Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1906-1908, 1907-08-02

GEOBGETOWN, Ky, July pa
special term Of the Scott circuit court
convened today to try the case of Caleb
Powers for conspiracy i'll the murder
Of the late Gov. William Goebel. The
case will be tried before Judge J. +.
Robbins of Graves county, who presided
at Powers last trial, and who has been
designated by Gov. Beckham as special
judge for the present trial.
The trial about to begin is the fourth
trial Of the famous case. Three times
has Powers been convicted of completely
i'll the Goebel assassination. Twice he
has been sentenced to Imprisonment for
life, and once to be hanged.
Outcome of Harlan's Decision.
The present trial is the outcome of a
decision made by Justice Harlan of the
United States supreme court. who rem
dered his opinion that the jurisdiction
Of the state and not the federal courts
was paramount after the case had three
times gone to the court of appeals, which
ordered a new trial each time.
The friends of Powers desired to have
the present trial held before federal
court, advancing for their argument the
statement that Powers was being
deprived of his constitutional rights
OF Il fair trial. They based their
charges ON Powers two former trials,
OF twelve Goebel men, while, at his
last trial, eleven of the men who held his
fate III their hands We're followers Of the
Goebel faction, although the remaining
juror was not closely allied to any party.
Story of Goebel Crime.
The story OF the murder of William
Goebei is one of the most unusual in the
criminal annals of the country. Jim
Howard and Henry Ioutsey, two friends
i L
of completely in the murder, and are
now serving life sentences in the peni-
tertiary, while eX-GOv. William Taylor,
in whose interests the convicted men are
said TO have acted, is still at large in
Indiana, whittier he fed as soon as his
name was brought into the matter and
where he now lives by grace of the
magistrates eff that state, who refuse to
give linn up to the Kentucky courts.
The Kentucky Legislature appropriate
ed 100000 to ferret out the assasslns
and bring them to justice. This large
SUM has never been accounted for and
the veil of mystery that enshrouded the
killing from the very beginning IS still
present.
Powers a Young Man.
The case Of Powers, who is still Il
young man, has excited no little sym
pathy IN many parts of the country,
and he is daily i'll receipt of a large num-
Der of letters expressing the hope that
he may win his hard-fought battle for
life. Powers friends have stood by him
loyalty, and were it not for the assist
ance they have rendered him lie would
have long since been in the penitentiary
and forgotten. When lie was arrested
he did not have Il dollar and public senti-
ment was against him, but when the
Legislature appropriated 100000 to
prosecute him and those indicted with
him his friends went to work to raise
funds to assist him.
Has Written Life History.
1t has been said that every Republican
in the United States has contributed
to the big sum raised for his defense,
and among them are mentioned the
names Of President Roosevelt, Secretary
Taft and the late Senator's Quay and
Hanna.
Powers has rot suffered in health
from his seven years confinement in JAIL
He takes exercises regularly every day
and spends much of his time in reading
and writing. During his stay in prison
he has written a history of his life,
which has been placed on the market
and from which he has derived a cou-
siderable sum.