The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-10-29
RIOTERS TRIAL BEGUN
Charged With Holding Up Unit
ed States Mail.
TO PROVE A CONSPIRACY
Witnesses Put on the Stand by the
Prosecution to Prove the Grim
inal Plans of tho
Miners.

MOSCOW, Idaho, Oct. 2S.--If the PRES
ent rate of examining witnesses is kept
up it is probable that next week will
see the end of the trial of the Occur
d'Alene miners on a charge of holding
up a United States mail train and for
conspiracy in the federal court here.
This morning the examination of wit
nesses for the government was com
menced. The prosecution attempted
to bring out facts and evidence to
prove a conspiracy to blow up the
Wardner and that to do this the min
Bunker Hill and Sullivan mill at
Wardner and that to do this the min
crs conspirsd TO hold the trains and to
do any other act to accomplish their
purpose The government contends
that the stopping of the mail train was
concerted and prearranged incident
to the days proceedings and was a.
part Of the conspiracy to blow up the
mill.
An important witness was Thomas
Ames a member of the Wardner
union. He stated that he was awak-
ened early the morning of April 90.
Ames was told thsre would be a meet
ing Of the union in the Miners Union
hall. He went TO Pages hotel and
there was told there would be no
meeting, but to be on hand at the de-
pot with his bundle of working clothes,
as the train was coming with other
miners and the union men would
board Il. He did not know for what
purpose. He was afterward told not
to SO. as his thumb was off, and this
would be mark to identify him if the
crowd got into any trouble. He stat
ed that previous to this date delega-
iTR lYI l-aI.
Bill company with propositions which
Were accepted; that he was discharg-
ed from the Bunker Hill company, but
has gone back since; that he saw so
men with bundles near the track; that
the Bunker Hill manager was seen by
the union men later and that he, re-
fused to talk or recognize them. but
witness disclaimed being a member. OF
the delegation. He says Boyle was
president of the Wardner union and
sO'Rourke- secretary. -- SEEK
Albert Burch, the superintendent of
the Bunker Hill mine, was called and
related the occurrences of the week
preceding the blowing up of the mine.
He said that he had found posted A
notice of the miners requesting him to
get his men to join the union and that
he then discharged the II union men.
He next saw the strikers under the
leadership of Ed Boyle, who made an
address to different shifts to induce
them to join the union. In conclusion
the witness disclaimed the charge OF
attempting to intimidate Simkins, a,
witness to be used by the defense.
Joseph Mcdonald Of Gem, manager
Of the Helena Frisco mine, told of
seeing the men going to Wardner. He
said on examining the powder house
he found so boxes missing; that the
lock had been broken.
Lem Smith. a liveryman, the next
witness, told of hauling Eve men to
Wallace on the 2Sth; that they were
Wardner men and that they were min
ers.
All these witnesses gave details of
occurrences during the days preced-
ing the explosion and it was given to
prove general conspiracy to stop the
trains as an incident to the other
crimes.