The morning call., 1892-08-05
Witness Kneebone Relates His Treat.
ment at Old Mission.
HE SAW THE FRISCO MILL EXPLOSION.
Iragit Details Of the Past Months Beings in
CGur dAlene Being Heard Before Judge
Beatty at Boise City.
Special to THE MORNING CALL

BOISE, Idaho, Aug. f. In the United
States District Court to-day Judge Beatty
commenced hearing the cases wherein %
C9ur d'Alene miners are charged with con-
tempt of court in having on July II, at Gem,
violated the injunction of the court COM
maudiug the members and sympathiZers of
the Miners Union TO refrain from mOlest-
ing the property Of mine and persons
of non-uni0n employees.
After the answer Of the respondents to
the information of the Federal prosecutor
had been received, the attorney for the re-
spondents moved that his clients be dis
missed for the reason that it had not been
clearly shown that they were guilty of con-
tempt. His motion was oyerruled, and he
excepted upon being asked if they were
guilty or not guilty.
The respondents. whose names follow, en-
tered pleas of not guilty: R. Robinson,
Joseph Davis, II. McGee, Thomas O'Brien,
j. F. Poyn:on, Hugh McFaddeu. Thomas
Whaley, L. Nelson, Dan Harrington, Will
liam Gaughlin. S. II. Brockman, Pat Ken
nedy, Andrew Nagusen, Thomas Doyle,
Gus Peterson, Quinn Sullivan, George
Smith, Thomas Eaton, David MCGEE. John
Nicholson ana John Fitzgerald
The first and only witness called to-day
was John Kneebone. who at the time of the
Frisco mill explosion was employed at the
Helena and Frisco mine as Il blacksmith.
He stated that he saw the smoke of the first
shot fired near Gem early on the morning
OF July II aud was positive that iJ was dis
charged by one of party Of union men.
who were hidden behind logs on the hill
side above the Frisco mill.
Stationed within the mouth of tunnel
were number of Frisco guardSmen, but he
was sure they did not fire first. The initial
nlt lad
of six or seven shots, and then there was
vOlley of 100 shots fired before the force in
the mill began to reply.
kneebOne said that after an abOrtive at
tempt 10 destroy the mill by sending a
powder-iaden car down the steep tramway
at the back Of the plank he saw the men
carrying a powder-box toward the head OF
the penst0ck, and shortly after this the ex-
pl0sion occurred, and the Frisco mill col
lapsed. He declared he would know the
man who carried the powder If he should
see him again.
After the explosion Kneebone and his COM
rades determined to surrender and hung out
flag of truce. In a short time several
hundred armed men came down from the
hills and had surrounded the mill. Most of
the mob We're union miners. They CON-
PEELED the Frisco men TO march to the
miners union hall at Gem.
At the time of the surrender he saw
Thomas OBrien, Daniel Harrington,
bbHldo NdtODf LuVtilttS OO1lc Joseph
Ponpoynton near the Frisco mill on their
way from the hillside. Each one was
armed with rife or a shotgun.
After remaining an hour at Gem the men
We're placed in boxcars and taken TO Wal.
lace. Next morning KGeebone and 80 or
so others were ordered to leave the town
Immediately, and they boarded the train
and went TO old mission. That evening Is
or 20 men on foot and horseback came to
the mission and commenced 10 shoot and
yell ct the n0n-union men. Get out of
, here. you -" they cried.
The nOn-nnfon men fed like sheep.
kneeb0ne was fired at several times. He
ran up the railroad track and took to the
brush. He remained several hours in the
timber and then started for the steamer
landing at Old ission, but was interrupted
by four men who robbed him of all he pos
sessed and told him TO leave the country.
He missed the next steamer but caught one
the following day and went to Ceur d'Alene
City, thence to Spokane.
Upon croSS-examinatiOn Kneebone's tes-
timOIy was not shaken. Kneebone states
he will point out the men who carried the
powder 10 direct against the Frisco MILL
The hearing will continue during the week
and sensational developments are expected.