Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1900-02-02
Receives a Bullet While Walking
Through Capitol Grounds
at Frankfort.
Physicians Have Practically No
Hope for His Recovery-Na-
ture of the Wound.
Suspect Arrested and Taken to Jail in
Louisville-He Declares His
Innocence.

Republicans Denounce the Deed
Democrats Declare 1t Was a Care
fully Laid Plot to Kill Him.
Frankfort, KY, Jan. 31.-While walk
Ing through the capitol grounds on his
way to the capitol building at 1910
o'clock Tuesday morning, William
Goebel, the democratic contestant for
governor of Kentucky, was shot down
and very dangerously wounded. Har-
land Whitaker, a farmer from Butler
county. the home county of Gov. Tay-
Tor, is now in the Jail at Louisville,
charged with the crime. There is no
direct evidence against Whitaker, and
be was placed under arrest more be-
cause he was caught around the CAPT.
tol building when the shots were fired
than for any other apparent reason.
He denies in the most positive manner
that he had any connection with the
shooting or knew anything about it.
He was running toward the scene of
the shooting, and not away from it,
when he was caught and arrested.
The Wound.
Senator Goebel was wounded by a
rifle ball of small caliber, not over 3s.
which struck him in the right side Just
below the armpit. The ball passed
through the back part of the right
lung, across the body on a diagonal
line. passing out below the left shout
der blade.
Mr.. Goebel was on his way to the
senate chamber, in company with Col.
Jack Chinn and Warden Eph Lillard,
of the frankfort p~enitentiary. Mr..
Lillard was a few feet in advance of
Goebel and Chinn, who were walking
side by side, Goebel being on the right
and Chinn upon the left. From the
outer edge of the capitol grounds to
the step of the capitol building the dis
tance is about 800 feet.
Shot Is Fired.
Two-thirds of this had been passed.
n the men were walking slowly, when
suddenly a shot rang out from a large
three-story building which stands so
feet east of the capitol building. This
building is used for offices by nearly
all the leading officials of the state,
Gov. Taylor and the secretary of state
having rooms on the first floor. As
the shot was heard Goebel gave a quick
involuntary exclamation of pain and
made an effort to draw his own revol-
yer. His strength was unable for the
task, however, and he sank upon the
pavement. With great rapidity several
more shots were fired, the bullets all
striking the brick sidewalk close to
where Goebel lay. None of them
touched him, however.
Lillard hastily turned around to aid
Goebel, who was supported by Chinn,
who had his arms about him almost
as soon as he touched the pavement.
Get help" said Chinn to Lillard, and
turning to Goebel, he asked: "Are you
hurt, Goebel? Did they get your"
"Ihey have got me this time" said
Goebel. Il guess they have killed me-"
Pronounced Dangerous.
In less than a minute, a crowd of men
was around Goebel. He was losing much
blood and was becoming very weak.
He was hastily carried to the office
of DR.. E. Z. Hume, in the basement
of the Capital hotel, about 1000 feet
away from the spot where the shoot
ing occurred. Here he was laid upon
a sofa, while DR.. Hume made a hasty
examination, p%ronouncing the wound
to be Of a nature that might cause
death in a short time. Goebel, who
showed great fortitude and courage
throughout, smiled weakly as he heard
the verdict, and feebly rolled his head
from side to side in token of dissent
from the opinion expressed by the ply
sician. He was then carried to his
room on the second floor of the Capt.
tai hotel, and in addition to DR.. Hume,
Drs. Mccormick and Ely were sum-
moned TO attend him. After a careful
examination of the wound, the doctor
announced that, while exceedingly
dangerous, it was not necessarily fatal
unless complications OF blood poisoning
should set in. The patient himself
kept up his courage, insisting again
and again that he was not going to
die. 1t was decided by his friends to
call in also the services of DR.. McMurty,
a prominent surgeon of Louisville, and
o1SCHo messages NCiS db oIlCS Seul 10
him. After the wound had been dressed
Senator Goebel showed great exhaus.
ton, and it was announced by the ply
sicians that he would in all probability
die within a short time. He rallied, how
ever, and under the influence of an
opiate sank into a gentle slumber, which
lasted for several hours.
Fired from n Window,
The bullet which struck Mr.. Goe.
bel was fired from a window in the
center of the third story of the Office
building just east of the capitol. That
window was raised about eight inches
from the sill to permit an unobstruct-
ed passage for the bullet when Mr..
Goebel should come within range.
Both Chinn and Lillard assert that,
while the first shot came from the d.
rection of the window in the third
story, there were other shots fred
from different portions of the same
building. Some of those who heard
the shots say that at least one shot
was fired from the office of THO secre-
tary of state. This. however, is not
true, az there were men in the Office
of the secretary of state, who rushed
to the window as soon as the shots
s1ere heard, and all Of them declare