The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1906-02-02
HOW ARD In
PENITENTIARY
CONVICTED MURDERER OF
G0EBEL BEGINS SENTENCE
After Repeated Appeals and Using
All the Technical Evasions Possible
James Howard Has Begun Life
Sentence in . Kentucky Prison.

Frankfort, KY, Feb. 2.-James How
ard, convicted OF the murder of Will
liam Goebel, arrived at the Frankfort
penitentiary today to spend the rest of
his life there, unless some unexpected
turn OF fortune iberates him. He is
one OF the most interesting characters
that ever crossed the threshold of the
penitentiary and his arrival caused con-
siderable. stir among the people Of this
city in general and the prison officials
in particular. -.
After spending nearly six years in
Jail, standing three trials and fighting
his case through the supreme court,
Howard was defeated in his struggle
for liberty and the supreme court con-
firnied the judgment of the Kentucky
courts.
Howard never lost his nerve for a
single moment g. He was as cheerful
on his way to the penitentiary and up
on his arrival, as he was on the first
day of his arrest and said, he was con-
fident that he would eventually be vim
dicated and liberated @
In many ways Howard is the most
picturesque figure of the Goebel mar
der cases. The Commonwealth re-
presented him as the typical mountain
feud fighter and dead shot who went
to Frankfort to kill Goebel in return
Ifor a pardon for having killed George
Baker in a feud. Personally Howard
does not fill the idea OF such person
at all. He would never have been. taken
Tor desperate man from the mount
aims. He is handsome and of distingti-
Esished appearance, of fine physique and
graceful, with easy manners. He looks
like a man Of fine intellect and stud
ert. Indeed. he has been a student for
five ye1fs, as during his imprisonment
Ihe has devoted his time TO perfecting
himself in the law.
Howard was born in Clay county
forty years ago. His father was
school teacher Howard lived in The
mountains all his life and early became
an expert shot, like all Kentucky
rnountaineers. He was first a deputy
sheriff of Clay county, then school
teacher, lawyer, general storekeeper in
the government revenue service and
finally assessor Of Clay county, which
he held when he became involved iii
the Goebel trouble.
! Howard is victim of Kentucky
felid, whatever were the circumstances
of the killing Of GoebeI. He was in
Frankfort the day Goebel was shot.
trying to procure pardon for killing
George Baker from w. S. Taylor, then
governor of Kentucky. The prosecu-
tion has maintained that he was to- get
the pardon for killing Goebel. Howard
has maintained that in this seeming
connection he was a victim Of circum-
stances.
The Baker Howard fetid broke out
in 1897. The Bakers one day ambush
ed Jim lHowards father and two
brothers, killing the brothers and desL
perately Wounding the father. Tim
Howard, as soon as he heard Of IL,
mounted his horse and rode to the
scene. He claims the Bakers tried 10
ambush him and that he escaped BIZ
susing his horse as shield. In the en-
counter he shot George Baker TO death.
Howard was indicted for the murder
.of Goebel in April, 1900 He was then
in Clay county, where lie might have re-
named indefinitely, ais the mountain,
GERS are republicans, and would have
afforded him protection against an
army. But in the inontll Of MAY, How
ard went to frankfort and surrendered
His first trial resulted in sentence Of
death. his second of life imprisonment,
both beng reversed The third verr
dict was lite Imprisonment and was sus4
famed by the supreme court. .