William Goebel
Encyclopedia
William Justus Goebel was an American politician
who served as the 34th Governor of Kentucky
for a few days in 1900 after having been mortally wounded by an assassin the day before he was sworn in. Goebel remains the only state governor in the United States to be assassinated while in office.
A skilled politician, Goebel was well able to broker deals with fellow lawmakers, and equally able and willing to break the deals if a better deal came along. His tendency to use the state's political machine
ry to advance his personal agenda earned him the nicknames "Boss Bill", "the Kenton
King", "Kenton Czar", "King William I", and "William the Conqueror".
Goebel's abrasive personality made him many political enemies, but his championing of populist
causes, like railroad regulation, also won him many friends. This conflict of opinions came to a head in the Kentucky gubernatorial election of 1899. Goebel, a Democrat
, divided his party with self-serving political tactics at a time when Kentucky Republicans
were finally gaining strength, having elected the party's first governor four years previously. These dynamics led to a close contest between Goebel and William S. Taylor
. In the politically chaotic climate that resulted, Goebel was assassinated. The identity of his assassin remains a mystery.
, the son of Wilhelm (William) and Augusta (Groenkle) Goebel, immigrants from Hannover
, Germany. The first of four children, he was born two months premature, and weighed less than three pounds. While his father served as a private in Company B, 82nd Pennsylvania Infantry during the American Civil War
, Goebel's mother raised the children alone, teaching them much about their German
heritage. Wilhelm spoke only German
until the age of six, but embraced the culture of his birth country as well, including the adoption of the English spelling of his name.
Goebel's father moved the family to Covington, Kentucky
on his return from military service in 1863. Young William attended school in Covington, and became an apprentice to a jeweler in Cincinnati, Ohio
. He abandoned that trade, and after a brief stint at Hollingsworth Business College, became a student in the law firm of John W. Stevenson
, who had served as governor of Kentucky from 1871 to 1877. Goebel eventually became Stevenson's partner and executor of his estate. After graduating from Cincinnati Law School in 1877, Goebel enrolled at Kenyon College
in Gambier, Ohio
, but withdrew to support his family after the death of his father. After a few years of private practice, Goebel partnered with Kentucky state representative John G. Carlisle for five years, then rejoined Stevenson's practice in Covington as a partner.
remarked that Goebel's appearance was "reptilian," while others commented on his contemptuous lips, sharp nose, and humorless eyes. Neither was Goebel a gifted public speaker, eschewing flowery imagery and relying on his deep, powerful voice and forceful delivery to drive home his points.
While lacking in the social qualities common to politicians, one characteristic served Goebel well in the political arena his intellect. Goebel was well-read, and supporters and opponents both conceded that his mental prowess was impressive. Cobb concluded that he had never been more impressed with a man's intellect than he had been with Goebel's.
to pursue the office of lieutenant governor
. Goebel decided to seek election to the vacant seat representing the Covington area. His platform of railroad regulation and championing labor causes, combined with the influence of Stevenson, his former partner, should have given Goebel an easy victory, but this was not to be. A third political party, the Union Labor party, had risen to power in the area with a platform similar to Goebel's. However, while Goebel had to stick close to his allies in the Democratic party, the Union Labor party courted the votes of both Democrats and Republicans, and made the election close decided in Goebel's favor by a mere fifty-six votes.
With only the two years remaining in former senator Bryan's term to distinguish himself before a re-election bid, Goebel took aim at a large and popular target: the Louisville and Nashville Railroad
. A proposal from pro-railroad legislators in the Kentucky House of Representatives to abolish Kentucky's Railroad Commission was passed and sent to the Senate. Senator Cassius M. Clay responded by proposing a committee to investigate lobbying by the railroad industry. Goebel served on the committee, which uncovered significant violations by the railroad lobby. Goebel also helped defeat the bill to abolish the Railroad Commission in the Senate. These actions made him a hero in his district. He ran for a full term as senator unopposed in 1889, and won another term in 1893 by a three-to-one margin over his Republican opponent.
In 1890, Goebel was a delegate to Kentucky's fourth constitutional convention
, which produced the current Kentucky Constitution
. Despite the high honor of being chosen as a delegate, Goebel showed little interest in participating in the process of creating a new constitution. The convention was in session for 250 days; Goebel was present for just 100 of them. He did, however, successfully secure the inclusion of the Railroad Commission in the new constitution. As a constitutional entity, the Commission could only be abolished by an amendment ratified by popular vote. This would effectively protect the Commission from ever being unilaterally dismantled by the General Assembly
.
with General John Lawrence Sanford. Sanford, an ex-Confederate
and politician turned banker, had butted heads with Goebel before. Goebel's successful campaign to remove tolls from some of Kentucky's turnpikes
had cost Sanford a good deal of money. Later, it was widely believed that Sanford blocked Goebel's appointment to the Kentucky Court of Appeals, then the highest court in the state. In response to this, Goebel had written an article in a local newspaper referring to Sanford as "Gonorrhea
John".
