The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1912-12-31
POWERS STORMY CAREER
MARRIES GIRL WHO sYMPATHIz-
ED WITH HIM IN PRISON.
Four Times Tried for Murder and
Once Sentenced to Die kentuck-
ian Was Elected to Congress.

Once Se0JenCcu W OlV
ian Was Elected to Congress.
No stormier career has stamped its
impression upon American politics
for several generations than that OF
Caleb Powers, a representative from
Kentucky in congress who for eight
wears lay under the shadow of a great
crime-the murder of William Goe-
bel of Kentucky-and who last week
peacefully launched his bark upon
the matrimonial seas.
It was in January, 1900, that Will
liam Goebel, who claimed to have
defeated Governor w. S. Taylor in
the November elections, was shot
from the office of Powers, who was
secretary of state, as he was walking
toward the state capitol at Frank
fort. Taylor had been given the GER
tifcate of election and was in posses
sion of the capitol, which he had fill
ed with armed mountaineers. On
the other hand, the state legislature
on contest had declared Goebel elect
ed. Thus the situation stood when
the assassins bullet ended the life of
Goebel
Because of the ract that the shot
was fired from the office of the sec
rotary of state, from which, however,
he was absent at the time, Powers
was arrested, charged with compiled
ty in the murder. Governor Taylor
fed the state and has never returned
to il Four times Powers was tried
for his life. On the first and second
trials he was found guilty and SEN
fenced to Imprisonment for life Con-
victed on the third trial he was SEN
fenced to be hanged. The fourth
trial resulted in a disagreement and
little later Powers was pardoned by
Governor Wilson. EM
Even with the shadow of the moose
resting on him Powers had dreamed
of political honors and political tri-
umpbs. and when he was released by
Governor Wilson he returned to his
mountain home and began prepare
tions to run for congress. He was
elected in the fall of 1910 and duly
took his place among the nations
lawmakers.
Another ambition came to him as
he lay in prison awaiting the final
determination of his case. One of
his sympathizers was Miss Anna Dor
othy Kaufman, who believed in the
innocence of the young mountaineer
and who expressed her sympathy by
frequently, yet anonymously, sending
him flowers. 1t was not for several
months that Powers learned the iden-
tity of his fair sympathizer. Her
action won his good will and finally
his love and in his prison cell he
dreamed the pleasant dreams of one
day making her his wife. When he
was free to return to his home he
carried with him warm memories of
his fair sympathizer and friend. Cor
respondence followed and now anoth- |
er ambition in the life of Representa- |
tive Powers has been realized, for he
has led to the altar the woman of his
prison dreams of love.
Whether Powers was actually gull
ty of the murder of Goebel will prob
ably never be known with certainty.
The republicans of Kentucky believ-
ed him innocent; the democrats be-
lieved him guilty. One strange feat
ure of the case was that Governor
Taylor before leaving the state issued
a pardon for Powers. The latter
was not then under arrest-was not
even accused, formally at least, of
the crime-and the issuing of the
pardon was interpreted to imply
conspiracy to kill in which both Pow
ers and Taylor we're implicated.
Powers was elected this fall to his
second term in congress.