The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-06-08

BOISE. Idaho, June w. j. Walker.
editor of the Freemans labor journal
and an organizer for Western labor,
tells a pretty tough story concerning
General Merriam and Governor Steup-
enberg's military rule in the Occur
d'Alene country. Mr.. Walker, being one
of the principal leaders in labor mat
ters in the Northwest, is kept posted
on the progress of affairs in the Occur
d Alenes. and he says he knows where
of he speaks in the assertions he
makes.
THE manner in which things are
done in the Coeur d'Alenes under the
pretended authority of martial law is
scandalous. 1t is worse. It is a dis
grace to the American Government"
said Mr.. Walker in an interview to-
day.
L will tell you few things that have
been done under the orders of General
Merriam, which 1 am assured on the
highest authority are absolutely true
l am informed that the inquest held on
the pretended remains of James Smith.
the union miner who was said to have
of rocks. The military could not get
possession of the body, and knowing
no one would dare to raise a question
as to what was in the box, they filled
coffin with rocks and proceeded to
hold an inquest on the assumption that
the proceedings would stand any way
During the inquest they went to the
wife of one of the miners in the bull
to give evidence. The woman was in a
delicate condition. They knew she
needed the attention of her husband.
and told her the only way she could
secure his release was for him to give
evidence for the Government. They
told her they intended to hang at least
fifty men under any circumstances. and
the only way she could save her hus-
band was by making him tell what he
knew. The woman, thoroughly fright
ened, went to her husband, but he was
innocent of having done any wrong and
was not afraid of the threats He re-
fused to have anything to say and tried
to allay her fears, but did not succeed.
The strain was too much for the sick
woman. She went home, was taken
critically i'll, and the chances, | am in
formed. are greatly against her recov-
cry. This placed that man in just this
position: He was required to swear to
a lot of lies to save his wife's life
I'm another case a disinterested citi-
zen was arrested as witness. He had
seen men who took part in the demon
stration in which the Bunker Hill and
Sullivan mills were destroyed and as
he occupied a neutral position he told
the officers when arrested that he knew
eight or ten of the men well enough to
identify them which he would do. Ac-
cordingly a squad of fifty men were
marched out He was unable to recog-
nize any of them, and another fifty was
brought out. He knew none of these,
and thirty-five more were marched out.
Again he was unable to pick out man
he remembered, and told the officers to
keep marching them out, and if there
were any he remembered he would
identify them, but because he had not
| been able to recognize any of those he
had seen they came to the conclusion
that he did not want to identify any
one. and threw him into the bull
pen where he still remains With him
it was case of identifying some one
whether ne knew MIN OF not or go to
| jail.
"One day a fire started in the bull
pen One of the men smoking had
dropped spark into the straw given
| the men to sleep on and knowing the
danger there was of a recurrence of
such fire, the men asked the officer in
charge to report to General Merriam
and ask to have better water facilities
put in. In response Merriam issued an