Jasper County Democrat, Volume 2, Number 44, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 February 1900 — GOEBEL TAKES OATH. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

GOEBEL TAKES OATH.

SWORN IN AS GOVERNOR WHILE FIGHTING DEATH. Democratic Legislative Majority Dectareo Him Legally Elected-Goebel Ordcrw Militia to Dianeros-TaylorAd-journs Lrgolatsre to Meet fas London. The State of Kentucky Thursday had two Governors. each claiming the full de facto and de jure powers of the office. William Goebel, fighting death in hw room at the Capitol Hotel at Frankfort, a martyr to his political ambition. was given the oath off officers Governor by Chief Justice Hazefrigg at ft o'clock Wednesday evening. The wath was administered to him as the result of the action of the Deaaoctatir members of the Legislature. who signed a resolution declaring Mr. Goebel and J. C. W. Beckham the rightful executive officers of the conummwealth. This resuluti»n was formally adopted, it is asserted, in secret meeting. Gov. Taylor made the drctantiuß that a state of insurrvstiieu prevails in Kentucky. and especially at the capital, and adjourned the General Assembly, to meet at London. a town in one of the tn->nn-lain counties, where the Republicans are in the majority. The Republican mentbers, acknowledging his authority. started there. The Itenmm-ratic members of the Legislature. who ate in the majority, met Wednesday night in the Capitol and there declared Goebel the Governor and Beckham Lieutenant Governor of the Blate. Theo- men were

sworu in at by the chief justice of The Court of Appeals. l*repprd up in his bed Mr. Goebel took the oath of office and immediately signed a proclamation disbanding the militia gathered there on der Gov. Tayl.w's orders. He also appointed Brig. Gen. John B. Castleman, r. S. V_, retired, adjutant general to take charge of the array. As a result of this action warrants were issued for the arrest of the Democratic legislators participating in it on the'charge of treason. The contest I«et ween the two men., each claiming full legal powers as Governor of the State, seemed to have reached its climax. Al the end of the most eventful day in Kentucky's history, saving perhaps only the days at the outbreak of the civil war. the issues were so sharply drawn that open conflict and bloodshed, if not a real internal war. seemet! unavoidable. Skootiojr of Goebel. At Frankfort. Ky_ Senator Goebel, contestant for the position now occupied by Got. Taylor, was shot and seriously wounded at 11 o'clock Tuesday morning. John Whittaker, a farmer of Butler County, was arrested, charged with the crime. Mr. Goebel was walking up the sidewalk leading to the Senate when a man in the second story of the building: immediately to the cast of the eapttol fired upt.u him. Five shots were tired and Mr. Goebel fell to the ground, writhing with pain. He was at once carried to a hotel. The bullet struck Senator Goebel in the right side, passed through the body, coming out below the shoulder blade, and when the news was first sent out it was declared that the Senator had been instantly killed by this one shot. The wildest excitement was instantly created in the town and within ten minutes after Mr. Goebel had been shot the streets were filled with men carrying rides and revolvers. A guard was thrown around the building from which shots were fired, in order to prevent escape of the assassin. A force of men dashed into the building and up to the room from which the shots were fired, but could find no one. The guard was redoubled, and Adjt. Gen. Collier, an anient political opponent of Goebel, took charge of it. leading the work of finding the man who fired the shots. They have assassinated Senator Goebeir* was shouted into the house door an instant after the shofa rang out. The members rushed pell mell over one another down the steps to the front of the buHding, coatless and hatiess. In five minutes the whole city learned the news and hundreds poured into the state house yard and it looked aa if a riot would result. John Whittaker was arrested a few minutes after the shooting trying to escape from the buiMizg from which the shots were fired. He was caught by John K. Miles, a man past 73 years of age. When searched five pistols were takriu off his person. He loudly protested his innocence. A heavy guard of police surrounded him on the way to the county jail, followed by hundreds. Cries of “Mob the assassin!"* and “Let's take him away from the police and hang himf* were heard all along the route from enrajgyd people. When Goy. Taylor was informed of the attempted assassination he threw himself back in his chair and wept. All of the doors leading to the executive office WOW locked, and presently a special guard of State militia fined -up in front of the executive and capitol buildings.

WILLIAM E. GOEBEL.