The daily sentinel., 1907-11-09
KENTUCKY
PRISONER
CALEB POWERS
10 Be Placed ON Trial For
the Fourth Time for Com.
piicity in Murder of Gov
Goebel---Seven Years IN
Jail---History of Case.
lsentinel's Special New, servioc,

lsentfnel's Special New, serv,c.,
Deaieb Powers, Republican
secretary Of state of Kentucky a.
rs.eu on charge of completely in
10. e"ei' March
!Soo-Ffrst trial began. July a
and on August 10 verdict Of U,,;,tv
was returned and Powers Sentenced
to Imprisonment for life.
ivoi@Court of appeals reversed
seruct and ordered a new trial.
ieoi-Seeond trial began, October
., and on November 8 Powers xva.
again convicted and sentenced to i'm.
prisonment for life.
10O2-Court of appeals. Decembcr
=, reversed decision in Second trial
leoS-Third trial began, August
Is, and on August 24 Powers wns n.
gain convicted and sentenced to
death. W
10Of-Court of appeals reversed
verdict for the third time.
1eO5-United States supreme court
sent case back to the state courts.
March II.
1oOs-Powers completed seven
years in Georgetown jail, March o.
loo1-Fourth trial began at
Georgetown, July 20, but was brought
to abrupt conclusion by allegations
OF attorneys for defense that Special
Judge j. Il. Robbins was disqualified
to preside at the trial.
10O7-Special Judge j. S. Morris.
appointed to try the case, set Nov.
IL as date for fourth trial, as the
result OF conference with attor-
neys for both sides, held October 8.
| Georgetown, KY. Nov. 9.-For the
fourth time Caleb Powers, KentuckS's
most noted prisoner, will be placed
on trial Monday, charged with com
plicity in the murder of Governor
William Goebel For seven years
and eight months Powers has been
behind the bars. the center of one
of the bitterest battles ever waged
in this land of fueds and bloodshed.
AS result of his three convictions,
sentence OF death has been passed
upon Powers once and sentence of
Life Imprisonment twice. The at
tempt of Powers to secure the re-
| moval of his case from the state
courts to the United States circuit
court was fruitless, the United
States supreme court refusing to up
hold the order of removal which the
defendant had secured.
Powers is Republican and was
the secretary of state of Kentucky
under former Governor w. S. Taylor.
When Senator Goebel, the Democratic
contestant for governor, was assas-
sinated in 1900, Governor Taylor and
Secretary Powers were charged with
the crime. Taylor fled to Indiana,
and Is now resident of that state,
| extradition papers having been ig-
nored by the Hoosier executives.
Powers was arrested on March 10,
1900, and since that time has been
for most of the time an occupant of
| the Georgetown Jail. There is no
reason to think, and 1t Is not claimed
by those who have been SO deter
mined In their efforts to secure con-
viction, that Powers shot Goebel. The
shot that killed Goebel is believed TO
have come from window of Powers
office in the state capitol at Frank
fort, and this circumstance Is the
basis of the prosecution.
Whether or not Powers Is guilty.
| 1t is generally believed that the as
sassination of Goebel grew out of the
fierce partisan conflict between the
followers of Taylor and Goebel. On
the face of the returns Taylor had
been elected by majority of over
2,000. Powers was one of the lead
ers In that intense political struggle.
He was at that time about 80 years
of age. He hailed from the noun
tain regions of Kentucky and was
very popular there. These rough
mountaineers were friend. OF Powers
and when what they considered the
attempt of the Democratic members
lof the legislature to seize the govern
lorship for Goebel became evident
those residents of the land OF feuds
! were filled with hatred. 1t Is prob
ably true that one of these men was
responsible for the death of Goebel
Whether or not the assassination
was committed with the knowledge
or at the instance of Powers is
luuestion still unsettled, and one thai
lis likely to remain SO in the minds
lof a majority of Kentuckians, regard
less of the decision of juries and
courts. As belief in the guilt or In
lnocence of Haywood was determined
largely by economic opinions, 80 the
abb erents and opponents of Powers
are largely divided by partisan lines
i Like Haywood. Powers has had tc
struggle against all the legal ma
chinery of a state, the legislature hav'
4I00 non for the