William Goebel

William Goebel

William Justus Goebel (born January 4, 1856 in Sullivan County , Pennsylvania , † February 3, 1900 in Frankfort , Kentucky ) was an American politician and governor of the state of Kentucky.

Early years and political advancement

William Goebel came to Kentucky with his parents of German descent after the Civil War . There the young William attended public schools. In 1877 he graduated from Cincinnati Law School . After his admission, he began a career as a lawyer specializing in railway law. In 1887, the Democrat was elected to the Kentucky Senate; In 1890 he was a delegate to a convention to revise the Kentucky Constitution. From 1894 to 1900 he was President of the State Senate. In addition, Goebel brought the so-called "Goebel Election Law", a new electoral law for Kentucky, on the way, which politically favored his Democratic Party.

personality

Goebel is described as aloof and distant. He rarely greeted anyone with a handshake or a smile. He was also the only Kentucky governor who was never married. The journalist Irvin Cobb described Goebel's character as "reptilian". He was not a gifted speaker either, but he was very educated and impressed with his knowledge. In 1895 there was a duel between Goebel and John Lawrence Sanford, a former general of the Confederation. Both men had originally been friends, but then fell out over political differences. There followed slanderous articles against each other and a duel. Sanford was killed, Goebel was uninjured. Duels were actually forbidden in Kentucky, so the process was subsequently considered self-defense. Some of Goebel's opponents, however, unsuccessfully accused him of murder.

Election chaos and assassination

William Goebel's tomb in Frankfort's cemetery

Despite his controversial personality, Goebel was nominated for governor by the Democratic Party in 1899. His opponent was Republican William Taylor . This won the elections very narrowly with 48.1% of the vote against Goebel, who had brought it to 47.5%. Taylor's lead was less than 2,400 votes. Due to the tight result and some inconsistencies, the election of Goebel and the Democrats was challenged. This accused Taylor of electoral fraud. Regardless, Taylor was introduced to office on December 12, 1899. In the meantime there were open and undisguised death threats against Goebel if he were to succeed in contesting the election. Although he was under police protection, he was shot by a sniper while entering Parliament on January 30, 1900. On the same day, his election challenge was upheld and he was the new governor of Kentucky. However, on February 3, Goebel succumbed to his injuries. He was the only governor of Kentucky so far who was murdered in office .

Ex-Governor Taylor was immediately linked to the assassination attempt. He fled to Indiana to avoid an inquest in Kentucky. Some of those involved in the crime have since been arrested in Kentucky. Two were convicted of murder and five others were convicted of conspiracy. Among these was Caleb Powers , who had served as Secretary of State of Kentucky under Taylor. The future Governor Augustus Willson pardoned those convicted of conspiracies in 1908, including Powers. Taylor was also pardoned by Willson, which in this case meant that there was no longer any investigation against him. Many historians agree that the exact background of the Goebel assassination can never be fully explained.

Consequences of the attack

Because of the charged mood in Kentucky, there was a risk of civil war in the days of the assassination. Even before the election, the mood had been heated by a fierce election campaign on both sides. The election contest and the associated death threats made matters worse. The attack on Goebel brought the crisis to a climax. Fortunately, reason prevailed in both warring parties. It was agreed that Goebels Lieutenant Governor John Beckham should become the new governor. As a result, tensions eased somewhat.

Web links

Commons : William Goebel  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

• William Goebel in the National Governors Association (English)
• Biography in Spartacus Schoolnet (English)
• William Goebel in the database of Find a Grave (English)