Carolina watchman. [volume] (Salisbury, N.C.) 1871-1937, 1908-06-17
CALEB POWERS PARDONED
BY GOVERNOR WILSON
Howard, Accused of Connection
With GoebeI Murder, Released.
FOUR JURY TRIALS FAILED

Struggled For Freedom During Eight
Years With a Moose About His
Neck-Most Dramatic Case in
Kentucky.
Frankfort, Ky. By announcing
the pardon of Caleb Powers and
James Howard, Governor Wilson
closed the last chapter of one of Ken
tucky's most noted criminal case, in
which the people of all parts of the
United States have formally ex-
pressed their interest by signing petit
tons for pardon.
Powers and Howard were both re-
leased ct once, the former going to a
hotel and the latter taking a train to
Louisville. Friends of Powers say
that he will be taken in triumph to
the Republican National Convention
1T Chicago, but Powers insists that he
will remain at his home for some
weeks to regain his health.
Governor Wilson has been consid-
ering the Powers and Howard cases
for several weeks. His decision was
made known in a formal statement Of
The pardon and his reasons therefor,
Which he gave to the press at once.
Governor Wilson also granted a
fardon to Caleb Powers upon the in
lictment pending against him in the
Franklin Circuit Court charging sub
ornation of perjury.
The Governors reason for the par
don of Howard and his restoration to
all the rights of citizenship is that a
careful examination of all the evil
dence and proceedings of the trial
had satisfied the Governor beyond all
doubt that Howard had nothing what
ever to do with the murder of Will
lam Goebel, but that Henry Youtsey,
as set forth in the reasons for the
Powers pardon, formed the plan
which was carried out in the murder
Of Goebel.
The campaign that ended in the
defeat of Goebel at the polls, the
struggle incident to his legislative
contest whereby he snatched the Gov
ernorship from Taylor, his assassina-
ton and the campaign Of proscrip-
ton waged by his partisans after his
death we're replete with dramatic sit
nations and crowded the stage with
actors, who played important parts,
| but, of all the participants, none, not
even Goebel himself, focused public
attention more clearly than Caleb
Powers, the Republican Secretary o7
State.
Powers has been fighting with a
halter around his neck for eight
years. During all that time he has
been largely in the power of his po-
litical opponents, the majority OF
those who were engaged in %prosecut-
Ing him being partisans of Goebel.
These opponents were surrounded by
a horde Of witnesses and detectives
and backed by the $4,000 reward
fund which the Gobel Democrats in
the Legislature voted from the pub
lie treasury to secure the conviction
bf the murderers.
Four times Powers has been tried
for his life, the last trial resulting in
a hung jury.
At the hour Goebel was assassin
ated in Frankfort Powers was some
200 miles away, on a train bound for
Western Kentucky, where he intend
ed raising a second peaceful army"
Or petition in boots" to protest
against what seemed would be the
certain course OF the Legislature in
proceeding to GUST Governor Taylor
and seat Goebel on contest proceed
ings. He returned to Frankfort, and
remained there during the stormy
days that eliminated in the install
ment of Goebel as Governor upon his
deathbed.
Soon after, seeing the trend of
events, Powers and a Frankfort po-
liceman attempted to leave the capt.
tai by stealth. They were caught,
and when given preliminary arraign-
ment produced pardons signed by
Taylor and dated prior to Goehel's
installation as Governor. Although
such pardons, issued in advance of
trial, have been upheld by the>Ken-
lucky Court of Appeals as legal, those
produced by Powers and his compan-
ion were held of no effect, and were
cited by Goebel men as additional
evidence of the guilt of the accused.
Then followed during the course OF
eight years four legal battles which
served to reveal the intensity of the
hatreds arouse by the memorable
struggle for the Governorship.