Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-03-12
must be assumed to have been correctly
determined.
The result of this conclusion is that the
injunction must be denied and the demurrer
sustained. 7,.
CRUELTY BY SOL DIERS
Testimony Before the House Military Affairs
Committee. 4r
Electrical Engineer Simpkins De-
scribes an Attempt to ExtOrt
. Confession.

L. ]. Simpkins, electrical engineer at
Wardner, Idaho. testified in the Occur
d Alene investigation before the House
committee military affairs today He
: aid he did not participate in the riot, but
soon after that event he was arrested by
squad of United States troops who went
about the streets arresting those persons
pointed out by Bunker Hill mine spot
ters" Two spectators on the streets, who
stopped to see the soldiers and their pris-
oners, were promptly arrested and put
with the other prisoners. The witness said
one or the prisoners, a Swede, was taken
with fit. whereupon negro soldier struck
him senseless with the butt of a gun The
corporal of the guard came up. and, turning
over the fallen man, said: Il guess you've
fixed that fellow all right Simpkns said
one of the prisoners was robbed of 800.
Caused a Sensation.
One of Simpkins' recitals caused some
thing of sensation. He said he was taken
from the bull pen" by a squad of four
soldiers and marched to an open Enclosure,
where he was placed with his back against
a building. The soldiers stepped back and
cooked their guns, apparently making ready
TO snoot him. AT this point. he said, high
official of the Bunker Hill mine appeared
and said they had evidence enough to hang
the witness or send him up for many years,
but that If he would tell who blew up the
mill he would be turned loose. Simpkins
said he protested that he did not know who
the guilty parties WERE and the effort TO
get evidence from him was finally given up
The witness stated that at another time,
while In the "hull pen," a person who said
ne was authorized by an official, offered
him Si0,OW to implicate two persons in the
blowing up of the mill. The person said 1T
Qua not matter much who were implicated
but the names of certain miners and the
how, q
mcst desired to implicate for the purpose
the witness said. of hanging them or get
ing them out of the country. He said he
afterward learned that the assessor had
had trouble with the Bunker Hin mine over
their assessment.
Alleged Cruelty.
r The witness detailed an interview with an
army officer. In which the latter declined to
permit priest to be summoned to one of
the prisoners, who was dying, and also re-
fused to allow him to communicate with his
partner as to the disposition of his prop
erty. He detailed many other instances of
alleged cruelty. One of his recitals was as
to brief visit by Gen. Merriam to the
bull pen" and the refusal to allow prison.
ers to communicate with him.
In telling of the shooting of johnson, the
prisoner who went insane. the witness con-
tributed the additional testimony that while
Johnson was running away. certain mine
official shouted, Shoot, shoot" and the
soldiers accordingly shot
The witness said he helped to dig the tun-
mel intended as means of escape, as he
was dying by inches" He also gave his
experience on the standing line" and while
In solitary confinement.
When Representative Sulzer, who directed
che examination. asked the witness con-
corning this Siberia OF horrors" objec-
lions were made to the characterization.
but on vote the committee permitted the
question.