Hon. William Goebel, of Kentucky. "Our Martyred Governor" Died Feb. 3rd 1900 [caption title]

Cincinnati, OH: The Henderson Lithographic Co, 1900. Lithograph, 22 x 16 inches. Mounted on old cardboard. Substantial toning, edge wear, staining, and overall wear, horizontal tear across the whole of the lithograph near the top. A prime candidate for preservation, and priced accordingly. A very rare memorial broadside honoring Kentucky Governor William Goebel, who died at the hands of an assassin after only four days as governor in late January 1900. The story is actually even weirder. After a contentious and controversial gubernatorial election, Goebel was shot in the chest the day before his inauguration, on January 30, 1900, was sworn in on his deathbed the next day, and died four days later, on February 3. Though a slew of political enemies were suspected of the assassination, and there were several trials, no clear answer to the identity of Goebel's killer was ever provided.

The present broadside depicts a large portrait of Goebel at center inside a large oval-shaped frame of laurels, ribbons, and an American flag. Two portions of the banner are printed with information about the governor's untimely end that would be strange to anyone ignorant of the story: "Assassinated at Frankfort, Ky. Jan. 30th 1900" and "Sworn in as Governor Jan. 31st 1900." The title plate at bottom is supplemented by a deathbed quote from Goebel which reads, "Tell my friends to be brave and fearless and loyal to the great Common people." Each corner of the central field of the lithograph prints a different vignette, showing "The Governor's Mansion," "The Capitol," "The Assassination," and Goebel's coffin "Lying in State."

A rare lithograph memorializing an unfortunate incident of American political violence. The lithograph is not in desirable condition, but is so rare that we had to acquire it and try to place it in an institution in order to preserve it. OCLC reports just one institutional holding, at the Kentucky Historical Society Library.