The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-03-12
ABUSED BY TEE SOLDIERS
Startling Stories Related About
Idah0'S Bull Pen.
Allegations Made by Engineer SImp-
kIns at the Occur d'AIene Mining
EHquiry-BrutRI Treatment OF the
Imprisoned Men Described in De-
tniI-Often Threatened With Death

I
/ ficted upon helpless men were told before
the Military Affairs Committee OF the
House in the Coeur d'Alene enquiry today.
/ The first witness was L. J. Simpkius. an
| electrical engineer living at Wardner. Ida
I ho- He was living at Wardner in April
1889, at the time CT the mine explosion.
/ He knew nothing about it until It occurred
! On May 3. 1893. four colored soldiers en-
! tered his room. where he was lying on a
! bed, ordered him 70 get Up. placed him
under arrest, put him in line with other
/ men who had been arrested and marched
| him or.
Mr.. suIzer asked: Did those soldiers
| open your door. when they entered your
/ room2'
! Yes. sir"
Did they show you any warrant"
NO. sir.
Did they read a warrant
/ No. SIR
Was there an officer in charge Of
( them2"
i did not see one, but there were plenty
! c, spoilers around
/ What DO you mean by spotters7'
/ We'll 7 suppose there we're one hundred
/ Of The men OF the Bunker Hill and Sullivan
mines around with Winchesters. shot guns,
and revolvers, who would point ont citizens
Cf Wardner and the soldiers would bring
them into line and march them Of
! The witness said that on the day when
be and many others were taken into Gus
/ t0dy it was raining and cold. The men az
tha; time were housed in a stable or big
/ barn. thar was so crowded that the men
I could not lie down. The prisoners had no
! blankets. no FIRE. and nothing 90 eat On
I the second day food was served ia pans.
I one pan 20 a squad OF twenty-five men
/ There we're no knives. forks. or spoons and
the men were allowed no opportunity 10
I wash
The witness narrated the following act
. Of cruelty In the barn where we spent
| the first night there was q SwCdc- 7 do
not know his name. he was taken with a
I ar and began 10 dance around. A c0lored
/ soldier cried out, Halt hut ths man con-
I -iuued 20 dance around. with two or three
I oaths tho c0,Cred soldier went up 20 him
( anJ struck him on the head with the stoch
I rt bis rife. knocking him down and seu-
I 6eriuE him UucCnsCi iCus. The rOlOrec sol
dier thru called the corporal oi tE' SuA-d.
also eolcred who with his foot turned over
the unconscious man and said Y Cricss
you have l-gd him Finally some water
( us- fetched and he was brought to-
/ Another allegation made bv the witness
/ va IAN officer told gs rLEt while We
/ wee i1 the barn we wus- l.l6 CIJ for
7 FIRE as ho had issued orders thar should
, the place take FIRE aud should Jhr PRISON.
ors make any effort 10 escape they Should
} be shet down"
s.mrEins said lhat the men were allow
( ed 10 20 ont of the barn one at a time.
] $50 one could leave until The man Who had
. gone before had returned. While thus
waiting on one occasion. he saw two col
/ cred soldiers hold up a prisoner az The
point Of their rifles and rob him OF o sum
/ of money stated al The time 20 be $50.
Allegations Against Birch.
Zone day. some eoIoreI soldiers came
into the barn and singing me out asked
il my name was Simpkius. When 7 an
swerei yes hey said they wanted 90 see
me outside BY jabbiDG me win ther bay
. ouets they made me put my face up
. against the side OF the barn Then they
/ moved back about fifteen feet ald cooked
their rifles Birch. the superintendent OF
/ the Bunker Hill and Sullivan mines. came
up at that time and said that they had
I evidence enough 20 hang me- but that II I
would implicato certain men in The blow
ing up OF the mill and surrender 70 him
patent of mine for rotary engine. he
would have me released"
..Is that patent Of value" asked Sfr.
Sulzer.
I have been offered $4,000 Tor a one
l third interest In it.'
How long we're You confined in the bull
pen2"
From May until September 90. 1899"
Was any charge made against you2'
No. sir"
Were YOU allowed to consult with an
r attorney"
Il was not"
( The witness then told a touching story
S OF the dea of an old man by the name
Of Devine. He died in the bull pen during
/ inv r rho hrrII non
q leaked and pevine's bed. like that Of the
10 sick men. was wet These beds consisted
E Of a blanket and a little straw on the
e I earth floor Il was giving old man Deviue
70 such medicine as we had. When ;he death
. ! rattle came he said I want Won TO see n
/ they won't let me see a priest before I
I die 7 went 10 the soldier on guard and
D told him I must so.to the captains Office
/ He called another soldier. who took me
% to Captain Lavelle's Office. that officer be
! ing in charge Of the United States colored
; troops I told the captain that old man
Devine was dying. and that he wanted 10
see a Catholic priest before he passed
: away. Captain Lavelle said. Neither a
y priest nor anybody else can see Devine.
Those are my orders and they must be
/ carried out asked again that priest
= | be sent for as old man Deyine was dying
y and he was a Catholic but Captain La
y velle would not listen TO the request
u | Devine died few hours later"
, Mr.. Sulzer asked: Then this captain in
the United States Army refused 20 grant
G the request OF a DYING man that n pries
e be sent for 10 administer the last rites ol
the Catholic Church."
Yes sir"
other Deaths in the P-n.
Simpkins told Of the death'of other mer
= IN the bull pen. and Of the alleged mur-
O der Of a prisoner by some coIored soldiers
TIE witness said that when the mail wat
brought into the bull pen. the envelopes
had been opened and in many cases tori
u ! of altogether. he had seen the colore,
y ! soldiers reading these letters as the
brought them inio the bull pen. At on,
time he had been kept on bread and waite
for nine days. and IN solitary cunGuemer
'i in a dark steel cage for six days.
81 '-Ouce, said The witness, when Cap.ai
al Edwards. United States Army. desired
p ditch dug and the men refused 10 O. 70
ss Captain Edwards called US up before hin
J. one by one and lined us up along q bar
wire fence Captain EdWgrds said
Guard. if one OF these men moves k
him in his tracks. Turning 10 us he said
le '- you. You are nothing but a Sc
r. OF -- -- cOwardly ours. You won
work, won't YOU? Well. I'll make yo
, work-IH drive YOU 10 it, That day IL
n straw bedding iE the bull pen was take
from us. and We were put or bread an
water"
rs that about all YOU know"