Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1908-06-14
PARDON FOR Frs
Former KentU, retsry Of State
Set Free vernon Wilson.
FOUR TIMES ON TRIAL FOR LIFE
he Was Charged with Conspiring to
Murder .Goebel.
REASONS
EXECUTIVE GIVES
Says Investigation COnvinces Him Of
Innocence Of Accused.
JAMES HOWARD ALSO RELEASED
He was said 60 BE the Man who
Fired the Fatal ShOt-ThOu-
sands Intercede for
Them.

FRANKFORT. KY. June l3-By an
nouncing the pardon today of Caleb Powers
and James Howard, Governor Wilson
closed the last chapter in one Of the most
noted criminal cases in the history Of this
state in which the people Of the United
States have formally expressed their in
terest by signing the petitions for pardon
In the closing days Of January. eight
! years ago. while the contest OF William
Goebel for the gubernatorial seat occupied
by william s. Taylor was being heard,
Goebel was shot, dying later from his
wound. The shot wac believed 70 have come
\ from a half-open window Of the secretary
Of states office. and as Caleb Powers was
/ then filling that position. suspicion was
directed toward him and his arrest followed.
-Four times has Powers been put on trial
/ for his life on the charge OF completely in
the murder. death being the penalty in two
trials.
On the fourth trial which came after the
/ case had been carried to the United States
court. being finally appealed TO the supreme
court which sent it hack TO the state
/ courts. the jury disagreed and thereupon
the efforts for a pardon for Powers. as
well as for James Howard. who had been
/ convicted some years ago on the charge Of
I
/ Of thousands Of names of sympathizers OF
people OF all parties and all sections were
| appended to the petitions that poured in
| on Governor Wilson. who for several
weeks has been considering the case. His
decision was made known today in the
1 shape Of a formal statement Of the facts
ana his reasons therefor.
Halter Around His Neck.
The campaign that ended in the defeat
Of GoebeI at the polls. the struggle incident
TO his legislative contest whereby he
snatched the governorship from Taylor
his assassination and the campaign OF pro-
scription waged by his partisans after his
death were replete with dramatic situations
and crowded the stage with actors who
played important parts; but of all the par
| ticipants none. not even Goebel himself
focused public attention more clearly than
Caleb Powers. the republican secretary Of
state. Powers has been fighting with a
halter around his neck for eight years.
During all that time he has lain largely
I in the power Of hts political opponents. the
majority Of those who were engaged in
prosecuting him being partisans of Goebel-
These opponents were surrounded by a
horde OF witnesses and detectives and were
backed by the S50.000 reward fund which
the Goebel democrats in the legislature
voted from the public treasury to secure
the conviction OF the murderers.
Four times Powers has been tried for his
life. the last trial resulting In a hung Jury.
At the hour Goebel was assassinated at
Frankfort Powers was some 90 miles away
on a train bound for western Kentucky.
where ne intended raising a second peace
ful army OF petition in boots TO protest
against what it seemed would be the course
Of the legislature to oust Governor Taylor
and seat Goebel on contest proceedings
; He returned TO Frankfort and remained
there during the stormy days that culmi-
mated in The installment OF Gosbel as gov
ernor upon his death bed.
Pardon Not Accepted.
Soon after. seeing the trend Of events
/ Powers and a Frankfort policeman at
! tempted TO leave the capitol by stealth
They were caught and when given prelim-
mary errsignment produced pardons signed
, by Taylor and dated prior TO GoebeTs in
stallation as governor Although such par
dons issued in advance Of trial have been
2 pheld by the Kentucky court Of appeals
as legal, those produced by Powers ana mn
companion were held to be Of no effect
and were cited by Goebel as additional
evidence of the guilt OF the accused
Then followed during the course OF eight
years four legal battles which served tc
I reveal the intensity Of the hatreds aroused
by the memorable struggle for the COVER.
4 norship.
: James b Howard is alleged to be IN,
J, man who fired the shot that killed Goebe
\ and he was under life sentence
: The Governor's Reasons.
, Governor Wilson. in assigning reasons
for the pardon. said in part:
The application is supported by petitions
. recommending the pardon Of the accused
i sishSa DE nearly Sb,vo persons, some 240.
GO kentuckians. and a large proportion
E The murder Of Senator Goebel destroye,
Z a remarkable lie. brought the deepes
: grief TO his family and thousands OF friend
, who loved him, overthrow a whole stat,
p Z election. destroyed the peace and good feel
> ing OF the state for eight years sef 1eigb
Dor against neighbor. made politics alnos
b war, stained tie good name Of Kentucll
/ and shocked the civilized world. There va
and is no shadow Of excuse Of palliatior
for this base crime. There can be no mere
, for anyone guilty Of the murder or OF aid
, ing or abetting il, but the more grave m
= crime. the more serious Is the responsible
8 uy OF deciding the question OF guilt an.
Z against injustice and wrong imposed unde
q the pressure OF public excitement. passiol
L or prejudice
: alton In which Kentucky found itself wit
2 the people divided into hostile factions. owe
/ the noted case, with All its features OF poll
. teal strife and hatred, the governor says
"A / have considered the case reEardles
- OF my personal wishes. sympathy or frs
e Impressions. ana wholly In the Light Q
e truth and right ] neither seek TO avoi
= criticism nor win praise. but ! am reveF
entity thankful that II has come 10 pas
that ! should be the instrument OF tustic
e and mercy. as God has given me 10 -
n my duty and know the right, and my fan
sthat peace and neighboTly feeling vi
> put an end 20 these troubles.
3 IErant Caleb Powers a fun and uncou
q ditional pardon for the offense with Whtc
!, he stands charged and a restoration I
" all hts rights Of citizenship and order tha
p he be forthwith released from tail Mr. re-
& son for granting a pardon Is that I az
II firmly convinced that he is. beyond al res
sonable doubt innocent OF the erin
e charged against him and that any furthe
d prosecution against him for the Grim
n would be a great wTcng and against IN
!. peace and wen being Of the common Eealtl
In the trial Of Youtsey the state con
u tended earnestly for a verdict in that h
h fired the fatal shot and my reading of N
!. testimony leaves no doubt that this charE