Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-04-03
| D AHO RIFLE CLUBS
GOV. STEUNENRERG RESUMES HIS
TESTIMONY.
Alleged Oath-Bound COnspiracy-Says
Information Came From j.
r.. Sovereign.

The chief interest in Gov. Steunenberg' s
| testimony before the Occur d Alene investi-
CATION yesterday was in his continuance of
| the recital, begun at the last session Of the
committee, of disturbed conditions prior
| to the uprising of April last.
He had been asked by Representative
Dick why he refused to dsband the militia
of the Occur d'Alene district in 1897. as had
been requested by the county commission
ers.
He said that at that time the officers of
the Western Federation of Miners were
advising the arming of the unions and he
read an address by one of these officials
stating that every union should have a
rifle club and that "in two years we can
hear the inspiring music of $1,000 armed
men in the ranks of labor
organizing Rifle Clubs.
Gov. Steunenberg said that following this
there were evidences in the Occur dAlene
district that the advice was being followed.
A body Of armed and masked men, he said
appeared at Mullan and compelled the de-
livery Of large supply of arms and am
munition owned by the state of Idaho and
stored there pending the organization of
militia company. He began correspond
ence and inquiry and could get no trace
he applied to the local sheriff the latter
answered in effect to mind your own bust
ness.
The governor said that about the same
time he received letter from the G. A. r.
commander at Murray stating that a
number of rifles and ammunition were in
danger of being stolen. Threats had been
made to seize them, and notification had
been served that they would be taken The
Il. A. r. asked to be relieved of further re-
sponslbiiity, and the governor said he had
the arms boxed and shipped away.
Gov. Steunenberg said he sent Adiutant
General French to Occur dAlene who re-
ported that movement was on foot on
the disbanding of the militia, for miners to
come to Wardner and dynamite the Bunker
Hill mill. There were repeated threats the
governor said, that the officials of the mine
would be murdered If they did not escape
before the Canyon Creek miners came down
He said he was shocked to learn that Fred
erick B. Whitney, superintendent of the
Frisco mine, had been taken from his room
at night by sixteen armed and masked men.
| marched down the creek and shot, dying in
a day two.
Alleged Oath-Bound Conspiracy.
A stir was caused in the committee room
when Gov. Steunenberg, in answering a
question as to what he knew of a conspir-
acy in connection with the blowing I'D of
/ the Bunker Hill MILL said:
Il learned that Mr. Ed Bovce nrasident
| of the Western Federation of Miners was
| IN that county ten days before the ex
piosfon of the Bunker Hill and Sullivan
milis, and at that time he inaugurated or
perfected this conspiracy by CHOOSING tuen-
| ~ men from the different Organizations in
| tnat county and swearing them These
| twenty men chose one each and svore him,
anu the IoIty each chose a. man and swore
| MN. ana the eighty each chose a man and
| swore him. In that way there were at least
| lou men In this conspiracy to do this thing
| sworn to secrecy" >Ae
| RaDreSent IA tive uor
| ed the governor sharply as to his sources
| this. Ae iearheo
| me governor hesitated moment and
Sames r. Sovereign through mutual
When Mr.. Hay wanted the name Of the
| mutual friend there was some question az
| 20 giving the name. but the governor finaI-
| " gave It as A. B. Campbell
MI. Hay asked II Mr.. Campbell was IA the