The record-union., 1899-06-22
SITUATION IN WARDNER.
FACTS STATED BY ONE WHO
WAS THERE.
Tells Of the Conditions at the
Time Of the Recent
Outrages.

Lindley, the well-known attorney, was
addressed TO E. H. Hamilton Of the
Examiner staff in response to the
latter's article published in last Sun
days Examiner under the caption
Real Criminal Of the Century, Mr..
Ldndley was in Wardner, during sew
eral weeks after the present trouble be-
gan and had an excellent opportunity
to form an intelligent idea of the sit
uation. The letter gives his Judgment
Of the condition of affairs existing
there: =
My Dear Hamilton: 1 have always
looked upon you as an astute newspaper
man, painstaking and discriminating in
your statements of fact, and at least
rational in drawing conclusions. But
my faith in you is sadly shaken by an
article appearing in yesterdays fEx-
aminer" under the blood d-curdling cap,
ton, Real Criminal of the Century,
of which you are the avowed author
I happen to know some of the facts
regarding the. existing conditions in the
Occur d'Alenes. their genesis and the
ensuing revelations / was there when
the trouble broke out, was at Wardner
when Shoshone County was declared by
the Governor of Idaho to be in state
of insurrection, and for three weeks
acted for the State Of Idaho, at the re-
quest Of the Attorney General, at the
Coroner's inquest.
I have read great deal of drivel in
the press about the cruelties practiced
at Wardner. the tampling of the Con-
sstitution under foot and the blows
struck at organized labor by the Exec
utives of the State of Idaho, backed
by the military arm of the Federal Gov
ernment. Most of it was SO manifest
ly unfair. Exaggerated and malicious
that it contained within itself it's own
condemnation.
Many thinking people will read your
article and giving you credit for sin
cerity of purpose and conservatism OF
statement, will form an altogether in
correct idea as to facts, as well as to
conclusions -
Will you permit a few suggestions?
General Merriam did not suspend the
writ of habeas corpus; nobody suspend
ed the writ. If it is suspended it is
because of the fact that the Governor
Of the State Of Idaho, exercising his
constitutional and lawful prerogative,
declared Shoshone County to be in a
Idaho has no militia. Its National
Guard is in the Philippines. To pre-
vent a threatened reign of terror, con-
tinued violence and bloodshed after
issuing his proclamation, the Governor
called upon the President for military
aid In response to this call, as in duty
bound, under the law, the President or
dered troops sent to the aid of the
4 ,<7r.,-a a<1o,, ov,s7
of General Merriam This military
force is auxiliary to the State, assist
ing it in restoring order and preserving
the peace. Men imprisoned at the in
stigation Of the State. held in custody
by the military, acting for the time be-
ing as a State police, sought to be re-
leased through the medium of wfits of
habeas corpus. The courts have held
that so long as the state of insuTrec-
tion exists the courts cannot issue SUCH
writs directed to the military author
tiles. Applications We're made sue
cessively to the District Judge of Shos-
hone County, the Supreme Court of
Idaho and Judge Beatty, United States
Circuit Judge, and were refused by each
one of these tribunals. The power to
declare a section of country to be in a
state of insurrection would be of no
practical utility IL the courts could re-
view the action of the Executive
Everything that has been done in the
Occur d'Alene by the civil and military
authorities has so been done under the
sanction of the Constitution and the
laws.
Was Governor Steunenberg justified
in declaring Shoshone County in a
state of insurrection? Every black
hearted rascal who participated in the
crimes of April Goth will answer with
one accord, Mo- Every sensible.
liberty loving, right minded American
cognizant of the facts will answer,
Yes Do you know the facts? II
you do not, deny your right to predi-
cate philippdc upon what you may
ina gine.
We know that on April Goth Wardner
was invaded by armed and masked
men, who stole railroad train, ran it
over a foreign track, took with them
two tons Of dynamite, blew up the
Bunker Hill and Sullivan concentration
and KILLED two men, and that in doing
this they were aided and abetted by
the peace officers of Shosl1one County
The first explosionscf the mill was ac-
companied by fitting chorus from the
throats Of the dyna1niters Down with |
How was all this accomplished? Who
was responsible Tor It? Everybody in |