Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1900-02-08
GOEBEL is DEAD.
BORN In SULLIVAN COUNTY,
LIVED A REMARKABLE LIFE
AND MET A TRGIC DEATH.
A ELIMINATION TO THE KEN.
TUCKY POLITICAL FUED.

A DastardIy Deed--The Arrest-Little
Evidence Against the Prisoner
GoebeI Sworn in as Governor-Tay-
Ior Adjourns the Legislature.
Within few hours of the time when
arguments were to have begun on his
contest for the Governorship of Ken
lucky. State Senator William Goebel
was shot and perhaps fatally wound
ed at Frankfort, Tuesday, Jan. 80
He died on Saturday evening, Feb.
3. An hour later ]. c. w. Beckham
took the oath of Office and issued a
proclamation calling upon the militia
to disband.
He was approaching the front steps
of the State House, shortly after IL
o'clock, when a marksman hidden in
the east wing of the building opened
fire upon him.
Five shots were fired, apparently
from the third story centre window
on the west side of the building. Only
the first took effect. 1t entered Sena-
tor Goebefs right breast, near the
armpit, ranged downward and trans
versely through the right lung, back
of and below the heart, and emerged
W lut ltlI OI tu0 Spludl dI
about the waist line.
Harland Whitaker, a mountaineer,
of Governor Taylor's county, is under
arrest on suspicion Of having shot
Senator Goebel He was caught run.
ming out of the east wing after the
shooting, and three loaded pistols were
found upon him. None had been fired,
and he declares that he is Democrat
tn Uh w
BILE. He was taken to Louisville, be-
cause it was feared that he might be
made the victim of a mob.
Great excitement followed the shoot.
ing. Hundreds of armed men congre-
gated in the streets, merchants closed
their stores, the schools were dis
missed, women and children disap-
peared from the streets, and both
houses of the Legislature adjourned.
The State Capitol grounds are In
possession of the troops, and nobody
is permitted upon them.
Hundreds of Goebel men have been
rushing into the city since the shoot
ing. and serious trouble is feared
Senator Goebel was walking from
the Capitol Hotel to the State House
with Colonel Jack" Chinn, Il noted
character of the state. who was act
ing as his body guard. AS they neared
the steps the Senator was slightly III
the lead. The report Of shot was
heard, and Senator Goebel after a
moment, fell at the feet Of Chinn, say
ing: They've got me. Jack.
AS Chinn bent over the wounded
man four bullets passed by him Then
the concealed marksman stopped fir
ing and soon men with pistols in their
hands came tumbling out of the State
House doors.
Meantime no effort had been made
to catch the assassin. Whitaker
finally was seen running from the
rear of the building toward the Ad
jutant Generals Office in the west
wing. The crowd pounced upon him
in moment, shouting, You murder.
er!" and xiii him!" J. E. Miller, an
old watchman, pinioned his arms and
others disarmed him. He had three
big pistols and sixty cartridges. His
captors handled him roughly, but he
begged to be heard swearing that he
had not fired shot. The police took
him to jail unharmed. There was no
evidence against him and all his pis-
tolls were fully loaded and apparently
had not been used.