The duel occurred as Goebel and two of his acquaintances went to cash a check in Covington. Goebel suggested they avoid Sanford's bank, but Sanford, standing outside the bank, engaged the trio in conversation before they could cross the street to another establishment. As Sanford greeted Goebel's friends, he offered his left hand, his right remaining on a pistol in his pocket. Goebel, noticing this and being likewise armed, clutched the pistol in his own pocket. Sanford asked Goebel, "I understand that you assume authorship of that article?" "I do," replied Goebel. Witnesses agree that both men fired their guns, but none could tell who fired first. Goebel was uninjured, the bullet passing through his coat and ripping his trousers, while Sanford was hit in the head. He died five hours later. Though Goebel was acquitted, pleading self-defense, the incident would haunt his future political career. The acquittal was also significant because of prohibitions against duelling in the Kentucky Constitution. Had Goebel been convicted, he would not have been eligible to hold public office.
governor William O. Bradley in 1895 and Republican president William McKinley
in 1896. Goebel proposed a bill, known as the "Goebel Election Law," which passed along sharp party lines and over Governor Bradley's veto
, created a three-member state election commission, appointed by the General Assembly, to select county election commissioners. This system proved to be just as manipulable as the one it replaced, allowing the Democratically controlled General Assembly to appoint fellow Democrats to the election commission.
Many voters decried the bill as a self-serving attempt by Goebel to increase his political power, and the election board remained a controversial issue until its abolition in a special session of the legislature in 1900.
Despite rising to the office of President Pro Tempore
in 1896, Goebel became the subject of much opposition from constituencies of both parties in Kentucky after the passage of the law.
Goebel, Wat Hardin
, and William J. Stone
. When Hardin proved the front-runner for the nomination, Stone and Goebel agreed to work together against him. Stone's supporters would back whomever Goebel picked to preside over the convention; in exchange, half of the delegates from Louisville, who were pledged to Goebel, would vote to nominate Stone for governor. Goebel would then drop out of the race, but would be allowed to name many of the other officials on the ticket. As word of the plan spread through the convention, Hardin dropped out of the race, believing he would be bested by the Stone–Goebel alliance.
But Goebel took a calculated risk, reneging on the agreement once his man was installed as presiding officer. Hardin, seeing that Stone had been betrayed and believing he might yet be able to secure the nomination, re-entered the fray. After several chaotic ballots resulted in no clear majority for any of the three, Goebel's hand-picked chairman announced that the man with the lowest vote total in the next canvass would be dropped from the ballot. That turned out to be Stone. This put Stone's supporters in a difficult position. They were now forced to choose between Hardin, who was seen as being a pawn of the railroad industry, or Goebel, who had just turned on their man. In the end, enough sided with Goebel to give him the nomination. Goebel's tactics, while not illegal, were unpopular with many and fractured the party. A disgruntled faction calling themselves the "Honest Election Democrats" held a separate convention in Lexington
and nominated John Y. Brown
for governor.
In the general election, Republican William S. Taylor
defeated both Democratic candidates, but his margin over Goebel was a mere 2,383 votes. Democrats in the General Assembly began leveling accusations of voting irregularities in some counties, but in a surprise decision, the Board of Elections created by the Goebel Election Law and manned by three hand-picked Goebel Democrats, ruled 2–1 that the disputed ballots should count, indicating the law gave them no legal power to reverse the official county results and that under the Kentucky Constitution the power to review the election lay with the General Assembly. The Assembly invalidated enough votes to give the election to Goebel. The Assembly's Republican minority was incensed, as were voters in traditionally Republican districts. For several days, the state hovered on the brink of a possible civil war
.
While the election results remained in dispute, Goebel, despite being warned of a rumored assassination plot against him, walked flanked by two bodyguards to the Old State Capitol
on the morning of January 30, 1900. Reports conflict about what happened next, but five or six shots were fired from the nearby State Building, one striking Goebel in the chest and wounding him seriously. Taylor, serving as governor pending a final decision on the election, called out the militia
and ordered the General Assembly into a special session, not in Frankfort, but in London, Kentucky
, a Republican area. The Republican minority heeded the call and headed to London. Democrats resisted the call, many retiring to Louisville
instead. Both factions claimed authority, but the Republicans were too few in number to muster a quorum
.
