The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-03-13

Washington, March FL. ]. Simp-
kins. an electrical engineer at Wardner,
Ida, testified in the Occur d Alene in
vestigation before the house commit
tee on military affairs today. He said
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 spoilers" Two spectators
on the streets, who stopped to see the
soldiers and their prisoners, were
promptly arrested and put with the
other prisoners. The witness said one
Of the prisoners, a Swede, was taken
with a fit. whereupon a 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"
Simpkins said one of the prisoners
was robbed of $50 One of Simpkins'
recitals caused something of a sensa-
ton. 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 shoot him.
At this point, he said, a high official
of the Bunker Hill mine appeared and
said they had evidence enough 10 hang
the witness or send him UP for many
years, but if he would tell who blew up
the mill he would be turaed loose.
offered Big Tribe.
Simpkins said he pro sested that he
did not know who the guilty parties
We're, and the effort TO get evidence
from him was finally given up.
The witness stated that at another
time, while in the bull pen,' a party
who said he was authorized by an Of
fetal, offered him $4,000 10 fmplicate
two persons in the blowing up OF the
mill. The party said it dia not matter
much who were implicated, but the
names of certain miners and the coun-
ty assessor We're given, whom it was
most desired to implicate. for the pur-
pose. the witness said, of hanNing them
or getting them out of the country.
He said he afterward learned that
the assessor had had trouble with the
! Bunker Hill mine over their assess
ment.
The witness detailed an interview
with an army officer in which the lat
| ter declined to permit a priest to be
summoned to one of the prisoners who
was dying, and also refused to allow
him TO communicate with his partner
as to the disposition Of his property.
Acts Of Cruelty.
He detailed many other instances of
alleged cruelty. One of his recitals was
as to a brief visit. by General Merriam
to the bull PEN and the refusal to
allow prisoners to communicate with
him. In telling of the shooting of
Johnson, the prisoner who went in
sane. the witness contributed addition
al testimony that while Johnson was
running away. certain mine official
| shouted shoot, shoot and the sol
! diers accordingly shot
The witness said he helped dig the
/ tunnel intended as a 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 oil
! rected the examination, asked the wit
! ness concerning this Siberia Of hor-
rors.' objections were made TO the
/ characterization. but on a vote the
| committee permitted the question.