Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1900-03-10
Sovereign on the Stand Explains
His Newspaper AllegOries His
Views Personal.
WIDE ATTENTION ATTRACTED
The Steaaeaberg Trial At Washington Is
Oae Of Great Momest- -OrsaniIed
Labor Deeply laterested.

NOON sSSSioh VI the Houst iiiittaTy Cpif-
mittes investigating the Occur d. Alene
troubles was held today.
Representative Slayden of Texas di-
rected the examination and the cross
examination was participated in by all
the members of the committee. Mr.. Sow
ereign testified that the miners union
was not responsible for the publications
written by him which had been intro
duced as evidence.
The cross-examination took Mr.. Sow
ereign over the exciting events attending
the blowing up of the Bunker Hill con-
centrator. and the witness was made to
recite in minute details the circumstances
Of the affair. In the main this was an
elaboration of the direct testimony prev
iously given. He said the masks worn
by the men were ordinary cloth with
holes cut out for the eyes.
Sovereign said the 'scabs" favorable
to the mines showed cowardice aud ran
away, although shot from them into
the stock of dynamite would have de.
stroyed it before the mob could have used
il in blowing up the mill. He declared
that the "chip on the shoulder" attitude
of the mine owners in discriminating
against organized labor had precipitated
the trouble.
Witness said the same aggravated con-
J;,;nue x,,aulI oauea a ra,.a,;,;,~,, ,,f ,,,a
trouble, and that in anticipation of it the
Bunker Hill company had built "Morro
Castle" with loopholes for gatling guns.
Some of the articles written by Sover-
eign in his paper were read in full to the
committee by Mr.. Dick, and then were
taken up sentence by sentence, and Sow
ereign was asked to explain them. This
he did at great length. He testified, too
that the utterances of the paper were his
individual opinions, and that they in nc
way reflected the opinions held by the
i miners union. Upon being asked poin,
blank if the Tribune was the organ o.
the Miners union, he said it had nc
other connection with 1t than that it had
a contract to print the official news and
announcements of the union and il,
officers. He had leased the paper him
self and he differed materially with views
held by members of the miners unioi
and by other members of organized labo
societies.
He testified that the Bunker Hill
Sullivan mine owners had so aggravated
the miners that they had really invtc'
AN attack upon their property. He dc
clared it would be impossible for til
Occur d Alene district to continue as
non union camp. Its location midwa
between the Montana and Colorado min
ing districts and the great mines In Bri,
ish Columbia, all of which were unio
camps, would make it necessary for mir
ers to affiliate with these neighboring o.
ganizations.
/, He said even now union miners wei
, at work in the Occur d. Alenes, and tbi
, the very force of circumstances mu
a soon put an end to the states policy
). martial law.
The article written by Sovereign in a
y legorical form, relating how the elephaI
II was annoyed by bad boys until he 10
: his temper and that men then came al
If said he must be killed was read by Re
a resentative Dick, who then asked Sove
h eign to explain il. This he did vei
/, frankly, saying the elephant was orga
:. lied labor, the bad boy who gave hi
h tobacco with pin in it was Burbidge
Ie the Bunker Hill < Sullivan mine, al
that the good boys who had always be-
a friends with the elephant were the 9th
s. mine owners. This is the editorial viii
x Representative Dick read:
he "An elephant is the kindest and M
E. gentle Of animals, but when torment
at becomes extremely ferocious. The cirC
C. came to town and the boys went to
I'd the elephant, and the elephant ate p
er nuts and candy out OF their hands.
he elephant was glad and the boys w
ne pleased. But there was one mean, pro
boy by the name of Burbidge, who usua
amused himself by robbing birds ne
and pulling off the wings and legs OF
ge nocent bugs and throwing mud into
,r. face of his little sister This Burbidge !
r conceived the idea that he would pla,
es trick on the elephant, so when the c
.r. plant stretched out its trunk for car
ty Burbidge gave it a piece of tobacco
of stuck a pin into it. The elephant '
enraged and threw Burbidge high Il
the air, and the balance Of the boys S
ed it was just what he deserved because
tormented the elephant when kindn
on and good treatment cost less. But til
- was law in those days which permit
mean boys to torment elephants 10 tn