One day after being shot, the dying Goebel was sworn in as governor. In his only act in that capacity, Goebel signed a proclamation to dissolve the militia called up by Taylor, an order which was not heeded by the force's Republican commander. Despite the ministrations of 18 physicians, Goebel died the afternoon of February 3, 1900. Journalists recalled his last words as "Tell my friends to be brave, fearless, and loyal to the common people." Skeptic Irvin S. Cobb
uncovered another story from some in the room at the time. On having eaten his last meal, the governor supposedly remarked "Doc, that was a damned bad oyster." In respect of Goebel's displeasure with the Louisville and Nashville Railroad, the governor's body was transported not by the L&N direct line, but circuitously from his hometown of Covington north across the Ohio River
to Cincinnati, and then south to Frankfort on the Queen and Crescent Railroad.
, J. C. W. Beckham
, as governor was more palatable to much of the opposition than civil war in the state, though many of them may have preferred war to a Goebel governorship. After a lengthy meeting, a bipartisan compromise was drafted which would have ended the matter. The terms called for Republican recognition of Goebel's rightful election (and Beckham's subsequent right to govern). Republicans would also remove the militia from Frankfort. Democrats would, in turn, extend immunity to any Republican official found to have ties to the assassination, stop contesting elections for other state offices, and work to pass a nonpartisan election reform bill. The agreement needed only Taylor's signature to become effective. Unwilling to relinquish his office, Taylor balked.
Compromise having been exhausted, both sides agreed to litigate the matter. The Kentucky Court of Appeals found that the General Assembly had acted legally in declaring Goebel the winner of the election. That decision was appealed to the Supreme Court of the United States
. Arguments were presented in the case (Taylor v. Beckham
) on April 30, 1900, and on May 21, the justices decided 8–1 not to hear the case, allowing the Court of Appeals' decision to stand. The lone dissension was that of Associate Justice John Marshall Harlan
, a Kentucky native.
under the looming threat of indictment. The governor of Indiana
refused to extradite Taylor, and he was thus never questioned about his knowledge of the plot to kill Goebel. Taylor became a successful lawyer in Indiana, and was pardoned in 1909 by Beckham's successor, Republican Augustus E. Willson
.
Sixteen people, including Taylor, were eventually indicted in the assassination of Governor Goebel. Three accepted immunity from prosecution in exchange for testimony. Only five ever went to trial, two of those being acquitted. Convictions were handed down against Taylor's Secretary of State
Caleb Powers
, Henry Youtsey, and Jim Howard. The prosecution charged that Powers was the mastermind, having a political opponent killed so that his boss, Governor Taylor, could stay in office. Youtsey was an alleged intermediary, and Howard, who was said to have been in Frankfort to seek a pardon from Taylor for the killing of a man in a family feud, was accused of being the actual assassin.
The trials were fraught with irregularities. All three judges were pro-Goebel Democrats, and at one point the juror pool of 368 people was found to have only eight Republicans. Republican appeals courts overturned Powers' and Howard's convictions, though Powers was tried three more times, resulting in two convictions and a hung jury
and Howard was tried and convicted twice more. Both men were pardoned in 1908 by Governor Augustus E. Willson.
Youtsey, who received a life sentence
, did not appeal, but after two years in prison, he turned state's evidence
. In Howard's second trial, Youtsey claimed that ex-governor Taylor had discussed an assassination plot with Youtsey and Howard. He backed the prosecution's claims that Taylor and Powers worked out the details, he acted as an intermediary, and Howard fired the shot. On cross examination, the defense pointed out contradictions in the details of Youtsey's story, but Howard was still convicted. Youtsey was paroled in 1916 and was pardoned in 1919 by Democratic governor James D. Black
.
Most historians agree that the assassin of Governor Goebel will never be conclusively identified.
Politics of the United States
The United States is a federal constitutional republic, in which the President of the United States , Congress, and judiciary share powers reserved to the national government, and the federal government shares sovereignty with the state governments.The executive branch is headed by the President...
who served as the 34th Governor of Kentucky
Governor of Kentucky
The Governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky is the head of the executive branch of government in the U.S. state of Kentucky. Fifty-six men and one woman have served as Governor of Kentucky. The governor's term is four years in length; since 1992, incumbents have been able to seek re-election once...
for a few days in 1900 after having been mortally wounded by an assassin the day before he was sworn in. Goebel remains the only state governor in the United States to be assassinated while in office.
