Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1907-12-25
POWERS
on TRIAL FOR
MURDER
PRINCIPAL DEFENSE
WITNESS TESTIFIES
James Howard, Among Those
Accused of Killing Governor
GOebeI, Denies All Connec-
ton With the Crime.

lBy Morning Journal Special Leased Wire. l
Georgetown, Ky" Dec. 24.-James
Howard. chief witness for the defense
in the Caleb Powers trial. took the
stand this afternoon. He said that at
the time Goebel was shot he was in
the public room of the Board of Trade
hotel at Frankfort A man named
Robinson stepped out in front of the
hotel and brought back the informa-
tion that Goebel was shot. He and
others in the room jumped and ran
to the door, Mortified at the news.
After the shooting Howard went with
the others to the Capitol hotel, but he
did not see Goebel then, and in fact,
never saw him before to know him.
Howard denied most emphatically
that he ever received a letter from
Taylor or Youtsey asking him to come
to Frankfort He did not know Tay-.
lor. and had never seen him. The
witness further said he did not know
Youtsey and never saw him until both
had been tried and convicted ana
were in Jail at Frankfort. He then
was introduced TO Youtsey in the
Frankfort jail by Mrs. YOutsey in the
presence of Mrs. Howard his wife,
Mrs. Built and others. Howard said
he did not know he was charged with
the assassination until he saw in the
newspapers that he had been indicted.
About the same time a bench warrant
had been sent to Clay county for his
As soon as notified that he
had been indicted he surrendered to
Sheriff White ana accompanied him to
Frankfort to give himself up and an
swer the charges against him. Since
then he had not had a days freedom.
Howard most emphatically denied
that he was on the state house square
AT any time during the morning OF
January 30. when Goebel was shot;
said that he was not inside the exc
cutive building that morning; that he
never saw Governor Taylor or Yout-
sey, and declared that he had abso-
lutely nothing TO do with the killing
The witness admitted that later in the
afternoon of the day Goebel was shot
he, with others, visited Capitoi
square, going as far as the steps of
the executive building.
Howard stated that he and Youtsey
were in Jail together at Frankfort,
and before Youtsey made his confes-
sion he said to him;
Howard so far as | know, you are
innocent of any connection with the
GoebeI assassination: but Arthur Goe-
bel is cruel and willing to see the
river run with innocent
blood"
Howard added:
"Youtsey gave me no affidavit. he
knew nothing against me"
Howard was not examined.
n p. McGIove testified that YOut-
sey. after his arrest and while in the
Frankfort jail. admitted to him that
he had filed off a key to Powers pri-
vate office the day Goebel was killed
and that Powers and Captain John
Davis ought no to have accepted
pardon and left Frankfort. as that
tended to cause them to be suspected
to be guilty of the crime.
J. M Hardgrove stated that he saw
Youtsey emerge from Powers private
office. directly after the shooting, nat
less and coatless. with a pistol IN his
hand. and apparently very much eN-
cited. Hardgrove said he Informed
The prosecutor of these facts before
Powers third trial but that he was
not called TO testify.
CAPTAIN stephen g. Sharp. United
states marshal and former state treas
,rer. testified that directly after the
shooting of Goebel he went to Gov
crnor TAYLOR and Offered his services
to defend him.
Governor Taylor directed hlm 20
take charge of the defense of the
building, which he did, not allowing
ANYBODY to enter.
captain Sharp startled the court
and spectators by stating that three
davs before Goebel was shot, ne
Tsbarp) was given reliable informa-
zion bv prominent democrats, that the
had ordered 1000 guns,
ammunition for the same ana that
men would be on hand to man the
runs and Taylor and other republican
STATE officials would be. torclbly
siocted from office. This. he said, was
why armed republicans were ABOUT
the executive building. ana why sta,e
Icons had been notified To be in read
mss to move, as he had commune
cated these facts to both Governor
TavIor and Adjutant General Collier.
Former State Treasurer w. X. Day
.rrtved today from Eldorado. Kan,
- I'm no a defense witness