William S. Taylor

William Sylvester Taylor (born October 10, 1853 in Butler County , Kentucky , † August 2, 1928 in Indianapolis , Indiana ) was an American politician ( Republican Party ) and controversial governor of the state of Kentucky.

Political rise

William Taylor studied law and was a Butler County judge. He held this office from 1886 to 1894. In 1888 he was a delegate to the Republican National Convention in Chicago . Between 1895 and 1899 he was under Governor William O'Connell Bradley Minister of Justice ( Attorney General ) of Kentucky.

Controversial elections and political murder

In 1899, Taylor was nominated by his party for the gubernatorial election. After a turbulent and sometimes unfair election campaign on both sides, he narrowly won it with 48.1% of the vote against the Democrat William Goebel , who had achieved 47.5%. Taylor's lead was less than 2,400 votes. Due to the tight result and some inconsistencies, the election was challenged by Goebel and the Democrats, who accused Taylor of electoral fraud. Regardless, Taylor was introduced to office on December 12, 1899. In the meantime there were open death threats against Goebel if he were to succeed in contesting the election. Thereupon Goebel was placed under police protection; Nevertheless, on January 30, 1900, he was shot by a sniper while entering Parliament. 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. There he got into the insurance business. 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 served as Secretary of State of Kentucky. The later governor Augustus E. Willson pardoned those convicted of conspiracy in 1909, including Powers. Demands to hold Taylor accountable went unheard of. His role in the proceedings was therefore never judicially investigated. He too was pardoned by Willson. Even so, he rarely returned to Kentucky. After these events in early February 1900, Goebel Lieutenant Governor J. C. W. Beckham became the new governor of Kentucky.

Taylor was married to Sara ("Sallie") Belle Tanner since 1878. The couple had nine children. Taylor died in Indiana on August 2, 1928.

literature

Lowell H. Harrison (Ed.): Kentucky's Governors , The University Press of Kentucky, Lexington 2004, pp. 131-134
Robert Sobel and John Raimo (Eds.): Biographical Directory of the Governors of the United States, 1789–1978. Vol. 2, Meckler Books, Westport, Conn. 1978. 4 volumes.

Web links

personal data
SURNAME	Taylor, William S.
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Taylor, William Sylvester (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	American politician
DATE OF BIRTH	October 10, 1853
PLACE OF BIRTH	Butler County , Kentucky
DATE OF DEATH	August 2, 1928
Place of death	Indianapolis , Indiana