Jasper County Democrat, Volume 2, Number 51, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 31 March 1900 — PLOT IN GOEBEL CASE [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

PLOT IN GOEBEL CASE

WITNESS SAYS NEGROES WERE TO COMMIT MURDER. Bergt. Golden's Story of Conspiracy to Kill Democrats la Witnesses and Lawyers at the Trial Are in Fear of Assassination. The trials of Caleb Power* and other Republicans for the alleged assassination of William Goebel are almost certain

to involve Kentucky in the worst feud ever known in the State. Already the Republicans of London have publicly announced that no Democrat can ever make a public speech in that town. According to a correspondent a leading Republican of Lon-

don said: “If a Democrat comes to London to make a speech a committee will wait oi; him and tell him that he cannot make a Democratic speech there, and if he insists he will be shot as soon as he rises to begin his address.” The examining trial of Caleb Powers was continued at Frankfort Monday beford Judge Moore. F. Wharton Golden went on the stand for cross examination by the defense. Golden, in his testimony Saturday, told of the alleged plot to kill Goebel. During the hearing he said: “John Powers told me they had two niggers here to kill Goebel. They were Hockersmith and Dick Coombs.” The morning of the shooting,” continued Golden, “John Powers said to me, ’Goebel is going to be killed this morning.’ 1 said: ‘This must not be done. We must go and see Caleb.’ John Powers saw him; I didn't.” Golden, who claims to have been a friend to Secretary of State Caleb Powers and his brother, John Powers, for

years, gave testimony that was particularly damaging to John Powers, but he also brought in the names of mdny others, including Charles Finley, W. H. Culton and Claimant Governor Taylor, in his story of the bringing of the mountaineers to Frankfort previous

to the assassination. Mr. Taylor, however, was not directly implicated. Golden’s testimony tended to show that a plan was made to bring several hundred “regular mountain feudists” to Frankfort', who would, if necessary, as Golden expressed it, “go into the legislative hall and kill off enough Democrats to make It our way.” The testimony did not show that the alleged plot to kill Goebel was part of the original plan, nor did it contain the names of those who conceived that idea. It did show, however, that Caleb Powers gave Golden money with which to pay the way of the feudists to Frankfort. Witnesses and lawyers figuring in the trial of the Goebel suspects are living in daily fear of assassination. Col. Jack

Chinn has received many threatening letters, while Attorney Campbell, chief prosecuting counsel, says he does not expect to be allowed to live through the trial. It is now alleged by the prosecution that the murder of Goebel was the result of a plot, cunningly executed. The plot, it is

said, involves Chief Justice Hazlerigg and Judge Poynter, of the Court of Appeals. The State asserts it can show that it was the purpose of the plotters to kill Goebel Monday instead of Tuesday, but on that day he was surrounded by so many friends as he walked into the State House that it was impossible to get a good shot at him.

SHERIFF SUTER.

W. H. CULTON.

CAPT. DAVIS.