The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1907-08-27
GOVERNOR TAYLOR OFFERS 70
RETURN 70 KENTUCKY AND
STAND TRIAL.
ASKS SQUARE DEAL.
Former Governor of Blue Grass state
Declares That If 100000 Fund is
Turned Into State Treasury and His
Case Made Same AS Other Criminal
Gases He Will Return.

Indianapolis Ind., Aug. 26.-Wllllam
s. Taylor, former governor of Ken
i lucky, whose extradition has been
sought by that state since the assas-
sination Of Governor Goebel seven
years ago, has given out a signed
statement offering to return to Ken
tuel1y ito stand trial himself and to
testify in the Caleb Powers case if
he can be assured absolutely OF fair
treatment. In his statement Mr.. Tay-
lor says:
eff Commonwealth Attorney Robert
B. Franklin has power to promise i'm
munity and will cause what remains
of the 100000 corruption fund to be
returned to the treasury of Kentucky,
no part of it to be used in these pros
ecutions, thus putting my case on the
same footing as other criminal cases,
and will guarantee that all trial juries
in my case shall be composed Of six
upright democrats and a like number
ofsupright republicans; will guarantee
that bail will be granted me within
the limits of 100000; will dismiss the
indictments against all parties used as
prosecuting witnesses, except myself,
leaving them free to testify without
fear, coercion or restraint; and, last,
but by no means least, will, IN ad-
vance, by mutual agreement, select an
able, upright and impartial Judge to
try my case, I will, without any prom
ise of immunity, voluntarily and glad
" return to Kentucky, not only to
| testify in the Powers case, but to sub
nit myself to trial before a jury of
my native state"
William Sylvester Taylor has been
a resident of Indiana for seven years,
| fleeing to Indiana shortly after he was
deposed from the government of the
blue grass state, following the assas-
sination of his political opponent,
William Goebel. On the face OF the
| I0lul lis HdS ClCSCCu SofSi dol
of Kentucky by nearly 5000 and was
inaugurated on January -, 1899. He
had occupied the executive chair only
i a few hours, however, when he dis
covered that his official right was to
be contested by his opponent, ex-sen-
ator Goebel. Previous to making the
| Tho, Irof
and obtained the enactment of a meas
ure placing all of the election ma
chinery in the hands of three men, all
1 democrats. These men had the power
to nullify any election on whatever
pretense they might choose. When
Goebel was defeated he accordingly
served notice of his contest and took
the case before the commission OF
4 three. To his surprise two OF the dem
ocratic members of the commission
balked on his hands and issued a GER
: tifcate to Taylor declaring that the
returns showed him the peoples
choice.
4 But another provision Of the Goebel
Ilaw gave the legislature a chance as
a. last resort, and Goebel took his con,
test before the legislature. The con
test was at the zenith of bitterness
when Goebel was shot down in front
of the state house at Frankfort. Armed
men thronged the capitol grounds and
threats were passed from both sides
Meanwhile the democratic legds
1ature, infamed by the shooting, voteo
to declare Goebel governor, throwing
out all the election returns from the
city of Louisville, which had goyen
Taylor a majority of several thousand
While Goebel was dying the news
Of the action of the legislature was
} borne to his bedside and the proper
authorities were summoned to swear
him in as governor. He took the oath
! a, few minutes before me expired.
The fight went on. Taylor fled from
J the capital to London, KY, and ]. Q
w. Beckham, democratic candidate FOL
lieutenant governor. TOOK charge o.
!, the state house as the legal successor
2 of Goebel Warrants were issued fol
: the deposed Taylor and Is other prom
inent republicans, among them Calef
Powers, who had been elected secre
tary of state on the Taylor ticket
Taylor and Charles Finley, the latte
8 ex-secretary of state Of Kentucky, fiet
Ito Indiana, while Powers was cap
q tured and lodged in jail. Powers l1a'
\ been In jail ever since and has beer
) slthree times convicted OF Goebels m1r
= der, but each time the Kentucky ap
e pellate court has reversed the cas-
d land remanded 1t back to td1e lowe
4 court for retrial.
Thrice Governor Beckham has mad