The times., 1899-07-04
cOEUR D'ALENE LAwLEssNEss
rhe History OF Notorious Gang
and Some of Its Crimes


Wallace. Idaho. June 27.-Here In the
town OF Wallace. where the trials are
progressing of the men implicated in the
murders and other outrages at wardner on
the 18th OF April last. there hangs in a store
"ihuoW Two pictures One of the repre-
sehts the Frisco mill at Gem as il appear
ed after the dynamite explosions on the
llth OF July. 1892: the other is a photo
graph OF the Bunker Hill and Sullivan mill
AT warmer. after the outrage of the s9th
Oof April. IL the history of this county.
between these two periods, could be pic
toriaiiy portrayed and placed between
those two photographs, the whole would
constitute picture OF lawiessnesss that
has, perhaps, never been equaled in the
United States. 1t is next to impossible for
anyone not familiar with the conditions
here 10 realize thata this county has been
under lawless rule for such long period.
brief sketch of some of the outrages
committed during that time will. however
enable the reader to understand something
of the conditions that have pressed so
heavily upon this section OF the State.
In the riots OF July. 1892. one large mill
property was destroyed and six or seven
men killed. The mill of the Frisco mine
at Gem was wrecked by an immense amount
of giant powder being sent down the PEN
stock and exploded. One man was killed
between employees of that property and
those of the Gem mine on one side and
union men on the other. in which sew
eral lives were lost The union miners
were victorious in that fight. capturing
the non-union men and driving them out
Of the country. They then proceeded to
Wardner. put dynamite in the Bunker Hill
and Sullivan mill, and notified the company
they would destroy that property unless
the.r ff,e,a n
charged. The company yielded to the
threat and discharged these men, and they
were likewise driven out of the district.
That was the beginning of the reign of ter
ror in the Occur d'Alenes.
In 1893. at Gem. a party of thirty-two
dynamiters marched to the Gem mine in
broad daylight. They killed John Knee
bone. a blacksmith, while he was attempt
ing to escape from his shop, on one OF the
mine dumps. Superintendent r X. Neal,
Foreman William drummer, Frank Hig-
gins, and another miner were taken into
custody, marched through the town OF
Gem. put on the trail leading TO Montana
and ordered to leave the country. ThesG
men were subsequently found by COM
mittee of citizens from Murray. They had
been taken away frcm the mine in their
shirt sleeves and marched up above the
sncw line, and when they were found
they were huddled about fire, with moth
ing to eat, and with no other protection
from the cold than was afforded by the
fire they had built Those men were
brought back to Wallace, but at once left
the country, realizing they would be killed
If they attempted to remain here.
reward Of $1,000 was offered for the
apprehension of any one OF those guilty
OF this crime. and although the names Of
many of them have been known to great
numbers OF people, no one has ever come
forward to lodge a complaint against a
single member of the murderous gang.
This is because ii meant death to give tes-
timCny in such case as that. The Knee
bone case was the first killing occurring
after the riots of 1892 but the expulsion
of people from the county had been going
on, and it continued until the time OF the
riots of this year. No one knows how many
men have been quietly driven out. II the
unions ever kept any record it has not
been disclosed, but enough is known to
warrant the statement that more than 100
men have thus been driven from the coun
try, while the number may reach above
2f0. All persons familiar with the facts
with whom your correspondent has con-
versed agree in the statement that 100 is
a very low estimate Whenever a man.
for any reason. has incurred the displeas
ure of the miners unions or influential
men in those organizations. he has been
warned to leave. In some cases ii has
been because the individual was thought
to be too diligent in looking after the in
terests of his employers. The records OF
ore case have been found among the
archives of one of the unions, in which the
charge against the man was that he had
complained that men on the shift before
him had not done their work honestly.
leaving dirt behind that they should have
removed. For this reason he was eonsid
cred an enemy of union labor and was eX-
PEELED from the union and driven out of
the district.
Another case was that of a young lawyer
who assumed to criticise justice of the
peace who was a sympathizer of these
unions, because of fragrant, unjust rulings
made in a case that the attorney had
taken before him. He was warned by a
committee that such men as he were not
wanted. and he would have to leave, which
he promptly did.
Another case was that of a young man
conducting a drug store in the town OF
Mullan who persisted in reading the 'Spo-
kane Review'-a paper boycotted by the
union. AS he sat in front of his place one
evening looking over the paper he was ap
preached by persons who told him that
was prohibited. The next day he repeated
the offence and was again approached and
told to leave the country instantly, which
he did, his store being looked after by
some friends until il could be disposed Of
Dan Connors was one of the rioters of
1892. He repented OF his participation in
the outbreak at that time and sought and
obtained unemployment by the Standard
people, promising that they would never
again have anything to complain of from
him. 1t is said he kept his pledge and per-
formed very faithful service. In Novem-
ber. 1898, while he was resting at mid
night with some sixty of his men in the
dry room at the Standard. two armed dyna-
miters entered sought him out and or
dered him TO the door. They were there
met by two others. and the four marched
him out of the canyon, continually threat
ening TO kill him and warning him if he
ever returned his life would pay the for
felt. Connors came to Wallace and saw
Ed Boyce, the head of the Western FEEDER
alton of Miners. The only satisfaction he
got from him was that 'it was id unfor-
tunate that this should occur Just before
election" He went to see J. K. Sover-
eign, whose statement was similar 10 that
made by Boyce. ConnoIs had been given
three days in which to get out of the dis
trict, and during that time he disposed of
his property at a sacrifice and left. a
heavy reward was offered in this case. but
without result.
In December, 1897. armed men appeared
at the Frisco mill and captured Fred Whit
ney. the foreman, who had incurred the
dislike OF the union because OF having dis
charged some of its members. He was
marched down through the canyon. with
orders to leave the country. his captors
finally shooting him as he walked off down
the railroad track. reward of S15000
was offered for the apprehension of the
Whitney murderers. but no one has ever
come forward Offering a word OF testimony
that would fix the responsibility for the
crirnn The mon WIN kiIIaa him a-- IL