Arizona republican., 1907-09-24
A SCAPFGOAT
FOR POWERS
Says Brother of the As
SaSSinated Governor
The Reported Richmond
Affidavit He Pronounced
Pure Fabrication.

ing yesterday of the report sent out
/ by the Associated Press Saturday
night. saying that woman had made
an affidavit at Richmond Ind. that
J the fatal shot was fired by Turner lgo.
since dead, is purely a fabrication. The
motive. il was evidently made to ap-
pear, was foreign to any reason Caleb
Powers and Ex-Governor Taylor might
have had for desiring the removal Of
the governor. 1t is intended to be be-
lieved that he was killed in revenge
for the killing of John Sanford by
Governor Goebel some years before.
Mr.. Goebel says there is not the
slightest doubt that the death Of his
brother was compassed by Taylor and
Powers. The evidence OF their guilt
was absolute before a warrant was is
sued for the arrest of Powers and not
the slightest evidence has since been
developed pointing to his innocence.
Regarding the charge that the pros
ecution of Powers is political perse-
cution. Mr.. Goebel said that he and
] his brother Arthur Goebel of Cincin-
natl are the sole prosecutors aided by
conscientious prosecuting attorney.
Nothing could be further from their
wish than that an innocent man or a
possibly innocent man should suffer
for that crime. thereby insuring the
escape of a real murderer. Mr.. Goe-
bel and his brother have no interest
in the politics of Kentucky; they de-
sire only that their brothers death
may be avenged and he added. The
prosecution which has been conducted
without an abatement of enthusiasm
for eight years, will be conducted as
long as there is a Goebel, young or old.
alive. until the guilty. parties have
been brought to justice. We will get
Governor Taylor sooner or later; he
cannot always find an asylum in In
diana"
Speaking of the Richmond affida-
Wit. Mr.. Goebel said that he had not
heard of it until he read of it in The
Republican. but he said that not long
ago Powers threatened that IL some
thing was not done for his relief he
would disclose the identity of the man
responsible for the death OF Governor
Goebel. He could not then have meant
Igo. who the affidavit says. fired the
fatal shot. but young Sanford, at
whose instigation it is intimated, the
shot was fired.
But the facts set forth in the az
fidavit. Mr.. Goebel says. are so at va
rance with the proved facts. that they
are not to ,pe considered. He and his
brother. Notwithstanding their conf
dence in the guilt of Powers and Tay-
lor in order TO guard against the pos
sibility of a mistake. followed every
clue that presented itself But where
ever these clues led. they all went
back to Powers and Taylor.
Mr.. Goebel alluded to the fact that
thirty-six men in three trials have
found that Powers was guilty. The
foreman of one of the juries was
prominent republican. a friend and
classmate of Powers. After the trial
he told Mr.. Goebel that he would
have been glad of an excuse to find
verdict of not guilty but there was
none.
With the years. said Mr.. Goebel. the
case against Powers has been
strengthened. especially by the con-
fession of Youtsey, convicted of COM
piicity in the assassination and who.
when he believed he was about to die
sent for a minister and told of the part
he had played He is still living and
will repeat his confession at the next
trial of Powers.
While il was unavoidable. Mr.. Goe-
bel said that the course of Justice had
been stayed by the injection of politics
into this case. But for that. Powers
would long ago have been punished.
All the delays that have been encoun-
tered have been political and political
influence has raised up a great fund
for the defense of Powers. Not long
ago that fund amounted to $4,000 and
il has since been increased.
After the first verdict of guilt had
been returned, The Times-Star Of Gin
cinnati declared that it was shame
on the > state of Kentucky. Arthur
Goebel called on the managing editor
of the paper and told him that he
would give The Times-Star $500 to
publish verbatim the testimony of
former Governor Bradley of Kentucky.
and republican. that the readers of
the paper might determine whether
or not the verdict was a shame. The
offer was declined.
Mr. Coebel said that a great injus-
t.ce had been done his dead brother
DN l1lt HUH liiit w AihN
of the bare fact that he had killed
John Sanford in a quarrel The killing
was done in self defense and was fol-
lowed by no indictment. He was re-
leased on a preliminary examination.
Governor Goebel and Sanford had
for years been warm friends. but when
the governor was a member of the
legislature he had procured the enact
ment of a law cutting in two the
charges Of a toll road company Of
which Sanford was the head. Sanford
thereupon became his deadly enemy.
and made threats against him of per-
sonal violence. on the day Of the
killing. they met. Sanford addressed
Goebel in insulting language and put
his hand into a pocket to draw gun.
The men were within less than half
dozen feet of each other. When San
ford presented his gun. aimed at the
abdomen of Goebel, the latter turned
his side 10 him and the bullet cut
through his clothing, abrading one hip.
Before he could fire the second time.
Goebel shot him in the forehead, kill
ing him instantly.