A skilled politician, Goebel was well able to broker deals with fellow lawmakers, and equally able and willing to break the deals if a better deal came along. His tendency to use the state's political machine
Political machine
A political machine is a political organization in which an authoritative boss or small group commands the support of a corps of supporters and businesses , who receive rewards for their efforts...
ry to advance his personal agenda earned him the nicknames "Boss Bill", "the Kenton
Kenton County, Kentucky
Kenton County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, United States. It was formed in 1840. In 2010, the population was 159,720. It is the third most populous county in Kentucky behind Jefferson County and Fayette County. Its county seats are Covington and Independence...
King", "Kenton Czar", "King William I", and "William the Conqueror".
Goebel's abrasive personality made him many political enemies, but his championing of populist
Populism
Populism can be defined as an ideology, political philosophy, or type of discourse. Generally, a common theme compares "the people" against "the elite", and urges social and political system changes. It can also be defined as a rhetorical style employed by members of various political or social...
causes, like railroad regulation, also won him many friends. This conflict of opinions came to a head in the Kentucky gubernatorial election of 1899. Goebel, a Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
, divided his party with self-serving political tactics at a time when Kentucky Republicans
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
were finally gaining strength, having elected the party's first governor four years previously. These dynamics led to a close contest between Goebel and William S. Taylor
William S. Taylor
William Sylvester Taylor was the 33rd Governor of Kentucky. He was initially declared the winner of the disputed gubernatorial election of 1899, but the Kentucky General Assembly reversed the election results, giving the victory to his opponent, William Goebel...
. In the politically chaotic climate that resulted, Goebel was assassinated. The identity of his assassin remains a mystery.
Early life
Wilhelm Justus Goebel was born January 4, 1856, in Albany Township, PennsylvaniaAlbany Township, Bradford County, Pennsylvania
Albany Township is a township in Bradford County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 927 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water.Albany Township is bordered by Monroe...
, the son of Wilhelm (William) and Augusta (Groenkle) Goebel, immigrants from Hannover
Hanover
Hanover or Hannover, on the river Leine, is the capital of the federal state of Lower Saxony , Germany and was once by personal union the family seat of the Hanoverian Kings of Great Britain, under their title as the dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg...
, Germany. The first of four children, he was born two months premature, and weighed less than three pounds. While his father served as a private in Company B, 82nd Pennsylvania Infantry during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, Goebel's mother raised the children alone, teaching them much about their German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
heritage. Wilhelm spoke only German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
until the age of six, but embraced the culture of his birth country as well, including the adoption of the English spelling of his name.
Covington, Kentucky
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 43,370 people, 18,257 households, and 10,132 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,301.3 people per square mile . There were 20,448 housing units at an average density of 1,556.5 per square mile...
on his return from military service in 1863. Young William attended school in Covington, and became an apprentice to a jeweler in Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
. He abandoned that trade, and after a brief stint at Hollingsworth Business College, became a student in the law firm of John W. Stevenson
John W. Stevenson
John White Stevenson was a U.S. Representative, the 18th Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky, the 25th Governor of Kentucky and U.S. Senator. His father, Andrew Stevenson, had served as Speaker of the House and minister to Great Britain...
, who had served as governor of Kentucky from 1871 to 1877. Goebel eventually became Stevenson's partner and executor of his estate. After graduating from Cincinnati Law School in 1877, Goebel enrolled at Kenyon College
Kenyon College
Kenyon College is a private liberal arts college in Gambier, Ohio, founded in 1824 by Bishop Philander Chase of The Episcopal Church, in parallel with the Bexley Hall seminary. It is the oldest private college in Ohio...
in Gambier, Ohio
Gambier, Ohio
Gambier is a village in Knox County, Ohio, United States. The population was 1,871 at the 2000 census.Gambier is the home of Kenyon College and was named after one of Kenyon College's early benefactors, Lord Gambier....
, but withdrew to support his family after the death of his father. After a few years of private practice, Goebel partnered with Kentucky state representative John G. Carlisle for five years, then rejoined Stevenson's practice in Covington as a partner.
