The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1899-08-25
PAYING ALL EXPENSES.

worth word Of sympathy. Men have
the colored troops and no heed has been
given these things by the military rulers.
The governor Of the state is charged with
being IN the employ of the Standard Oil
Trust, and the accusations are backed up
by his own defy. In which he states that
1.-THE large mine owners will run the state
in the future and that he (the governor)
will keep the country under martial law
during the balance Of his term"
All this, and more, II Is claimed, has
been proven, and President Mckinley
has promised to begin an investigation at
once.
a delegation consisting Of Senator Heit-
field Hon. VIM. B. Goldsmith. former
member of the Idaho legislature, and Ed
ward Boyse. president of the Western
Federation Of Miners, called upon the
president Of the White House yesterday
afternoon and we're granted long inter-
view By the latter. The delegation ar
rived in this city from Idaho yesterday
morning and represent the citizens and
miners Of Shoshone county. After pre-
senting the accumulated evidence Senator
Hetfeld asked that General Merriam and
his troops be withdrawn from the county,
that martial law cease at once. that per-
secution Of witnesses for defence be
brought to an end, that the imprisoned
men be granted fair and impartial trial,
be given thorough investigation. The
delegation was accompanied by Senator
Carter Of Montana.
The troubles leading up to the present
reign OF terror began April "a, last, when
a small band OF union miners struck for
higher wages at Wardncr, Idaho. Sever
al days later large consentrator, the
property OF the Standard Oil trust, was
destroyed by an explosion, and Governor
Steunenberg declared martial law in the
county. General Merriam was dispatch
I'd to Wardner in command Of 800 color
ed troops, the Twenty-fourth United
States infantry. Shortly before the ar
rival of the troops there had been some
riotIng done between union and non.un-
ion miners during which two men were
killed, one union man.
General Merriam had been instructed
to 20 To Wardner to quell disturbances
and to keep order, but according to the
| uffiduvfta ithaca xvara ~. laot 90 tho d,,t -.
he imposed upon himself. IT. is sworn
that immediately upon his arrival h,
began Il carnival of arrests. which con
tinued for several weeks. Every man
that was known to have been Connected
in any way with labor union were ar
rested without any charge being made
and as the only county Jail was consider
ed too soft Il place, the prisoners were
placed in large barn known rs thu
"bull pen" and were strangely garded.
THOWN INTO A BULL PEN.
In short time over 700 men W ere packed
into this pen and forced to sleep on Il
filthy floor, and were given no attention.
Nearly all of these men were charged
with no crime, and were arrested by
order of Gov. Steunenburg because they
had ut some time belonged to labor unions
The sheriff of the country and two mem
bers Of the board of the county commits
sioners were arrested among Others be
cause, as the governor said, they were
'sympathizers. The county attorney
tried TO secure the release of the sheriff
aud wns threatened with arrest if he dare
offer protest The prisoners were cut
off from al communication with the out
side world and were allowed to see no.
body Their wives and children were
allowed to starve and were subjected to
the most revoltipg outrages by the color
ed troops and the lawless hangers on
who had sworn THAI they believed that
labor unions to be CRIMINAL organize.
atoms.
The conditions inside the pen were
sickenlng, according 70 the statements
Of those who have been imprisoned there
Scurvey and slime were everywhere, and
several cases Of insanity were developed
among the prisoners. Every able-bodied
man in the town Of Wardner had some
experience in this place and every miner
who refused To sign an application for a
permit TO work was arrested as sym
pathizer "
IN THE PEN For TWO MONTHS.
Hundreds of these men have been in
the pen for over two months and are
hardly tit To move The AfidaviIs de-
clare that the homes we're entered by the
} troops and ranSacked for evidence. =
= There was no privacy and anything val
We was stolen or destroyed. Complaints
were made to the governor who at once
arrested the complainanls and declared
that "ihe c0u ~ was tDo good for the
------ - - and that "he would see
them ia hell before this business was
over"
! The governor then issued the following
prochmatlon. which was approved by
Merriam. The document is clAssed as