Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1900-07-31
POWERS ON STAND;
EVIDENCE Of DEFENSE
CLEARLY OUTLINED
Will Be Claimed That Powers
Had No Connection With
Youtzey aid Others.
STATEMENT OF FAULKNER

tempt to Impeach the Testimony of
Leading States witnesses Ex-Gov-
ernor Bradley and Others Arrive to
Appear ON the Stand For Powers.
GEORGETOWN. Ky, July 30.-The trial
Of Caleb Powers, charged with being an
accessory before the fact to the murder
Of William Goebel, was resumed at 8
o'clock. The jury was polled and then
excluded, during which Ex-Governor
Brown, for the defense, made motion
for peremptory instructions for a verdict
of acquittal The motion was submit
ted without argument and was over
ruled by the court.
The defendant occupied his accns.
toned seat among the attorneys for the
defense and seemed to direct for the
most part the movements Of his counsel.
A large number Of witnesses for the de-
Tense including Ex-Governor w. 0.
Bradley have arrived. The lawyer,
Faulkner, from Barboursville. stated
the case, giving the line Of evidence for
the, defense He reviewed the political
events for the last nine months. and said
the defense would show that the con.
tests over the state offices were not tried
on judicial lines, but ON a partisan basis
and that politics was respoItble for the
prosecutions. He intimated that the
prosecution knew the identity Of the
assassin, but has concealed him. He
said it would be admitted that Caleb
Powers and Charles Finley organized
and brought to Frankfort the crowd of
mountain men who arrived there Jan.
%, but that was only to petition the
legislature and not to intimidate that
body. He claimed that it would be
shown that the men who composed the
mountain army were not bad Charac-
tiers, as charged by the other side, and
he charged also that the Democrats at
that time bad large bodies of men in
Frankfort to back up the contestants.
He said Powers had in his pocket at
the time of the killing the keys TO his
office which the prosecution alleges had
been given to Youtzey; that Powers
never even conferred with Youtzey,
Berry Howard, jim Howard, Green,
Golden or Dick Coombs and that jim
Howard was not on the capitol grounds
till after the killing. 1t would be
proved, he claimed, that the witness,
Weaver, one of the main witnesses for
the prosecution, was never in Frank
fort till Sunday; that Finley Anderson
and Robert Noakes testified for money,
and w. FL. Culton in the hope Of obtain
ing immunity from prosecution, and
that Wharton Golden would also be
successfully contradicted.
Powers Testifes.
The defendant, Caleb Powers, took
the witness stand. Witness never knew
Jim Howard, Harland Whitaker or
Richard Coombs, three of the defen-
dants, prior to the assassination. Had
only known Youtzey since Jan, l.
In regard to the bringing Of the noun
taineers to Frankfort witness said:
"There were three crowds of men
brought to Frankfort and / had some
thing to do with the organization Of
each.
The purpose was to show the interest
of these people in the matters at issue at
that time and not TO intimidate either
the state election board or legislature.
instructed the men to do no acts of
violence, and so far as know none was
committed by them.
The witness contsnued:
"The last crowd of men were brought
for double purpose We expected TO
use them as witnesses before the contest
board and also to show by their presence
the interest they felt in the contests. We
also had heard rumors that we were to
be forcibly elected from the offices.
These rumorS were based on newspaper
reports and we intended to resist vio-
lenCe.
Mr. Bradley of the prosecution OBJ
iected to this statement, asking that it
be excluded on the ground that newspa-
per reports could not be given in evil
dence.
The court ruled that it was incompe-
tent for the witness to detail newspaper
reports or tell of apprehensions which
he based on common rumOr,
Continuing, the witness said he had
received information that Hill, the con-
testant for secretary of state, would not
wait till the contests were settled in
court, but would undertake to take forci-
BILE possession as soon as the contest
board acted.
"Lf that sort Of thing" said he, ''had
been attempted, we intended to hold the
offices. had a conference with Gov
ernor Taylor and he advised the bring
ing Of large body Of men to show their
interest in political affairs He also adj
vised that they be thoroughly armed
and promised to pay the expenses. !
acted on this The plans were kept
secret, he said, "to prevent dropping
us through q bridge or derailing our
train.
II told those In the conferece," he
said, 1.-The utmost secrecy must be OBJ
served in getting them there before the