The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-03-02
IDAHO MINING RIOTS
TESTIMONY TAKEN BY THE HOUSE
MILITARY COMMITTEE.
Further Evidence I'm Regard to the
SO-CaIled Bull Pen"-A Newspaper
Man and Squire Testify.

WASHINGTON, March 1.-Wilbur Stew
art, the newspaper publisher at Mullan,
Ida, to-day continued his testimony be-
fore the House committee on military af-
fairs concerning the labor troubles in
Idaho He said that on June his news
paper plant was confiscated by two civilian
officials accompanied by a detachment Of
soldiers. causing him considerable loss.
The witness said that throughout his de-
tention he was given no trial except be-
fore the kangaroo court" He said this
was the name applied to an "inquisition"
carried on by a local official not a magis-
trate. He detailed a conversation with one
of the state officials in which the latter is
said to have asked Stewart to resume pub
lication of his paper ION the side of law
and order" threatening that If the publ
cation continued to be as it had been
Stewart might expect to remain in the
''bull PEN"
The witness testified as to the death of
one Johnson, prisoner in the bull pen."
He said johnson was taken before the
'inquisition" and an effort made to learn
from him the names of those who partici-
pated in the riots. When Johnson re-
would be hung. He tried to kill himself
with Indian clubs and later while fleeing
from an imaginary foe he was shot
through the head and killed by guard
The witness said Johnson was mentally
sound before being put in the pen. and
he was pronounced insane after being
there Other prisoners, he said, were in
fear of being shot, and many thought the
place was to be set on hre. There were
about $50 prisoners and about LOCO to l,Z0o
4hr, a lana ri iCfY a
expressed the opinion that there had been
no occasion for declaring martial law.
Some of Mr.. LentZ's inquiries brought
into question the accuracy OF the report
of the testimony taken by the industrial
commission to the Idaho trouble, but
this line of inquiry was ruled out on the
ground that the committee had no author
ity to investigate the industrial commits
sion.
On cross-examination Representative
Parker took the witness over the circum-
stances on the day the mill was blown up.
Mr. Stewart said he saw large parties leave
Mullan and return later in the day, but
he did not know the purpose of the move
ments. Several members of the commit
tee questioned the witness to the de-
parture of miners on the day of the dyna-
hitting of the mill. He said the party
numbered from 40 to 200. The mining pop
ulation of Mullan was about $50. When
the parties returned they refused to say
where they had been. He saw one man
carrying a shotgun, but none of them wore
masks.
At the afternoon session Edward Elan
agan, a justice of the peace at Mullen,
related his experience He said he had
nothing to do with the riots or the blow
ing up of the mills; that he was arrested
without warrant and held in the bull
PEN for eighty-seven days. Here. he
testified, the treatment was brutal and in
human, and the food was not fit to eat.
He also gave with much detail instances of
alleged cruelty. AT one time the prisoners
who refused to do degrading work were
ranged In standing line" and the guards
were ordered to shoot any one who stepped
out of his tracks. At another time pris-
oner who did not move quickly was threat
ened by officer with being hung up by
the thumbs over night. The man was re-
moved, but witness did not know whether
the punishment was inflicted.
Chairman Hull asked question handed
him by Captain Edwards who was present,
as to whether the order to go on stand
ing line was not because the men re-
fused to fill in a tunnel they had excava-
ted for means of escape. The witness
understood such a tunnel had been dis
covered, but did not know ii was the
occasion for the order. Mr.. Hull asked If
soldiers who disobeyed orders were not
treated the same as the prisoners had been
treated. The witness answered that being
citizens, the prisoners were not subject
to the same discipline as the soldiers He
said the standing line was maintained
only one day.
The committee then adjourned until to-
morrow.