William Goebel - Early life, Political career, Assassination and aftermath, Trials and investigations, Trivia

US governor, born in Carbondale, Pennsylvania, USA. A lawyer in Covington, KY, he served as a Democrat in the Kentucky senate (1888–99), supporting regulation of the railroads and election reform, thereby feuding with members of his own party. In 1900, while contesting results of the governor's election, he was shot, but was legally declared governor before his death.

Goebel (January 4, 1856 – February 3, 1900) was a controversial American politician who served as Governor of Kentucky for a few days in 1900.

Early life

Goebel was born in 1856 in Sullivan County, Pennsylvania, the son of German immigrants William and Augusta Goebel. After graduating from Cincinnati Law School in 1877, he partnered with former Governor John W.

Political career

He was elected to the Kentucky General Assembly in 1886 as a member of the Kentucky Senate, where he served until 1900 when he was elected Governor (see below). In 1898, he became the subject of much opposition in the politics of Kentucky after the passing of the so-called "Goebel Election Law", which reformed the electoral process in Kentucky and created a powerful three-member Board of Elections to oversee the process.

In 1899 he won the nomination of the Democratic Party to the election for Governor. The dissident faction of the Democrats ran former governor John Y. In the closest gubernatorial election in Kentucky history, The Board of Elections certified, in a split 2-1 decision, election results which named Taylor as governor. The General Assembly, however, refused to accept these election results and called for a Committee of Inquiry into the election, which would name the winner of the election.

Assassination and aftermath

On January 30, 1900, before the committee had formally published its findings, Goebel was shot by a sniper as he was walking up the steps of the State Capitol building. Incumbent Republican governor William S. In the immediate aftermath of the events, the legislature certified the election in Goebel's favor, although the Republicans in the General Assembly refused to accept the commission's finding. For about two days, it appeared that the Commonwealth of Kentucky was heading towards a civil war over the succession to the Governor's office. William Goebel was sworn into office on his deathbed on January 31, 1900. His only official act was to dissolve the calling-out of the militia that Governor Taylor had initiated after the shooting. Beckham, his Lieutenant Governor.

With Goebel dead, the parties involved agreed to take the disputed election to the courts for adjudication. In May, 1900, the Democrats won and Goebel's (and through him Beckham's) election was upheld. Ex-governor Taylor fled to Indiana, while a lengthy series of trials began over the assassination of the Governor.

Trials and investigations

Over the next few years, sixteen people were indicted in the assassination of Governor Goebel, including Governor Taylor. Three people were convicted: Caleb Powers (the Secretary of State under Governor Taylor), Henry Youtsey (a stenographer), and Jim Howard (a veteran of the Hatfield-McCoy feud several years earlier). The official findings and prosecution's case was that Powers was the mastermind, having a political opponent killed so that his boss, Governor Taylor, could stay in office.

The retrial of Secretary Powers ended in a hung jury, Howard was found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment, and Youtsey turned state's evidence against Powers and Howard. In 1908, Governor Augustus E. Willson pardoned Howard and Powers, as well as Governor Taylor and several other persons still under indictment.

Trivia

William Goebel is the only State Governor in the United States to be assassinated. William Goebel served the shortest term of office of any State Governor in the history of the United States.