The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1900-03-13
Testimony Accumulates Tending
to Show the Awful Condi.
tiOnS IN Idaho
During the Enforcement Of Mar.
tlaI Law-~Electrical Engi-
ncer'S Evidence.
Offered a Large Sum to Testify
Falsely, and Once Taken Out
to Be Shot.

WASHINGTON, March ID. ]. Simp.
kins, an electrical engineer at Wardner.
Ida, testified in the Occur d'Alene in.
v~esti9ation before the house committee
on military affairs. He said he did not
participate in the riot, but o after
that event he was arrested by a 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 prisoners were promptly arrested
~ put with the other prisoners. The
witness said one Of the prisoners, a
Swede. was taken with a fit. whereupon
Q negro soldier struck him senseless
with the butt OF q gun. The corporal
OF the guard came up and turning over
the fallen man said:
II guess you've fixed that fellow all
right"
Made Ready to Execute Him.
Simpkins said one Of the prisoners
was robbed Of 500. One Of Simpkins'
recitals caused something Of Il 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 IA
building The soldiers stepped back
and cooked their guns, apparently max.
ing ready TO shoot him. At this point,
he said, a high official Of the Bunker
Hill mine appeared and said they had
evidence enough to hang the witness OF
send him up for many years. but if he
would tell who blew up the mill ht
would be turned loose. Simpk;ns said
he protested that he did not know who
the guilty parties were, and the effor,
TO get evidence from him was final,
given up.
Wanted to Convict Someone.
The witness stated that ut ano;he
time, while in the bull pen," a part,
who said he was authorized by All Off
cial, offered him $4,000 to implicat,
two persons in the blowing mp of tn
mill. The party said it did not matte
much who were implicated, but thu
names Of certain miners aud the count,
assessor were given, whom 1t was mos
desired to implicate. for the purpose
the witness said, Of hanging them q
getting them out of the country. II
said he afterward learned that the as
SCISSOR had trouble with the Bunker Hi
mine over their assessments.
The witness detailed an interview
with an army officer, in which the lat
ter declined to permit a priest to b
summoned to one of the prisoners VIII
was diving. and also refused to ALLOW
him 10 communicate with his partne
rs to the disposition of his property. II
detailed many other instances of allege
cruelty. One of his recitals was asto
brief visit 10y General Merriam to tn
..bull pen" and the refusal to ALLOW
prisoners to communicate with him.
Took Order. From Mine Officers.
In telling Of the shooting Of johnson
the prisoner who went insane. the wit
ness contributed the additional test,
monv that while Johnson was runnin
away, a certain mine official shoute
..Sl:oot. shoot and the soldiers accort
ingly shot. The witness said he helpe
dig the tunnel, intended AS a means {
ESCAPE. as he was .'dying by inches.
He also gave his experience OH tn
standing line, and while i'll solitary COZ
: fnement.
, When Representative Sulzer. who d
i, rected the examination. asked h wi
| ness concerning 'this Siberia OF horrors
objections were made to the character
i. zation. but on a vote the committee pei