The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1903-04-24
Middlesboro three days before he came
here to attend court, to take his life
votfrcrV's rEsrrAIoNY


morning of January 30, 1900. and the
time just few minutes preceding the
shooting of Gov. Goebel as he came TO |
his duties at the State Capitol He said |
that Just a few minutes before II o'clock /
on that day man knocked at the pri !
vate door Of his office which opens on
the north side of the main hallway of
the Executive building He answered
the knock. and the man, after speaking,
presented letter which he, Youtsey,
had several days before written at Tay-
lors dictation to James b, Howard, of
Winchester directing Howard TO come
here aud present the letter to Youtsey |
as means of identification. The wit
ness said he knew Howard was to come
and knew the object Of hiscoming. He
asked Howard if he wanted to see Tay,
lor, and the defendant responded that
it was not necessary; that Taylor knew
he was in town, aud that he, Howard, !
didn't Ire to see anybody just then
The witness says he led the way and
Howard followed to the private office Of
the Secretary of State, the key to the
door Of which he had secured from w,
J. Davidson, Of Pulaski county, former
Superintendent Of Public Instruction,
who had previous knowledge Of and in
dorsed the plan to fire the shot from
that office, When they had gotten into
that room the doors We're closed, the
window blinds drawn and the western
window in front raised a few inches.
Witness says he pointed out to Howard
two guns in the room, one Marlin rifle
of thirty.eighi caliber, the property of
Grant l.. Roberts, an Auditors Office
clerk, and the other a Winchester rifle
the property Of Wendell Long a son Of
/ former State Treasurer Long The guns
had previously been placed in the room
by Youtsey.
Howard said the place was damned
dangerous trap, and. on suggestion of
Youtsey selected the Marlin rifle with
which to fire the shot Before firing
the shot Howard, 50 witness says asked
him what he Howard was to get for
the work, and, on Yeutsey asking him
what he wanted, said that he wanted a
pardon for the blowing over of old
George Baker whom he had murdered
months before Witness told him that
he would get more than that for his
work. With this settled both men
turned to the window from which the
shot was to be fired
A moment later Youtsey says he saw
, Goebel coming along the street in front
of the Capitol, and called Howard's at
tention, and pointed the victim out to
him. As Howard was drawing bead
on Goebel over the window ledge as he
came up the grounds Youtsey turned
and ran from the room. He darted
down the stairway to the basement and
before he had gotten down the step
half way the rifle cracked Before leay
ing the room from which the shot wa'
fired Youtsey says he saw Howard draw
big pistol from his pocket and heart
him say that he would fire it after
shooting Goebel to create confusion
As witness proceeded down the stair
way he heard the pistol shots follow
that of the rifle in quick succession
The shots rendered the witness panic
, stricken and he fled through the base
, ment and around the Executive build
, ing, and in the eastern entrance. jus
rs dozen witnesses have detailed il
this and previous trials Arriving il
the Executive Department, he foun,
I. Taylor with drawn pistol and wildl
excited The door leading from tn
Il general receptionroom to the priyat
- office of the Secretary of State was oper
ed by j. b Mathews Of Somerset, a
!, often detailed, and Yontsey, among th
first to enter, found the Marlin rifle o
:, the floor, the barrel pointing to the win
dow, which was still open, Witne'
!, directed Ben Rowe the colored port,
: of the department to pick it up an
= follow. He and Rowe went to the to
= let room, and by his direction, Row
opened the chamber, and the hull whi,
carried the steel ball which had stric
:, en- Goebel down in front of the CapitC
fell to the floor. Witness went back
-. the private Office of Secretary of Stat
~ and, picking mp the Winchester gu
n. carried it across to the Auditors otiiC
- After that time he never saw the Ma
"a lin rifle He asked the negro Row
! about it, but he declined to tell hi
what had become of the weapon
h. On cross-examinatiou Youtsey to
An the attorney for the defense that ey
,d- with no promise of relief from his pr,
ii. ent condition held out to him his oy,
in burdened conscience and his belief til
he had been made the scapegoat a
Nh cat's.paw of the Goebel murder C
ON spirators led him to finally make sta
Elf ment to Judge Canhill and later to t
ng grand jury. He said that he had lift
great burden from himself by telli
tbs the murder plot and the part he a
he others had taken in it, and that the or
mi. hope he had after the telling oft is IL
nm. which springs mp in the breast of eve
,ep man who wears the garb of a conv
mr.. that he will some day be relieved,
iec- On further cross. oss.examination the II
mes ed prisoner told Of the numer lus pl
fel- made IS bring about the death o G
in bel. Like Cecil Broughton, Cult
4 Golden and the long hae of mounts
the men who have preceded him ON
stand, he said that no other plan y
ing ever drafted to settle the contest for
eek goyeruorship, and that for that purp
tbs only the mountain army of January