Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-03-24
Was Taken When He Became
Ill-TellS of Formation Of
Bands of the FeudiSh
MOuntaineerS.
MURDERER WAS A NEGRO
Witness Golden Says That it Was
Either Dick COOmbs or Hooker
Smith Who Fired the Shot That
Killed Goebel.

Frankfort, March 24.-Prosecution in
the case against Secretary of State Caleb
Powers, charged with completely in the
Goebel assassination, introduced its
principal witness today, F. Wharton
Golden of Knox county, an intimate
friend of Powers.
Golden's testimony is practically the
capstone Of the whole structure of evil
dence and expect to prove by his testi-
mony not only that conspiracy existed
but also who were implicated.
Golden was the first witness today. He
said he was in Frankfort January IA,
went to Harlan county on the 18th and
then to Laurel county for three or four
days. From there he returned to Frank
fort.
when did you have a conversation
with Secretary Powers?" asked Attorney
Campbell.
when Powers and left here togeth-
er. Powers told me to go to Harlan
county and tell Postmaster Hirst to
send down ten witness in the contest case
who were regular mountain feudists."
what was your understanding of the
request?"
The witness hesitated but finally said:
"Well, men who would stand up and If
necessary go into that legislative hall
and kill off enough to make it in our ia
vor, didn't see Hirst but saw Hamp
Howard. told him we wanted ten regu-
lar mountain feudists for witnesses, men,
who had good Colts forty-hvers."
''Were the Colts forty fives to be put
in evidence?"
.'Most assuredly they were."
.Who selected the men from Harlan
county?''
"Hamp Howard. He selected thirty
men besides the ten. Caleb Powers,
think, selected the men from Knox.
There were seventy or eighty. Jim
Sparks, county attorney, selected the
men from Laurel county,"
Witness stated Powers said he wanted
regular army of mountaineers to come
to Frankfort.
did YOU have any further conversa-
tion with Powers regarding the work to
be done by the men coming here?"
mo sir. they understood what they
We're here for. We knew those men We're
here to go into that legislative hall and
If necessary clean out enough democrats
to make majority on our side"
The answer created a sensation. Dur
ing lengthy argument over a technical
point Golden became i'll and the court ad-
journed until 1880 p. m.
Golden resumed his testimony at the
afternoon session. He said John Pow
ers and black-eyed. mustached man
had talk concerning the closing OF
Secretary Powers Office during the lat
ters absence.
II had my back turned" said Golden
"but when I turned I saw John Powers
give the key to the man. John Powers
morning. said. this must not be done
He said, don't get excited; I gave that
man the wrong key.''
What was next done?"
I'VE all went back to the state house
I did not go to Louisville that morning,
I can't say why
do you know a man named Dick
Coombs?" asked Attorney Campbell
II do. He is a colored man and lives
In Beattyville. He came down with the
Lee county contingent
did you have any talk with Caleb OF
John Powers about Dick Coombs?''
''No; but they had two negroes there
to kill Goebel John Powers told me so
They were Hooker Smith and Dick
Coombs. saw Dick Coombs at drue
store near the depot every morning 70,
week or so previous to the shooting
Caombs. talking to a. man named Wal
lace in my presence said: Damn him,