The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-08-29

gally convicted and we send his case
back for retrial according to the laws
of Kentucky and the sense of Justice
At the second trial, Cantrell refused
to vacate the bench in favor of an
other Judge, though he had been gull
ty of every connivance. He had even
issued an order that no woman or min
| lister was to see me. The sherltfs
were again sent to the Goebel coun-
ties for second jury. Of 293 men
drawn 287 were out and out demo
Gratis. There was not a single repub-
| lican, populist or prohibitionist in the
second jury. Many of the jurymen
| had already said that / was murder
er and ought to be hung. Again l
was sentenced for life and again the
court of appeals sent the case back
| for retrial
Was Dark Hour.
When my third trial came l had an
other Judge. The Kentucky law pro-
vides that If the regular judge cannot
preside the bar elects. Now the bar
able men and my enemies did not
| want them to elect a judge. So they
passed law that the governor should
| appoint. The trial was delayed and
as there was an approaching election
| and the governor who should appoint
might be friend instead of an enemy,
They took the power out Of his hands
! and placed it with a partisan board.
l was no better off than I was before.
| The jury was summoned from Bour-
bon county and out of 176 men only
three were not democrats. This jury
| brought in a verdict of guilty and fix
ed my punishment at death. The
Goebel governor said that the law
should take it's course. The court Of
appeals was overwhelmingly democra-
| tic. 1t was a dark hour. But | had
done no wrong and the blood of no
man was on my hands. l still had
| hope.
THE court of appeals reviewed the
case and declared that there had been
a mistrial. The case was then review
ed by the supreme court of the Unit
ed States. In handing down the de-
cision Justice Harlan said: The
things done in the Powers case down
in Kentucky is enough to shock the
sense of justice in any man
Before the fourth trial came there
was a change of feeling. The demo
Gratis had had eight years in which
to prove my guilt and they had not
done it. If I was, why did they pack
the jury? Why did they not give me
a fair trial and prove my guilt? This
change of feeling elected a republican
governor. Let me say tonight my
heart goes out to the ten thousand
democrats who voted the republican
ticket that l might have a fair trial.
"On my last jury there were eight
democrats and four republicans. Six
of the democrats voted with the re
publicans for acquittal. One man hung
the jury for the other juror who had
voted to condemn promised to change
if his colleague would. The obstinate
juror held on and | was not exhonor
ated. 1t developed later that the OBJ
stinate juror was customer at a
store owned by William Goe bells
!. brother and had said to his friends be
fore the trial that he would never
acquit me.
Wishing to be acquitted by jury
Of my peers l favored another trial
My friends said however, that | hac
, had four trials at none of which haC
received justice and they would ap
peal to Governor Wilson. When the
great petition went up to the governor
, he pardoned me and in doing so said
Il firmly believe that he is absolutely
innocent of the charge against him"
At this point Mr.. Powers asked i
there was anyone who wished to ques
, ton him. Someone in the audience
asked who was in your office whe1
!, Goebel was killed."
Il do not know" replied Mp. Pow
ers, but I believe Henry E. Youtsey
He is now serving a life sentence TO
the murder of Goebel. 1t developed
at my last trial that Youtsey hat
made skeleton key to my office"
Drained the Dregs.
There being no other question, MI
Powers concluded briefly:
Il have drained to the dregs the Bit
ter cup called life. I have tasted o
; its sweets too. At times life has bee,
, like a river flowing between yine-cla,
shores. AT other times it has beel
a dark and turbulent stream. UnfoI
, tunately | am not unmoved by tn
opinions of men. But l have come t
know that must not hearken TO wha
my enemies say about me. 1 hav
. fought my fight and won. To tn
I wrongly accused in every cline.
t would say that truth is eternal. RICH
i is not always on the scaffold an
!: wrong is not always on the throne
: In every crisis of life the scale vii