The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1909-04-30
Petition of Thousands FL
led in their Favor.
Gov. May Never Again Return
to His Native
State.

At a late hour last Friday afternoon
Gov. Augustus E. Wilson, by one
stroke of his official pen, ended for
ever the persecution of Governor W.
s. Taylor for elleged completely in
the assassination of Senator Goebel
by granting him fun and free pardon
OF the charge which has hung over
him Tor the past mine years.
The Governor also granted pardons
to john Powers, brother of Caleb
Powers, indicted as an accessory to
the crime; to Holland Whitaker, of
Butler county; to John Davis,o Louis
Vile. and to Zach Steele, of Bell
county. Whitaker, Davis and Steele
never left the State. While Taylor and
Finley have lived outside the Com
monwea0th, John Powers, it is said,
has been roaming about in Honduras.
Those over whom indictments are
left hanging are Wlhorton Golden, OF
Knox county, now I'm Colorado; Frank
Cecil, of Bell county, now q railroad
detective in ST. Louis, and William
H. Culton, of owsley counnty, said TO
died recently In the West. These
caseswiUh tine possible exception of
that of Cecil, will, it is said, be dis
missed.
The action of the Governor will be
Joyous news to the thousands OF citi-
Gems throughout the State vino have
appealed to him to exercise his par
doning power in the cases of tine
J men accused of the killing of GOebel.
The petitions which were sent to the
GovTuor were signed not alone by
Republicans, but by Democrats and
men OF every political faith.
For mine years Gov. Taylor has
been an exile from tine State which
gave him birth, and from the people
who elected him their Chief Execu-
tive. By night and by day lie has
lived in the constant fear of death
or kidnapping. The charge of murder
has hung over him, turning his hair
white and shattering lids health. All
these years hs has been a hunted
man. Perhaps imprisonment or death
itself would have been preferable to
the suffering THAT he has endured.
The wife of Gov. Taylor, unable 10
withstand the disgrace which SHE felt
over the conditions which forced her
husband 10 become am exile, pinned
away, leaving him alone TO becr his
SORROWS. 1t has been said thet Gov.
Taylor has felt so deeply and so keen
ly the fact that me has been compe1l-
ed to live as an exile from his State
that he has made the statement that
he doubted whether he would ever re-
turn.
Gov. Taylor crossed the boundary
line OF Kentucky into Indiana short
ly after the Supreme Court of the
United States refused 10 take juris-
diction I'm the litiaztion Involving the
right of the Democrats to hold the
State offices. This had the effect of
leaving the Democrats in power. Gov.
Taylor's indictment for the murder
of Goebel followed dn the Franklin
Circuit Court, and frightened beyond
description, ne sought the advice and
counsel of friends in Louisville.
Every since the shot rang out that
killed Goebel the shooting has been the
basis OF the issues In every political
campaign In Kentucky. The races be-
tween ]. C. w. Beclrham and john
w. Yer,kes IN 1900, between Bechham
and Morris B. Belknap in 1903, and
then between Gov. Wilson and s. w.
Hager in 1907, were made with the
killing of Goebel the dominant issue
On learning OF the action OF Gov
eruor Wilson Indianapolis friends
gathered at the Taylor home Frd-
day night to congratulate Miss Anna
Taylor, the former Governors eldest
daughter. upon the pardon of her
father.
"The news Is almost too good 10
be true" she said.
IT have always longed TO go back
to Kentucky to the Old home. OF
course, since the death of my moth
en- 1t would not be the same. but
there is no spot in the world like ones
native State. ! don't know about
going back to Kentucky. ! shall go