The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-08-29
Famous Kentuckian Explains
in Graphic Manner, Events
Surrounding Killing of Gov
ernor Goebel.
FIVE THOUSAND PEOPLE
HEARD KENTUcKlAN.
His Simple Narrative and the
Earnestness in Which He
Told 1t, Made ALI Believe in
His Innocence.

Five thousand people at the cnau-
tauqua last night curious to see the
man about whom the biggest political
scandal of the last decade has gather
ed, craned their necks and watched
for the appearance of Caleb Powers
upon the platform. Montayille Flow
ers, the reader was TO precede Mr..
Powers and in the minds OF many the
names of Flowers and Powers became
so badly mixed that they didn't know
which was which. Those who did diff
ferenciate were willing to hear Flow
ers the greatest of readers. but they
were impatient to see Powers. When
he appeared at $50. they beheld a
slim tall figure which though I'm the
prime of years is worn and frail. Out
from behind glasses looked deepset
gray-blue eyes. the cheek bones show
ed prominent above the hollow cheeks
and the jaw set firm and square. Pow
ers was dressed in suit of steel gray.
His voice was low and clear but with
out volume. His manner had the ut
most simplicity. He told his story
without frills or furbaloes. straight
forward and convincing He seldom
appealed to the emotions. he never
ranted, he used the names of his per-
secutors as sparingly as he could do
so and tell his story. When he had
told it the five thousand people who
had come to see and stayed to listen
were convinced-convinced that Caleb
Powers was a wronged man, that
there is no blood upon his hands. but
that innocent, he has suffered for the
crime of someone else. He had won
all hearers to his side. and he had
done II by simplicity and clear state
ment of his case.
A prominent lawyer said after the
address: Powers could not have done
more. He showed why he had gath
cred the men from the mountains and
why he had gone to Louisville. He
made 1t plain that he could have had
mean political ruin rather than politi-
cal safety. He showed that he did
not have fair trial for the court OF
appeals would not have sent the case
back four times for retrial II IL had
been so. Above all he brought out
the fact that another man had made a
skeleton key to his office.
The story told by Powers was this:l
Case a Political One.
The case against me was born in
politics. bred In politics and reared in
politics. In 1899 William Goebel was
nominated by one wing OF the demo-
cratic party. The party split because
of the methods used by Goebel to get
his nomination. Ex-Governor John NJ.
Young was nominated by the other
wing of the party.
Il was young and unknown. but
wanted to be secretary of state.
made an active campaign for the Of
| flee and was nominated. Our ticket
was elected but from the time this
was known the morning after the elec-
| ton, there were rumors that we would
be ultimately defeated by the Goebel
election law.
The Goebel election law had been
passed in 1895 for Just such an emer-
gency. At that time the republican
ticket was elected in Kentucky. The
democratic legislature sitting the fol-
lowing winter created a board of last
resort which should settle all elec-
ton disputes. They had the power to
declare the defeated party elected by
throwing out enough counties 10 elect.
After our election this board declared
for the republican ticket There were
two honest democratic members and
they were forced TO resign Under
the law the dishonest member re-
naming had power TO ill their places.
Il Ia
entire democratic ticket now contest
ed the election. There was grave
danger that the republicans would be
defeated so we resolved upon mon
ster mass meeting a. the capital. I
went into the mountains OF Kentucky
to organize a delegation. Later the
leaders decided not to hold the meet
ing but they could not reach me for I
was in an accessible country
brought my delegation to Frankfort.
That is how the twelve hundred
mountaineers came 20 be there. They
held mass meeting OF their own and
most OF them returned home five days
before the assassination.
Story of Assassination.
"On the morning of the day Goeber
was assassinated, ]. L Butler. Horton
Golden, and myself left Frankfort for
Louisville to arouse public sentiment
against the injustice the democrats
were planning. Later II was held by
my enemies that left on an unknown
mission and to let my office be used
by hired assassin
News of the assassination reached
lCnnffnued on PAGE Three