Personal characteristics
Goebel was never known as a particularly genial person in public. He belonged to few social organizations, and greeted none but his closest friends with a smile or handshake. He was rarely linked romantically with a woman, and is the only governor of Kentucky who never married. His physical features exacerbated his taciturn nature. Journalist Irvin S. CobbIrvin S. Cobb
Irvin Shrewsbury Cobb was an American author, humorist, and columnist who lived in New York and authored more than 60 books and 300 short stories.-Biography:...
remarked that Goebel's appearance was "reptilian," while others commented on his contemptuous lips, sharp nose, and humorless eyes. Neither was Goebel a gifted public speaker, eschewing flowery imagery and relying on his deep, powerful voice and forceful delivery to drive home his points.
While lacking in the social qualities common to politicians, one characteristic served Goebel well in the political arena his intellect. Goebel was well-read, and supporters and opponents both conceded that his mental prowess was impressive. Cobb concluded that he had never been more impressed with a man's intellect than he had been with Goebel's.
Political career
In 1887, James W. Bryan vacated his seat in the Kentucky SenateKentucky Senate
The Kentucky Senate is the upper house of the Kentucky General Assembly. The Kentucky Senate is composed of 38 members elected from single-member districts throughout the Commonwealth. There are no term limits for Kentucky Senators...
to pursue the office of lieutenant governor
Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky
The office of lieutenant governor of Kentucky has existed under the last three of Kentucky's four constitutions, beginning in 1797. The lieutenant governor serves as governor of Kentucky under circumstances similar to the Vice President of the United States assuming the powers of the presidency...
. Goebel decided to seek election to the vacant seat representing the Covington area. His platform of railroad regulation and championing labor causes, combined with the influence of Stevenson, his former partner, should have given Goebel an easy victory, but this was not to be. A third political party, the Union Labor party, had risen to power in the area with a platform similar to Goebel's. However, while Goebel had to stick close to his allies in the Democratic party, the Union Labor party courted the votes of both Democrats and Republicans, and made the election close decided in Goebel's favor by a mere fifty-six votes.
Louisville and Nashville Railroad
The Louisville and Nashville Railroad was a Class I railroad that operated freight and passenger services in the southeast United States.Chartered by the state of Kentucky in 1850, the L&N, as it was generally known, grew into one of the great success stories of American business...
. A proposal from pro-railroad legislators in the Kentucky House of Representatives to abolish Kentucky's Railroad Commission was passed and sent to the Senate. Senator Cassius M. Clay responded by proposing a committee to investigate lobbying by the railroad industry. Goebel served on the committee, which uncovered significant violations by the railroad lobby. Goebel also helped defeat the bill to abolish the Railroad Commission in the Senate. These actions made him a hero in his district. He ran for a full term as senator unopposed in 1889, and won another term in 1893 by a three-to-one margin over his Republican opponent.
In 1890, Goebel was a delegate to Kentucky's fourth constitutional convention
Constitutional convention (political meeting)
A constitutional convention is now a gathering for the purpose of writing a new constitution or revising an existing constitution. A general constitutional convention is called to create the first constitution of a political unit or to entirely replace an existing constitution...
, which produced the current Kentucky Constitution
Kentucky Constitution
The Constitution of the Commonwealth of Kentucky is the document that governs the Commonwealth of Kentucky. It was first adopted in 1792 and has since been rewritten three times and amended many more...
. Despite the high honor of being chosen as a delegate, Goebel showed little interest in participating in the process of creating a new constitution. The convention was in session for 250 days; Goebel was present for just 100 of them. He did, however, successfully secure the inclusion of the Railroad Commission in the new constitution. As a constitutional entity, the Commission could only be abolished by an amendment ratified by popular vote. This would effectively protect the Commission from ever being unilaterally dismantled by the General Assembly
Kentucky General Assembly
The Kentucky General Assembly, also called the Kentucky Legislature, is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Kentucky.The General Assembly meets annually in the state capitol building in Frankfort, Kentucky, convening on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in January...
.
Duel with John Sanford
In 1895, Goebel engaged in what many observers considered a duelDuel
A duel is an arranged engagement in combat between two individuals, with matched weapons in accordance with agreed-upon rules.Duels in this form were chiefly practised in Early Modern Europe, with precedents in the medieval code of chivalry, and continued into the modern period especially among...
with General John Lawrence Sanford. Sanford, an ex-Confederate
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
and politician turned banker, had butted heads with Goebel before. Goebel's successful campaign to remove tolls from some of Kentucky's turnpikes
Toll road
A toll road is a privately or publicly built road for which a driver pays a toll for use. Structures for which tolls are charged include toll bridges and toll tunnels. Non-toll roads are financed using other sources of revenue, most typically fuel tax or general tax funds...
had cost Sanford a good deal of money. Later, it was widely believed that Sanford blocked Goebel's appointment to the Kentucky Court of Appeals, then the highest court in the state. In response to this, Goebel had written an article in a local newspaper referring to Sanford as "Gonorrhea
Gonorrhea
Gonorrhea is a common sexually transmitted infection caused by the bacterium Neisseria gonorrhoeae. The usual symptoms in men are burning with urination and penile discharge. Women, on the other hand, are asymptomatic half the time or have vaginal discharge and pelvic pain...
