The Washington herald., 1911-08-13

that my colleague and myself had Chris
tian parents and saying we ought to be
| in better business than denying the
truths of Holy Writ. The judges decided
that the earth is fat, a judgment that
the spectators applauded.
Our mountain people are strenuously
| religious. My mother was a Methodist,
my father a Disciple, but I am a Bap-
tist. The homes hidden away in the
/ woods may be humble, but they are
! rudely and sincerely pious. 1t was so in
| the days of our feuds. Families would
travel fifteen miles on foot and On
horses and mules past other churches 10
hear their own doctrines expounded and
| defended.
II have been in church when five min
\ listers were present, each with a pent-up
| sermon, which he delivered. The minis
| ters were uneducated men. but they
nearly always had the gift Of words and
| were filled with religious feryor. Usually
they wore jean trousers, homemade cot
| ton shiIts, and heavy shoes with nails
in the soles. The women IN the con-
gregation wore calico dresses, aprons,
and sunbonnets.
Il became secretary of state on Janu-
airy !, 1907 Mr.. Powers continued
"Goebel was killed on the 3oth day Of
that month, was shot, as the world
knows, while approaching the capitol
Z
voted $780, go for the discovery of the
murderer. Goebel had been defeated for
governor and was contesting the election.
y revolution was imminent, and armed
partisans had come c"wn from the noun
tains 1 was arrested month later. 1t
was not claimed that I fired the shot,
but that I had caused the mountaineers
to assemble in Frankfort and had helped
to plan the assassination. Thus began
my prosecution and the dreary years in
the jails of Lexington, Louisville, Frank
fort and Georgetown, which wore away
my health. but did not break my spirit"
Picturesque Mountain Characters
You have had many original and pic
turesque characters in the mountains"
said.
And many strong men," Mr.. Powers
answered. William O'Connell Bradley.
our Senator in Congress. was a noun
taineer. Col. Frank L. wolford was an
other. He came to the House of Repre-
sentatives when was a boy. II he were
running against a Democrat for the
nomination or against a Republican for
the election, he would go about the dis
trict accompanied by a group OF ready
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. prepared to use
their tongues, fists, or guns on occasion
During debate with an opponent II
the opponent were coniderabls- distance
from home, wolford would charge him
with some outrageous offense. Natu-
rally, the man would angrily deny the
accusation, whereupon wolford would
loudly ask IL Jim Brown were present.
Jim Brown would arise. far back in tn,
audience.
"Do you live in my opponents dis
trictT Wolford would inquire
"T do Jim would reply
Us what / said about him true?' VOL
ford would yell at the top Of his voice
Every word OF t. Jim would shout
back. know the facts
Then Wolford would call on Bill
Smith, Sam White. and Tom Jones. and
they In turn would solemnly and often
fercely verify his statements. wolford's
opponent would collapse and the crowd
would hoot at him as he wearily climbed
into his buggy and drove away
But We don't electioneer that way any
more. Even Wolford quit II when Frank
Finley ran against him and gave him .
big and bitter dose OF his own bot
tia
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