Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-03-07

Unr1an Wbffaker Sent before rhe
Grand jury, Charged With the
Murder OF Governor Goebel.
FRANKFORT. KY. March Ga
crowd which packed the Franklin
county circuit court room gathered to-
day to hear the examining trial OF
Harlan Whitaker, the Butler county
farm hand, suspected of being impli-
led in the murder of Governor Goe-
81. Several prominent ladies were
pcesent. The charge was changed
from malicious shooting to murder.
Whitaker was nervous. thirteen
witnesses, all summoned by the COM
nonwealth, were called. The first
witnesses sworn were men who had
been concerned in the arrest of Whit
taker on the morning OF the assassin
alton. These witnesses were John A.
Miles, A. Miller, Detective Armstrong,
Constable Davis Harrod and Police
man Thompson. Armstrong and liar
rod swore that Whitaker had con-
tradicted himself in stating his where
abouts on the Capitol square at the
moment the fatal shots were fired.
At noon court adjourned until 2 p.
M The last witness called during the
forenoon YVES Charles Howard, a far
mer. who said Whitaker told him a
week before the shooting that he had
come to Frankfort to protect Cover
nor Taylor's life. Howard declared
that just after Goebel fell he saw one
of the PhilpotS and two of the How
ards, Berry and Jim, members of the
well known mountain families, in the
door of the executive building heavily
armed. He said that he was deputed
by the sheriff to guard the Capitol
grounds but was ordered away by the
commanding officer when the troops
arrived. None of the witnesses for
the defense were named during the
morning. 1t was believed Whittaker's
attorneys had a surprise in store for
the other side. They declined to
cross-examine any of the witnesses
for the prosecution.
Wingate Thompson, policeman,
who took Whitaker to the Jail, said
that on the way the prisoner cried out
in his fear: Don't let them mob me;
I'll tell all know about it, but / didn't
shoot him"
Whitaker was held without bail
for the April grand jury. Silas Jones,
the Whitley county suspect, who was
released on bail, was put on the stand,
but was asked only few questions,
both sides apparently not wanting to
go into his evidence deeply.
The other witnesses who testified
were John E. Files, E. T. Lillard, Jr.,
Wingate Thompson, Frank Daily, r.
A. Armstrong, John Noonan, John Mo-
ran, David Davis, w. w. Combs, AL
bert Charlton, Dennis Rath and Chas.
Howard, Sr.
New evidence was brought out by
F. w. Bowman, of Hardin county, who
testified that half hour before the
assassination be saw the window on
the second floor over the main en-
trance to the executive building raised.
He could see only the arm of the man
who raised the window and saw two
men standing farther back. He said
that when Whitaker was arrested he
recognized the clothes he had on then
as those worn by the man who raised
the window. He said one of the two
men who were standing back from the
window at the time mentioned said
to the other: Damn it, we ought to
have killed the other two"
This remark, he thinks, had refer
ence to two JUDGES of the Court of
Appeals. The description of the two
men who are alleged to have held this
conversation tailed with suspects who
have been under surveillance, but who
have not been arrested. Silas Jones,
the Whitley county suspect, testified
that he was in the ante-room of the
executive Office when the assassination
occurred, and from the sound he
thought the shots were fired from the
o-.ce of the Secretary of State.