John".
The duel occurred as Goebel and two of his acquaintances went to cash a check in Covington. Goebel suggested they avoid Sanford's bank, but Sanford, standing outside the bank, engaged the trio in conversation before they could cross the street to another establishment. As Sanford greeted Goebel's friends, he offered his left hand, his right remaining on a pistol in his pocket. Goebel, noticing this and being likewise armed, clutched the pistol in his own pocket. Sanford asked Goebel, "I understand that you assume authorship of that article?" "I do," replied Goebel. Witnesses agree that both men fired their guns, but none could tell who fired first. Goebel was uninjured, the bullet passing through his coat and ripping his trousers, while Sanford was hit in the head. He died five hours later. Though Goebel was acquitted, pleading self-defense, the incident would haunt his future political career. The acquittal was also significant because of prohibitions against duelling in the Kentucky Constitution. Had Goebel been convicted, he would not have been eligible to hold public office.
Goebel Election Law
Democrats, who controlled the General Assembly, felt that county election commissioners had been unjust in selecting local election officials, and that this injustice had contributed to the election of RepublicanRepublican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
governor William O. Bradley in 1895 and Republican president William McKinley
William McKinley
William McKinley, Jr. was the 25th President of the United States . He is best known for winning fiercely fought elections, while supporting the gold standard and high tariffs; he succeeded in forging a Republican coalition that for the most part dominated national politics until the 1930s...
in 1896. Goebel proposed a bill, known as the "Goebel Election Law," which passed along sharp party lines and over Governor Bradley's veto
Veto
A veto, Latin for "I forbid", is the power of an officer of the state to unilaterally stop an official action, especially enactment of a piece of legislation...
, created a three-member state election commission, appointed by the General Assembly, to select county election commissioners. This system proved to be just as manipulable as the one it replaced, allowing the Democratically controlled General Assembly to appoint fellow Democrats to the election commission.
Many voters decried the bill as a self-serving attempt by Goebel to increase his political power, and the election board remained a controversial issue until its abolition in a special session of the legislature in 1900.
Despite rising to the office of President Pro Tempore
President Pro Tempore of the Kentucky Senate
President Pro Tempore of the Kentucky Senate was the title of highest ranking member of the Kentucky Senate prior to enactment of a 1992 amendment to the Constitution of Kentucky....
in 1896, Goebel became the subject of much opposition from constituencies of both parties in Kentucky after the passage of the law.
Gubernatorial election of 1899
Three men sought the Democratic nomination for governor at the 1899 party convention in LouisvilleLouisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
Goebel, Wat Hardin
Parker Watkins Hardin
Parker Watkins Hardin was a politician from the U.S. state of Kentucky. From 1879 to 1888, he served as Attorney General of Kentucky. He was an unsuccessful candidate for Governor of Kentucky in 1891, 1895 and 1899....
, and William J. Stone
William Johnson Stone
William Johnson Stone was an US Representative from Kentucky.He was born in Kuttawa, Caldwell County, Kentucky on June 26, 1841. He attended the common schools and Q.M. Tyler’s Collegiate Institute in Cadiz, Trigg County. Stone studied law. During the American Civil War he served as captain in...
. When Hardin proved the front-runner for the nomination, Stone and Goebel agreed to work together against him. Stone's supporters would back whomever Goebel picked to preside over the convention; in exchange, half of the delegates from Louisville, who were pledged to Goebel, would vote to nominate Stone for governor. Goebel would then drop out of the race, but would be allowed to name many of the other officials on the ticket. As word of the plan spread through the convention, Hardin dropped out of the race, believing he would be bested by the Stone–Goebel alliance.
