January, al which Powers and
others were present, and the mat
ter of bringing mountain men to
the State capital was being dis
cussed. Hamp Howard, Frank Ce-
Gil aud other mountain men were
there and were asked by Powers
how many men they could bring
from Harlan, Bell and other coun-
ties up there. They promised toI
bring crowds ranging from fifty
to 200 men from each of the counties
represented in the meeting. Those
in the meeting were to take charge
of the men in their respective coun-
ties and bring them to Frankfort
armed,
Powers SAID that when the men
arrived in Frankfort they would
give the Democratic Legislators
thirty minutes in which to settle
the contest, "and if they did not
settle it in that time they would kill
every dAd one of them"
Culton continued: "The noun
tain men arrived in Frankfort Jan.
25. They numbered from 1000 to
1900 men. Those who carried gnns
had them stacked in the Office of
the Commissioner of Agriculture
and each man was given a tag cor
spending with a number on his
gun. Capt. Bullock, afterwards
connected with the Williamsburg
military company, had charge of
this part. After holding the meet
ing in the State.house yard the big
0er mart of the crowd was sent