The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1907-11-09
HE NJ A|ASBI'|IE:ENs ! |
PRIS0.N|lIFOR|OVER \ |
seven YEARS
Trial Begins
Next NJ otlday

.
4 GEORGETOWN, KY NOV. s.-For
the fourth time Caleb 3, Powers Ken
tucky's most noted prisoner. will be /
placed on trial Monday charged with
completely Ii. the murder Of Governor
William Goebel. For seven years and
eight months Powers has been behind
the bars. the center of one OF the bit:
terest battles ever waged IN this land
Of feuds and bloodshed. AZ q result
Of his three convict lions; sentence ot
death has been passed upon Powers
once and sentence Of life imprison.
mept twice; The attempt of Bowers
to secure the removal sot Ma ease from
the State courts to the United atatss
circuit court was ;fruitless, the United
State Supreme Court refusing to mp
hold the order Of removal which the
defendant had secured. y
Powers IS a Republican ana was tl,e
Secretary Of State 81 Kentucky under;
former Governor s. Taylor when
Senator Goebel, the b Democratic con.
;testantlforJ governor, was assassinated
in 1901, Govern6f slor and secre-
tarys Powers were charged with the
crime. Taylor fed to Indiana, and ias
now a resident OF that State iaxfradi.
tion papers having been ignored til
the Hooaier executives. Powers eas
arrested on March 10. 1900 and siheo
that time has been for most of the
time an occupant Of the Georgetown
jail: There Is no reason to think, and
It Is not claimed by those who hare
been so determined In their efforts to s
secure conviction, that Powers shot
Goebel, The shot that killed Goebel
is believed to have come from d win.
dow Of Powers office In the State cap.
itol at Frankfort, and this circuni.
stance is the basis Of the prosecution.
Whether or not Powers lis guilty,
1t is generally believed that the rs,
sassination Of Goebel grew on out of tie
fierce partisan conflict between the
followers Of Taylor and Goebel: ON
the face ofsthe returns Taylor Had
been elected by mai Of fSoyer q (.
600. Powers was one Of the leaders
In that intense political struggle. He
was at that time about so years Sot
age. He hailed from the mountain
regions Of Kentucky and was very pop.
ular there. These rough mountaineers
were friends Of Powers, and when
what they considered the attempt sof
the Democratic members iofS tic sIegisla.
ture to seize the governorship for Goe.
bel became evident. these residents Of
the land of feuds5 were filed with hat.
red. It is probably true that one of
these men was responsible for the
death Of Goebel. Whether 81 not the
assassination was commit tied with the
knowledge or at the instance .ot Pow.
ers Is q question still unaettleds and
one that is likely to remain 80 In the
minds Of a majority Of Kentuckisas.
regardless Of the decision Of iuries
and courts. As belief In the guilt or
Innocence Of Haywood was determined
largely by economic opinions, 50 the
adherents and opponents Of Powers
are largely divided BY partisan lines.
Like HAYWOOD, Powers has had to
struggle against ali the legal machin.
cry Of a State, the legislature having
appropriated s1oslo boo for the purpose
Of prosecution prior to the first triai
Like HAYWOOD, Powers has had the
financial assistance Of admirers ali
over the country. and thousands Of dol.
lars have been poured Into the coisers
Df the defense by Republicans In all
parts Of the United States.