But Goebel took a calculated risk, reneging on the agreement once his man was installed as presiding officer. Hardin, seeing that Stone had been betrayed and believing he might yet be able to secure the nomination, re-entered the fray. After several chaotic ballots resulted in no clear majority for any of the three, Goebel's hand-picked chairman announced that the man with the lowest vote total in the next canvass would be dropped from the ballot. That turned out to be Stone. This put Stone's supporters in a difficult position. They were now forced to choose between Hardin, who was seen as being a pawn of the railroad industry, or Goebel, who had just turned on their man. In the end, enough sided with Goebel to give him the nomination. Goebel's tactics, while not illegal, were unpopular with many and fractured the party. A disgruntled faction calling themselves the "Honest Election Democrats" held a separate convention in Lexington
Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region...
and nominated John Y. Brown
John Y. Brown (1835-1904)
John Young Brown was a politician from the US state of Kentucky. He represented the state in the United States House of Representatives and served as its 31st governor. Brown was elected to the House of Representatives for three non-consecutive terms, each of which was marred by controversy...
for governor.
In the general election, Republican William S. Taylor
William S. Taylor
William Sylvester Taylor was the 33rd Governor of Kentucky. He was initially declared the winner of the disputed gubernatorial election of 1899, but the Kentucky General Assembly reversed the election results, giving the victory to his opponent, William Goebel...
defeated both Democratic candidates, but his margin over Goebel was a mere 2,383 votes. Democrats in the General Assembly began leveling accusations of voting irregularities in some counties, but in a surprise decision, the Board of Elections created by the Goebel Election Law and manned by three hand-picked Goebel Democrats, ruled 2–1 that the disputed ballots should count, indicating the law gave them no legal power to reverse the official county results and that under the Kentucky Constitution the power to review the election lay with the General Assembly. The Assembly invalidated enough votes to give the election to Goebel. The Assembly's Republican minority was incensed, as were voters in traditionally Republican districts. For several days, the state hovered on the brink of a possible civil war
Civil war
A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same nation state or republic, or, less commonly, between two countries created from a formerly-united nation state....
.
Assassination and aftermath
Old State Capitol (Kentucky)
The Old State Capitol , also known as Old Statehouse, was the third Capitol of Kentucky. The building in Frankfort, Kentucky served as the capitol of the Commonwealth of Kentucky from 1830 to 1910. The building has been restored to its American Civil War era appearance.The Kentucky legislature...
on the morning of January 30, 1900. Reports conflict about what happened next, but five or six shots were fired from the nearby State Building, one striking Goebel in the chest and wounding him seriously. Taylor, serving as governor pending a final decision on the election, called out the militia
Militia
The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
and ordered the General Assembly into a special session, not in Frankfort, but in London, Kentucky
London, Kentucky
-Education:All of the following schools are administered by the Laurel County School District.-Primary schools:* * * * * * * * * * * * -High schools:* * -Colleges:* Laurel Technical College* * -Notable natives:...
, a Republican area. The Republican minority heeded the call and headed to London. Democrats resisted the call, many retiring to Louisville
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
instead. Both factions claimed authority, but the Republicans were too few in number to muster a quorum
Quorum
A quorum is the minimum number of members of a deliberative assembly necessary to conduct the business of that group...
.
Irvin S. Cobb
Irvin Shrewsbury Cobb was an American author, humorist, and columnist who lived in New York and authored more than 60 books and 300 short stories.-Biography:...
uncovered another story from some in the room at the time. On having eaten his last meal, the governor supposedly remarked "Doc, that was a damned bad oyster." In respect of Goebel's displeasure with the Louisville and Nashville Railroad, the governor's body was transported not by the L&N direct line, but circuitously from his hometown of Covington north across the Ohio River
Ohio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
to Cincinnati, and then south to Frankfort on the Queen and Crescent Railroad.
Resolution of the election
With Goebel dead, tensions began to ease. The idea of Goebel's lieutenant governorLieutenant Governor of Kentucky
The office of lieutenant governor of Kentucky has existed under the last three of Kentucky's four constitutions, beginning in 1797. The lieutenant governor serves as governor of Kentucky under circumstances similar to the Vice President of the United States assuming the powers of the presidency...
, J. C. W. Beckham
J. C. W. Beckham
John Crepps Wickliffe Beckham was the 35th Governor of Kentucky and a United States Senator from Kentucky...
, as governor was more palatable to much of the opposition than civil war in the state, though many of them may have preferred war to a Goebel governorship. After a lengthy meeting, a bipartisan compromise was drafted which would have ended the matter. The terms called for Republican recognition of Goebel's rightful election (and Beckham's subsequent right to govern). Republicans would also remove the militia from Frankfort. Democrats would, in turn, extend immunity to any Republican official found to have ties to the assassination, stop contesting elections for other state offices, and work to pass a nonpartisan election reform bill. The agreement needed only Taylor's signature to become effective. Unwilling to relinquish his office, Taylor balked.
