Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1900-03-17
Testimony Of Engineer Allen F.
Gill in Idaho Riot Cases.
TROOPS CAUSED DISORDER.
Presence Of the Military Defeated tue
Ends Of Justice Troops ae'eo
Under STATE Offers orders
Afternoon Dispatched

Washington, March 1.-THE Occur
d'Aene investigation was continued be-
fore the House committee on military
affairs today. The cross examination OF
Mr.. Forney, which was In progress
when the committee adjourned yester-
day, was not resumed today on account
OF the illness Of the witness.
Allen F. GIL Of Spokane, Wash. a me-
chanical engineer, was placed on the
stand by Mr.. Lentz. He held various
public positions IN Spokane and was
master mechanic for the Oregon Rail-
way and Navigation company before he
became master mechanic Of the Tiger
and Poorman Mining company, at
Burke. In that position among duties
he was charged with the employment
and discharge OF men in the mine.
He testified that he was at Burke
April 20. 1899. the day the Bunker Hi
mine was blown up. The town was
unusually quiet. April 80 all the men
were at work except four They con-
tlnued at work until the third OF fourth
OF May, when numbers OF them includ-
ing himself. were arrested by the mlli-
tary. He testified that he had attempt
ed 10 continue at work. He had eX-
plalned TO the officer in charge Of the
troops that the manager Of the mine
was absent and that great property IN
terests depended upon him. The officer,
Major Morten. replied that martial law
had been declared and that ne would
have 10 go 20 Wardner. lie testified
that he heard Major Morten order some
OF his troops 70 break into his tGlilS
house The soldiers broke In the door.
He noticed other instances OF siini-
lar character. He testified 10 geneIai
rude and harsh treatment suffered by
the arrested miners at the hands OF
the troops. Later in the day he was
arrested and went back 10 the mine
with eight miners and worked all nieht
with them TO get the water which had
accumulated out Of the mine The on
ly disturbance made in Burke that day
was the disturbance created by me
soldiery. There was no necessity Tor
the soldiers. he said. as civil processes
could have been served. In his 0rtn-
ion the advent OF the military defeated
the ends Of Justice. The guilty parties
escaped into Montana. Had the mill
tary not been there, many OF these
would have returned and could have
been arrested.
Mr.. Gill testified that he had been In
formed that no releases from the bull
pen" would be made except on the or
der OF Bartlett Sinclair. He had had
nm interview with Sinclair, and had
presented afiidaNts regarding men who
had been at work az Burke when the
mine al Wardner was blown up. but
he (slnclair) refused 10 release them,
saving that he took no stock In am
daylts. Sinclair had informed him
that Il was the duty OF reputable citi-
Gems 10 bring afIidavits 10 convict and
not acuuit. The witness described con-
| dltlnns In the bull pen
His testimony was similar 10 that OF
{ other witnesses. He testified that the
| deputies had had some trouble with
the fremen under his control and the
/ former had informed Lieut.. Lyons that
/ the fremen had applied opprobious
]
/ had complained Of this to him (GilD
I and said that n such eDlthets had been
I applled 10 him he 0yonsl would have
| shot the offender. Lieut.. Lyons threat
/ ened 10 send the flremen to the 'bull
pen" unless the iiremen apologlzed.
The dignity of the State officers must
be upheld. Lieut.. Lyons said.
Later the firemen apologized and the
/ trouble was amicabl. settled. Mr.. GIL
said hat the men in the Occur dAiene
district were lawablding They were
not. as a class. inferior TO those In any
other mining community. There were
some bad men among them, but as 9
class they were exceptionally good
men. These bad men were not per-
| manent residents Of the district. Sc
Tar as the Tiger and Pooman mine
was concerned. the relation between
The miners and Mr. Culberson, the ac'
tive manager, were very cordial.
without dlsposing Of the witness, the
committee then adjourned until Mon
day.