The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1909-04-30
WILSON PARDONED
TAYLOR AND others.
(Continued from First Psge-)

lD0t 14lNu Al1u e-l- 49, t-N-N~-
ever committed IN Ke1tuctCy. Enrug-
ed pubic opinion dsnanded Tengence
The General Assembly appropriated
500, 900 for tie apprehension and COZ
yIction Of tie crimiDols and chose
commission 10 use tie money. which
drew into TIRE prosecution some nen
who were nnot e credit 10 TIE State
Excited pe-fissns charged the mu7-
der upon tie Republican Tezty; al
TIE Soeoe was stirred with charges.
couD<er-chsrEes ard pohticA Islander
and many good and true men were Be
trzyed into bitter ab1se OF each otter.
THE conditicus a Frankfort p-e-
cluded any hope Of q fair trial and
verdict on ire Indictment TIE course
Of years has shoyn that there could
have been 10 oonyictsOn on any Of
these trials eIoept by a solid GOeOei-
DenOclatie jury nor any &C
qutttal erqcpt by an snti-Goe-
bel jury. Trial after t1al was
had with TIE prosecutions s1po-t-
ed by al tire pOTer Of the Comnoa-
wealth end TIE reward fund. and judg
ment sfter tu5gment vcs reversed.
the Court Of Appeals sfaIctrg firm end
Conservative IN upnosdfng tie lew in
the face Of all TIE popular excitement
For yea-s IL seezned ss If there
never would D. an end q tie political
use Of tie Gosb-sl Tnu7ls- o keep UP
hatred and oontsosson. In ire campaign
Of 1907, II was again brought up. as Il
had been in every c2mpaign since
1893, By species in witch II was claim
ed ttst toe DemocTytic nominee for
Governor wculd ps-con Taylor, Pow
ers and Others, ard tlat the Rspub-
lican nominee would pardon them II
ELECTED. made % enswsr 10 tlese
speeches until CINE to tie ZONE
Of Powe-s in TIE u1ou-,eire. WI 40
tod tae people. MS 1Tisuos, JlaI
would not pTejudge uhese cess, trat
would rot promise anybody e.r-e-
70 perdon O. not TO pardon those men,
but that II the caaes ever came be-
fore ne, ! would take them up Diff
cially, and decide item On tie merits
Just like other cases, and that
was as anxious fox Ire conviction and
punishment Of every person guilty %
the murder Of Winiam Gcebel, Is any
one e.5e In KelEucky.
In tcct, I lad rot been able 70 fol-
low tie reports Of tie trials closely
enough 10 form any settled opinion,
except that JIere hGd been partisan
juries and that tire Court Of Appeals
had reversed all Of the convictions
but one and thet tire trials nod been
subjected TO charge Of u, -E.rness be-
cause OF partisan exc.temelt and pre-
JUDGE contrary. 70 tire meaning ord
purpose Of tie law q Tire land.
When the Powers ard HJw--d -p-
plicatiOns for p3rLDn Wee presented,
a public bearing wlS I'D. ct waioh
both sides wee ve1y ably represented,
and tie whole history and course OF
the prosecutions wee r-orOug' ~ dis
cussed, ire t1eories II tie prosecution
and de,ease made pss-feCtiy ciecr, and
! beczme thoroughly famaiiaT Win
the wi5-e cs-Ee Of tfe prosecution and
defense.
After TT henIing tire whole re-
cord Of al TIE TRIALS. with the opin-
ions u the Court Of Appeals, was faith
fully read with greet ce-e and patience
and, after giving those cases the 1-i--
est and most impartial consideration
which the earnest wisir and purpose
70 decide rightly could give rem, !
reach the fiIVn and earnest belief Uhat
Powers and Howard were not guilty
and issued their pazvlJns.
Thew Is no need 10 repeat tere
tie statements In tie Powers and
Howard cases; Trey were published
and are well known 70 TIE people
lie Ctulg q N-Onf5 4cDJi u CJl5L4 dlll-
ed me 70 belieye.to the exclusion Of
a doubt, that Howard did not fire the
stOt which killed William GOebel
The only evidence IN al Of the four
trials Of Powers eId three trials of
Howard by which tie prosecution IN
any way attempted 70 correct Gov.
Taylor with the murder, wvs Tire tes-
timOny, as 70 his writing TO get How
ard 20 come 70 Frankfort TO kill VIII
liam Goebel, end tending 20 Snow that
Howard, On ire request in that letter,
did come TO Frankfort, entered into
the pot ard committed tire murder. ,
But Howard did not kill Goebel and
Gov. Taylor could not be guilty Of
getting HOwa1d 10 % what &c did not
do.
From tie fair, impartial ard
thorough study Of the reports Of all
the tT.als Of t1ese cages, ard from my
memory ard knowledge OF the history
and conditions Of these times, ] be-
lleve that Gov. William S. Taylor had
no part nor guilty knowledge Of the