Compromise having been exhausted, both sides agreed to litigate the matter. The Kentucky Court of Appeals found that the General Assembly had acted legally in declaring Goebel the winner of the election. That decision was appealed to the Supreme Court of the United States
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
. Arguments were presented in the case (Taylor v. Beckham
Taylor v. Beckham
Taylor v. Beckham, , was a case heard before the Supreme Court of the United States on April 30 and May 1, 1900, to decide the outcome of the disputed Kentucky gubernatorial election of 1899. The litigants were Republican gubernatorial candidate William S. Taylor and Democratic lieutenant...
) on April 30, 1900, and on May 21, the justices decided 8–1 not to hear the case, allowing the Court of Appeals' decision to stand. The lone dissension was that of Associate Justice John Marshall Harlan
John Marshall Harlan
John Marshall Harlan was a Kentucky lawyer and politician who served as an associate justice on the Supreme Court. He is most notable as the lone dissenter in the Civil Rights Cases , and Plessy v...
, a Kentucky native.
Trials and investigations
During the ensuing assassination investigation, suspicion naturally focused on deposed governor Taylor, who fled to Indianapolis, IndianaIndianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
under the looming threat of indictment. The governor of Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
refused to extradite Taylor, and he was thus never questioned about his knowledge of the plot to kill Goebel. Taylor became a successful lawyer in Indiana, and was pardoned in 1909 by Beckham's successor, Republican Augustus E. Willson
Augustus E. Willson
Augustus Everett Willson was the 36th Governor of Kentucky. Orphaned at the age of twelve, Willson went to live with relatives in New England...
.
Sixteen people, including Taylor, were eventually indicted in the assassination of Governor Goebel. Three accepted immunity from prosecution in exchange for testimony. Only five ever went to trial, two of those being acquitted. Convictions were handed down against Taylor's Secretary of State
Secretary of State
Secretary of State or State Secretary is a commonly used title for a senior or mid-level post in governments around the world. The role varies between countries, and in some cases there are multiple Secretaries of State in the Government....
Caleb Powers
Caleb Powers
Caleb Powers was a United States Representative from Kentucky and the first Secretary of State of Kentucky convicted as an accessory to murder.-Early life:He was born near Williamsburg, Kentucky...
, Henry Youtsey, and Jim Howard. The prosecution charged that Powers was the mastermind, having a political opponent killed so that his boss, Governor Taylor, could stay in office. Youtsey was an alleged intermediary, and Howard, who was said to have been in Frankfort to seek a pardon from Taylor for the killing of a man in a family feud, was accused of being the actual assassin.
The trials were fraught with irregularities. All three judges were pro-Goebel Democrats, and at one point the juror pool of 368 people was found to have only eight Republicans. Republican appeals courts overturned Powers' and Howard's convictions, though Powers was tried three more times, resulting in two convictions and a hung jury
Hung jury
A hung jury or deadlocked jury is a jury that cannot, by the required voting threshold, agree upon a verdict after an extended period of deliberation and is unable to change its votes due to severe differences of opinion.- England and Wales :...
and Howard was tried and convicted twice more. Both men were pardoned in 1908 by Governor Augustus E. Willson.
Youtsey, who received a life sentence
Life imprisonment
Life imprisonment is a sentence of imprisonment for a serious crime under which the convicted person is to remain in jail for the rest of his or her life...
, did not appeal, but after two years in prison, he turned state's evidence
State's Evidence
State's Evidence is an independent film created in 2004 and released in 2006, directed by Benjamin Louis and starring Douglas Smith, Alexa Vega, Majandra Delfino, Kris Lemche, Cody McMains, and Drew Tyler Bell.-Plot summary:...
. In Howard's second trial, Youtsey claimed that ex-governor Taylor had discussed an assassination plot with Youtsey and Howard. He backed the prosecution's claims that Taylor and Powers worked out the details, he acted as an intermediary, and Howard fired the shot. On cross examination, the defense pointed out contradictions in the details of Youtsey's story, but Howard was still convicted. Youtsey was paroled in 1916 and was pardoned in 1919 by Democratic governor James D. Black
James D. Black
James Dixon Black was the 39th Governor of Kentucky, serving for seven months in 1919. He ascended to the office when Governor Augustus O. Stanley was elected to the U.S. Senate....
.
Most historians agree that the assassin of Governor Goebel will never be conclusively identified.
External links
- William Goebel at Find A GraveFind A GraveFind a Grave is a commercial website providing free access and input to an online database of cemetery records. It was founded in 1998 as a DBA and incorporated in 2000.-History:...