The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1900-03-13
Testimony Accumulates Tending
to Show the Awful Condi.
tiOns IN Idaho
During the Enforcement Of Mar.
tial Law-.Electrical Engi-
ncer'S Evidence.
Offered a Large Sum to Testify
Falsely, and Once Taken Out
to Be Shot.

WASHINGTON, March 13.-L. J. Simp.
kins, an electrical engineer at Wardner.
lda.. testified in the Coeur d'Aleue in.
vestigation before the house committee
on military affairs. He said he did not
participate in the riot, but soon after
that event he was arrested by a squad
OF United States troops who went about
the streets arresting those persons
pointed out by Bunker Hill mine "spot.
ters.' Two spectators on the streets
who stopped to see the soldiers and
their prisoners were promptly arrested
and put with the other prisoners. The
witness said one Of the prisoners, a
Swede, was taken with a fit, whereupon
. negro soldier struck him senseless
with the butt OF q gun. The corporal
OF the guard came up and turning over
the fallen man said:
II guess you've fixed that fellow all
right
Made Ready to Execute Him.
Simpkins said one Of the prisoners
was robbed Of 500. One Of Simpkins'
recitals caused something Of sensation.
He said he was taken from the "bull
pen" by squad of four soldiers and
marched to al open enclosure, where he
was placed with his back against a
building The soldiers stepped back
and cooked their guns, apparently max
ing ready to shoot him. At this point
he said, Il high official of the Bunker
Hill mine appeared and said they hat
evidence enough to hang the witness OF
send him up for many years, but if b,
would tell who blew up the mill h,
would be turned loose. Simpk;ns sait
he protested that he did not know wh'
the guilty parties We're, and the effor
to get evidence from him was finall,
given up.
Wanted to Convict Someone.
The witness stated that at ano,he
time, while in the ''bull pen, part
who said he was authorized by All Off
cial, offered hilu $4,000 to implicat
two persons in the blowing mp Of tn
mill. The party said it did not matte
much who were implicated, but tn
names Of certain miners and the count
. desired to implicate, for the purpos,
the witness said, of hanging them @
getting them out of the country. II
said he afterward learned that the a,
SCISSOR had trouble with the Bunker Hi
mine over their assessments.
The witness detailed an intervie,
with an army officer, i'll which the In
ter declined to permit a priest to /
; summoned To one Of the prisoners wh
was diving, and also refused to allo'
him to communicate with his partnt
as to the disposition of his property. II
detailed many other instances Of allege
) cruelty. One of his recitals was asto
brief visit 10y General Merriam to til
: "bull pen and the refusal to allo,
prisoners to communicate with him.
: Took Orders From Mine Officers.
In telling of the shooting Of johnson
the prisoner who went insane, the wi
ness contributed the additional test
monv that while Johnson was runnin
away, a certain mine official shoute
.Sroot, shoot" and the soldiers accort
I inyly shot. The witness said he helpe
! dig the tunnel, intended AS means (
escape, as he was "dying by inches.
: He also gave his experience on Il
: standing line, and while i'll solitary col
: finement.
When Representative Sulzer. who d
}. rected the examination, asked the wi
ness concerning ''this Siberia OF horrors
: objections were made to the character
= zation. but on vote the committee PIE