The record-union., 1899-10-24
The War Department Will Hold
Them for a Time at Least,
Though Secretary Root Believes the State
Should Care for Them.
Suggests That the Governor of
Idaho Issue a Call for a Special
Session Of the Legislature to
Deal With the Question.


Steunenberg of Idaho had another con-
ference to-day with Secretary Root re-
specting the maintenance of Federal
custody Of the miners who are now held
as prisoners in Idaho by the troops.
The War Department is anxious to es-
cape the responsibility for the further
care of these prisoners. On the other
hand, Governor Steunenberg cannot see
his way clear to accept their custody,
as he has no sufficient force to take
care of them. Secretary Root has sug-
gested that the Governor issue a call
for a special session of the Legislature
to deal with the question Meanwhile
the War Department will continue for
a short time at least to hold the pris-
oners.
! Secretary Root on September 2Sth
wrote to Governor Steunenberg pro-
testing against the further employment
OF United States troops to guard the
prisoners, saying:
Il am informed that they are now be-
ing used by the civil authorities of
the State and county as a guard for
certain priSoners-upward of a hundred
in number-who have been arrested by
the civil authorities upon warrants is
sued by the civil courts, and are held
under such warrants or indictments
found by the Grand Jury of the county;
that these prisoners, or most of them,
have been held for number of months
and that during the period of their de-
tention the District Court of Shoshone
County, which is the court having jur-
1sdiction to try indictments found by
the Grand Jury has twice convened
and adjourned without bringing these
prisoners to trial: that the next regu-
lar term of court will not be held until
January of next year, and in the mean
time, unless something is done to pre-
vent it, these prisoners would remain
in prison under guard of the troops of
the United States.
Il do not wish in any way to make
any suggestion relating to the admin
istration of justice in your State, or to
imply that the failure to bring these
prisoners to trial has not been for per-
fectly good reasons in accordance with
the law and practive of the courts of
Idaho, but I am much disinclined to
have the troops of the United States
continued longer in the attitude of re-
tanning in custody the citizens of a
out being tried, and l feel bound to
urge that if it is not convenient to
bring the prisoners to speedy trial YOU
will substitute civil guards as their
custodians and relieve the troops of the
United Sites from further perform
ance Of that duty
The reply Of Governor Steunenburg.
under date of October 10th, asserts that
the withdrawal of the troops would
surely result in a great loss of property
and the loss of life in that vicinity.
! Covert threats" the Governor adds
''are constantly being made by those
who engaged in the riot of April 10Th.
which resulted in the destruction of
some S25O,0 worth of property and
the assassination of two men. that as
soon as the troops are removed they
will crafty their revenge upon those
citizens who have been induced to as
sist the State in the attempt to ferret
out crime, and the history Of that reg
ion convinces me that these are not
idle threats or the boasting of irrespon-
sible parties, but are the expressions of
deliberate and we'll arranged purposes
and plans
1T should be understood that this is
not a conflict between capital and la
Dor, nor question of wages but it
is a conflict between the State of Idaho
and certain criminal organizations
which seek to cloak themselves under
the cover of labor organizations. These
organizations were originally undoubt.
edly legal and proper, and were or
ganiZed for commendable purpose
/ but they have been taken possession
of by men who utterly ignore all law
who are Anarchists in belief and prac-
tice, and by such men transformed into
criminal combinations We do not con-
cede for moment that those organ
iZations in Shoshone, to which we were
referring, are having anything in COM
mon with the great labor organizations
throughout the country and they are
not in any way to be considered in that
light. We are not in conflict with or
ganized labor, as such, in any way
whatever
The Governor then gives a history of
a series of crimes, consisting of murder
and arson and the blowing up of mines.
extending over a period of six years
from 1892, no effort being made by
the county authorities to discover and
prosecute the guilty parties He closes
as follows:
LAS TO the guarding of prisoners. /
will state that on November 1st the
State will be able to relieve the troops
of all such duties. This has been our
desire from the beginning, and it has
been our intention at all times to per
form this service as soon as we could.
and we have done so, insofar as it was
possible.
1T should be stated here, however.
that these men have not been held un-
der and by reason of indictments upon
the part of the State, but because they
were men whom we could not permit
to be at large under the present condi-
tion of affairs in that section. The
men who were held under indictments
found by the State Grand Jury. and
whom we desired to try, escaped prison
a few days before the regular term of
the court. at which time all prepara-
tions had been made to try them.
MOSCOW Qdaho), Oct. 23.-The cases
of Edward Boyle and others and Emil