The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-03-10
Administration Alarmed Over
Occur d'Alene Inquiry.
DENIES RESPONSIBILITY
CONGRESSMAN DICK TAKING
ACTIVE PART.
Hanna's Chief Lieutenant Trying to
Show That is Was the State Au-
thorities and Not the Federals
Who Enforced the Martial Law
Interesting Facts Brought Out.

Washington, March 9.-The cross-eX-
animation of James R. Sovereign was
continued today in the Occur d'Alene
investigation before the house commit
tee on military affairs. Representative
Dick took the witness over his state
ments regarding martial law, and the
course of the war department, with a
view to showing that it was the state
authorities and not the federal govern
ment who declared and enforced mar
tial law
Mr.. Sovereign said that a reading of
the official kilograms satisfied him that
the war department declared martial
law, as the military kilograms ante
dated the governors proclamation by
one day. When asked if the military
were there for any other purpose than
10 maintain peace and order the wit
ness answered that he believed this
was not their purpose, as their pres
ence tended to terrOriZe the people,
substituting military dictation for the
usual civil methods.
Action Was Unprecedented.
No one ever heard OF martial law be-
fore in labor troubles, Mr.. Sovereign
declared. As to his approval of the use
of the military at the Chicago strike,
he said this was limited to the use of
the military for maintaining order.
Mr.. Sovereign stated he understood
the Bunker Hill mine was owned by the
Standard Oil company, but this had
been denied in testimony before the in
dustrial commission. although the wit
ness believed from kilograms developed
in this case that this ownership ex-
listed
He was also questioned as to the in
fluence' of certain lead interests IN the
Occur d'Alene district. In that cOnnec-
ton he said a mine official had told
him several of the lead interests had
sought to combine on a $50. 000, 900 cap
italization, but the New York capital
lists would not consider the matter I'M
less the capitalization was S17S. 000 000
Representative Sulzer remarked that
this means S14S. ZOO, 600 of water. and
Chairman Hull added that it was a vail
liable basis for another investigation.
Hardships in the "Bun Pen"
Fred o. Martin. q miner. followed. He
said he was on the train carrying the
party to Wardner when the mill was
blown up, but he had no part in the
demOnstra ton; did not see it and had
the impression that the crowd was go
ing to a mass-meeting. Several days
after he was arrested by a party of
soldiers, held in a barn for some time
and subsequently put in the bull pen"
Most Of his evidence related 10 the
hardshipS endured in the pen" the
lack Of adequate food. the harshness
and Obscenity Of the negro soldiers on
guard, substantially on the same line
az previous witnesses.
Martin said he was held six months
and no charges were made against him
at any time. He was among those
placed on the standing line" and de-
scribed his experience there and in the
guard house, on bread and water diet
uD to the time of getting sick He said
Mike Devine, one of the prisoners. died
from exposure when first arrested. The
witness tried to see Devine in the hos
pital. but was denied access to him.
While imprisoned outside parties
Jumped" his land claim. valued at
$500, and the military authorities re-
fused to let him out to save the claim.
On one occasion, Martin testified an
army officer threatened to hang him up
by the thumbs. Martin will continue
his testimony tomorrow