The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-03-10
COEUR D'ALENE INQUIRY.
SOVEREIGN SAYS THE MILITARY
DECLARED MARTIAL LAW.
A Miner who Was i'm the Party Which
Went over to Blow Up the Bunker
Hill Describes His Experience in
Bull Pen, and Hardships Suffered.

WASHINGTON, March e.-The cross
examination of Sovereign was continued
today in the Occur 'Alene investigation.
Representative Dick took witness over his
statement regarding martial law and the
course of the war department, with view
TO showing that 1t was the state authori-
ties and not the federal government who
declared and enforced martial law. Sow
ereign said the reading of the official tele-
grams satisfied him the war department
declared martial law, as the military
kilograms antedated the governors pro-
elamation by one day.
When asked II military were there for
any other purpose than to maintain peace
and order the witness answered ne be-
lteyed this was not their purpose, as their
presence tended TO terrorize the people,
substituting military dictation for the usual
civil methods. No one ever heard Of n ar
tial law before In labor troubles. Sow
ereign declared. As to his approval OF the
use of the military for maintaining or Ter,
Sovereign stated. he understood the Bunk
er Hill mine was owned by the Standard
OH Company. but this had been denied in
the testimony before Industrial commits
sion, although witness believed from The
kilograms developed in this case that the
ownership existed
lie was also questioned as to the in
fluence Of certain lead interests in the
Occur d'Alene districts In that connec-
ton he said a mine official had told him
that several of the lead interests had
sought to combine on $50 100000 capitall-
zatiou, but New York capitalists would
not consider the matter un.ess the cap
italization was SITS 900 coo
Representative Sulzer remarked that this
meant T4S, 000 900 or water, and Chairman
Hull added that 1t was a valuable basis
for another investigation.
Fred o. Martin, miner, followed He
said he was on the train carrying the
party to Wardner when the mill was blown
up, but he had no part in the demonstra-
ton, did not see II, and had the impress
sion that the crowd was going to a mass
meeting. Several days after he was ar
rested by party of soldiers. held in n
barn for some time. and subsequently, put
in the bull pen" Most of his evidence
related to hardships endured in the pen
the lack of adequate food, the harshness
and obscenity of the negro soldiers on
guard. substantially on the same Line as
previous witnesses.
Martin said he was held six months
and no charges were made against him at
any time He was among those placed
on the standing line" and described his
experience there and in the guard house
on bread and water diet up to the time
OF getting sick. He said Mike Devine.
one of the prisoners, d'ed from exposure
when first arrested The witness tried
to see Devine in the hospital but was
denied access to him While imprisoned
outside parties Jumped" his land claim
valued at 81 500, and the military authori-
ties refused to let him out to save the
claim. on one occasion Martin testified
an army officer threatened to hang him
I'm by the thumbs.
Martin will continue his testimony to-
morrow.