The Saint Paul globe., 1900-03-26
THE TYRANNY IN IDAHO
washington Times. March %.

are held in Wallace Jail, and to whom the
writ OF habeas corpus Is denied. 1t re-
sembles the lettre de caehet which Louis
AlN. sold to members of the nobility, and
under which thousands of innocent per-
sons were thrown into the bastile. 1t
contains no specific charge against the
man arrested.
1t Is signed in blank by the issuing
magistrate and given to constable, who
nils In the blank with the name Of the
man he elects to take into custody This
form of warrant was served on men who
might be found working without permit
to work.
A copy of the form of commitment fol-
lows:
To Angus Sutherland-Sir: You are
herepy requested to take and to hold in
SeHtea gour CUSTODY f C, who has been ar.
the governor of Idaho, declaring martial
law, and the rules and regulation of the
military district established hereunder,
said --- to be held by you as such
military prisoner until further orders.
Hugh France, State Representative
Wardner, Idaho,
The first witness this morning was A
f. Gill, who had been recalled, he hav-
ing said that he could tell certain things
which he had observed in the Occur
Alene district, and which observations
mad not been brought out by questions
| asked him during his examination-in-
chief, While at Wardner he saw that in
the side of the bull pen there we've sew
eral holes. Through one of these lie saw
a prisoners hand protruding. He saw a
colored soldier, who was standing guard
on the outside, stab at the protruding
hand with his bayonet, inficting a bloody
wound.
Later he had conference with Capt
Walsh, at Burke. 81 told him that [
had been to Wardner for the purpose of
securing the release of some men whom
l could show were not implicated in the
destruction of Bunker Hill properly he
said. Il told him that it was necessary
to secure the permission of State Auditor
Sinclair before the men could be released
lie said he was under the impression that
the prisoners were In charge Of the
troops. Later he said he had discovered
that l was right and that the prisoners
could not be released without the assent
of Sinclair"
Mr.. Dick questioned the witness about
his objection to signing the application
for permit to work. 1t has been shown
| by the testimony that in Idaho a permit
! system prevails. No man can be en-
ployed In the mines unless he presents
| permit signed by Bartlett Sinclair, state
| auditor. Should this officer refuse to is
| sue the permit there is no power in the
| state which can compel him to, and
without this permit the miner must either
leave the state, beg or starve. The ap-
! pl1cation for q permit contains clause
| which the applicant must sign that he is
not and has not been a member OF a
| miners union. Were he member of
such union he could not get a permit
to work, and without permit could not
| get employment. Sinclair is charged by
the union miners with being tool of the
| Standard Oil company, which, it Is
| claimed, owns the Bunker hill and Suli-
van properties. 1t has been said that Sin
| clair made his advent in Idaho as
Standard OIL detective.
The witness said he had refused to sign
the application for a permit to work, be-
cause he considered it un-American, un-
| just an attack on organized labor and a
gross presumption on the part of the
mine owners He though, It was opposed
! to the spirit of American institutions that
man could not get employment except
under permit from a state officer rep
reSenting a trust.
Mr.. Dick attempted to weaken the tes-
tlmony Of the witness by fine reasoning
and metaphysical questions, but the facts
stood out boldly that no man could get
work unless he secured permission from
Sinclair, and this permit would not be
issued if the applicant were a member
of miners union.
Under redirect examination by Mr..
d
be found at work without a permit he
would be arrested, thrown in Jail and
that he could not be released on a writ
Of habeas corpus. The time Of the trial
of the prisoner depended upon the pleas
ure of DR.. France, the doctor for the
Standard Oil Mine company.
When some Of the men refused to return
to work in the Tiger and Poorman mine
because of cruel treatment, they were
driven to work at the point of the bay
onet by federal troops. The excuse given
for driving the men to work by the SOL
diers was that water would destroy the
mine. The witness was the master me-
chanic of the mine named, and he said
there never was any danger that the mine
would flood.
1t was shown at the hearing that the
statutes Of Idaho prohibit discrimination
against men because they are or are not
members of a union. The permit system
was in violation of this law, but the per-
nit system was backed by the Mine Own
ers association, and the witness had
never heard of any arrest being made for
violation OF the statute prohibiting dis
elimination.
Mr.. Lentz and Mr.. Robinson counsel for,
the miners, introduced In evidence tran
script Of the bill Of exceptions filed with
the supreme court of Idaho.
The next witness was William r.
Shields. OF Wardner, Idaho. On April 80
1899. he was at MulIap His present oc-
cupation is that of commercial traveller
for a clothing house. He was born in
Richmond Va, seventy years ago, and
has lived in Idaho for fifteen years. He
left Mullan on April 80 and went to Mon
| tana. On May 1 he met Charles Francis
at st. Regis, Mont. He was working for
lumber company, and Francis and 9TH
ers had told him that Francis had been
working there for several months A box
car OF prisoners came by and, stopping
at the station, Francis went down to look
at them. The troops arrested him. He
said: 81 can prove to you that have not
been In the Occur d'Alene country for six
months" The witness said: ST had a
passing acquaintance with this man, and
! walked toward the train and said, Fran
els, have you any money! and he an
swered, NO l offered a couple of dollars
I had. but 1, too, was threatened with
arrest"
The officers made no effort to investigate
Francis statement that he had not been
in the Occur d Alene country for six
months. He was arrested while in his
shirt sheeves, and was not even permitted
to get his coat, which was at his board
ing place about 100 yards from the place
at which he was taken into custody. st.
Regis, where the arrest was made, is
about thirty-tHo miles east of the Idaho
state line.
TIMES NORTHWEST ORIENT.