The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-04-17
WILL PLAY A NEW CARD
C0EBEL PROSECUTORS HOLDING
MATTHEW'S IN RESERVE
Testimony Not Yet Complete in the
Ripley Trial-story of the Organ
izatiOn of the Company.

FRANKFORT, Ky, April 16.-When
court convened to-day it was thought prob
able evidence in the Ripley case might be
| concluded late this afternoon. The devel-
opments on cross-examination of the de-
| fendant, however. regarding an alleged
| conversation between him and former AS
| sistant Secretary of State ]. B. Mathews
| indicates that the prosecution has some
| important rebuttal testimony, and 1t may
| take all of tomorrow TO get to the argu-
| ment. The line of Interrogation pursued by
the prosecution as TO the conversation with
Mathews indicates that the latter is nearly
| as important a witness against Ripley as
Ex-Governor Bradley and Judge Yost were
When court convened this morning Capt
Ripley at once went on the stand for re-
sumption of the cross-examination. In
sponse TO questions, he told Of his move
ments after the arrival of his company
here the morning of Jan. 81 His company
was stationed near the executive mansion
and penitentary and had nothing TO do
with preventing the meeting of the Legisla-
| ture. He was not in the squad which
| chased the Legislature out of the court
house and City Hall, nor with the company
| which formed and drilled in front OF the
| Capitol Hotel, where Goebel was lying
wounded. He denied entering the Capitol
| Hotel that night with pistol in his hand,
and going to the various rooms He was
not in the hotel except the 18th and
18th Of January.
The prosecution asked If he had not said
| in substance to j. b. Mathews, in April
| last year. the following: Mathews. l am
| going away soon, and L want to tell you
| confidentiay, that L know Caleb Powers
| is innocent and can tell enough to clear
| him, IL it becomes necessary for me to tell
1t. Now is not the proper time but 1 am
| going TO New York. and later possibly to
California. 1 will keep you advised of my
| whereabouts. as know you are friend of
Powers, and whenever it becomes neces-
sary TO tell it, in order to save Powers, /
| will do it, but if you tell what have
said to you before then 1 will deny that /
had this talk with you
| The defense objected to the question on
the ground that it was testimony in chief.
and the jury retired during the argument.
Mathews, who was referred to, was Pow
ers's assistant secretary of state. The
court overruled the objection. and the wit
ness, in his reply said he might have said
| this to Mathews but If he did he had in
mind the things he had heard duplicating
| Henry Youtsey and also the occurrence of
seeing Youtsey come out of Taylor's Of
flee on Jan. % He was not positive. how
| ever, whether he said this to Mathews or
not
| Hayden Smith and Hunter Moody con-
tradicted the testimony of witnesses Fer
| guson and Crawford who testified that
while husking corn for Ripley in January,
| 1900. the latter denounced Goebel in vile
| terms and said he should have been killed
or would be killed. Smith and Moody testi-
/ fed that the corn was husked in September.
| Ross McGnniss also testified that the
work was done in September and that he
and Ripley had discussed the proposition
| of going to Central America just prior to
Ripley's arrest last winter.
James Bradley. a member of Ripleys
company. testified that the military COM
| pany had been talked of for year or so.
The company was engaged in its first drill
when word came that Goebel had been
killed and calling out the troops Witness
accompanied Ripley TO Frankfort on his
visit here on Jan. 16 and was in the Gov
ernor's Office. but does not think Ripley
was there at that time. Can you tell US"
| said Judge Williams, Of the prosecution.
| 'why it was much easier for you all to
| get this company organized on the eve or
the assassination of Mr.. Goebel than it had
been in the two three years preced-
ing ito
II cannot responded the witness. who
was allowed to stand aside.
James Cureton. another member of the
Ripley company. testified TO practically the
same facts as TO the organization of the
/ company and it's arrival in Frankfort as
other witnesses had related. In answer to
a question as TO whether Governor Taylor
did not eat and sleep i'm the executive
building during the time witness and other
soldiers were duty in the Statehouse
square witness said he did not know OF his
own personal knowledge. as he saw Taylor
only once during the entire time. In re-
sponse 10 a question If the soldiers did not
have orders 10 shoot any one who came
| on the Statehouse square for the purpose
OF arresting Taylor. Powers. Youtsey and
others witness said he knew of no orders
| TO fire on any one.
Robert Rucker and Dora Baker, also
members OF the company. testified TO sub
stantially the same facts.