The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-04-17
PROSECUTION EXPECTS TO PROVE
WIDESPREAD CONSPIRACY
IN RIPLEY CASE
ENLISTED IN NO GOOD CAUSE
ORGANIZATION OF RIPLEY's COM
PANY OF TROOPS IN FURTHER
ANCE OF THE SCHEME
THE PROGRESS OF THE TRIAL
Purpose of the States Attorney Was
Disclosed During the Cross
Examination of the De-
fendant Yesterday.

FRANKFORT, Ky, April 16.-When
court convened today it was thought
probable evidence in the Ripley ca Q
might be concluded late this afternoon
The developments on cross examination
OF the defendant, however, regarding
an alleged conversation between him and
former Assistant Secretary of State J.
3. Mathews indicates that the pro.ecu-
tion has some important rebuttal testi-
mony and it may take all of tomorrow to
get to the argument. The line of interro-
cation pursued by the prosecution as to
the conversation with Mathews indicates
that the latter is nearly as important a
witness against Ripley as eX-Gov. Brad
ley and Judge Yost were.
CROSS S-EXAMINATION CONTINUED.
Capt. Garnett Ropley, on trial for al
legged completely in the shooting of Gov
Goebel, resumed the stand today and was
further cross-examined. His answers
were clear, and it soon became evident
that the Bradley-Yost evidence as to
what Gov. Taylor said the day before
Goebel was shot is the point on which
the prosecution hinges it's case.
Ripley told of his movements after the
arrival of his company here the morn
ing Of Jan. 81. His company was sta
toned near the executive mansion and
penitentiary, and had nothing to do with
preventing the meeting of the legisla-
ture.
Ripley then was asked by counsel for
the prosecution if he had not said in SUBJ
stance I" T. b. Matthews, in April of
last yea, the following:
Matthews, I am going away soon and
L want to tell you confidentially that I
know Caleb Powers is innocent and can
tell enough to clear him if it becomes
necessary for me to tell it. Now is nct
the proper time, but I am going to New
York and later possibly to California I
will keep you advised of my whereabouts,
as / know you are a friend of Powers.
and whenever it becomes necessary to
tell it in order to save Powers 1 viii do
1t, but if you ever tell what l have said
to you before then, I will deny that |
had this talk with you
Matthews, who was referred to. was
Powers assistant secretary of state.
objection was made to this question bv
the defense On the ground that it was
testimony in Chief but the objection
was overruled. Ripley then replied that
he might have said such a thing to
Matthews, but if he did, he had in mind
things he had heard duplicating. Henry
Youtsey and the occurrence of seeing
4outsey come out OF Taylar's office Jan.
~ He was not positive however,
whether he said this to Mathews or not
TO SEND HIS WIFE HOME.
Rlpley could not remember whether he
told Mrs. Mathews anything of the kind
but admitted he asked Mathews to 60
away With him, and suggested that their
wives go to his home in Henry county.
lie could not remember whether he re-
1erred TO Taylor as a coward, but did re-
member that he commented on the fact
that he left his family alone at the ex
ecutlVe mansion too often
Cross-eXamination was completed be-
fore noon.
Redirect examination, which followed.
developed nothing new
Hayden Smith and Hunter Moodv con-
tradlcted the testimony Of witnesses
Ferguson and Crawford, who said Rio
ley had denounced Goebel in vile terms
and said he should have ben killed or
would be killed, etc.
James Bradley, member Of Ripley's
company, testified that the military
company had been talked of for wear
os SO. The company was engaged in it's
hrSt drill when word came that GoebeI
had been killed and calling out the
troops. Witness accompanied Rioev to
Frankfort on his visit here Jan 16. and
was in the governors Office, but does
not think Ripley was there at that time.
ON THE EVE OF ASSASSINATION
OdI you ten US, SalQ Judge VIII ans
Of the prosecution, why it was so much
easier for you all to get this com any
organized on the evening of the assas-
sination of Gov. Goebel than it had been
in the two or three years preceding it?'
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 frankie rt
as other witnesses had related In an
swer to question as to whether Gov
Taylor did not eat and sleep in the eXecu-
tive building during the time, witness
! and other soldiers were on duty on the
state house square, witness said he did
not know of his own personal knowledge
as he saw Taylor only once during the
entire time. In response to a question
if the soldiers did not have orders to
shoot anyone who came on the state
house square for the purpo<e of arrestiug
Taylor, Powers, Youtsey and others, wit
ness said he knew of no ord RS to Gre
on anyone.
Robert Ruclzer and Dora Baker also
members of the company, testified to
substantially the same facts.