The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1906-02-21
MINE OWNERS
MAKE DENIAL
SAY ORCHARD WAS
NOT In THEIR EMPLOY
Claim They Have Been Searching for
Orchard for Months and Positively
Deny That He Was Ever Employed
as Detective or Spy. 49,. ri

Denver, Feb. 2I.-Representatives OF
the Cripple Greek Mine Owners asso-
citation positively deny that Harry Or
chard, who is said to have confessed
the assassination of former Gov Frank
Stueneberg of Idaho, and to have rep
resented that he was hired by the Inner
circle of. the Western Federation OF
Miners to commit the crime. wasa ever
employed by the association or any of
its agents as detective or spy, They
said that Orchard offered to sell infor-
nation to mine owners agenls concern
ing a plot to wreck train on the Flor
ence 4 Cripple Greek railroad, but that
he was regarded with suspicion and his
proffer was rejected After the lnde-
pendence depot disaster, it is asserted,
detectives in the employ OF the mine
owners association had been constantly
searching for Orchard, who was believed
to have caused the explosion which kill
ed fourteen non-unlon miners. The
search was continued UP to the time he
was arrested at Caldwell and charged
with the murder of Steuenberg.
Orchard was member of the Western
Federation of Miners, employed in the
Cripple Creek district, when the famous
strike was ordered. Il was claimed that
in November. 1908, he approached a
conductor named Jones on the Florence
& Cripple Creek railway and introduced
himself as brother Mason. \
4 am member of the miners union,
said Orchard, ''and last night [ heard
some of the members of the union plan
ming to wreck a train on this road.
do not believe in such methods and
thought would come to you and tell
you of the plot picked you out be-
cause you are a. Mason. E..
It was then claimed that Jones in1ne-
bdiateIy took Orchard tes Scott a4le-4 SStcri-
ing, the detectives of the Mine Owners
association. He repeated his. story and
Scott and Sterling Immediately employ
led him as detective to work for the
Mine Owners association, He was in
strlcted to attend the meetings of the
union and report daily. -.
Then came the explosion of the In
dependence station on June E and Or
chard disappeared A mob took posses
sion of Cripple Greek and Victor and
attempts were made to force confessions
from many suspected persons. A young
man was suspended by his thumbs and
he finally agreed to tell who had caused
the explosion. When he was lowered to
the ground.he said. ....ss
Harry Orchard did it, It,. j. o..
The pursuit Of Orchard was taken up,
being employed. Orchard
and companion named Neville immed-
lately after the independence explosion
secured a rig and drove out of Cripple
Greek They went across the country,
avoiding the more important towns.
When they reached Greeley they dispos-
ed of their rig and took a train for
Cheyenne. where Orchard received a
considerable sum of money from friends
In Colorado and disappeared s&
He returned to Denver last April and
visited the headquarters of the Fedora
.tion Of Miners in this city. He said he
feared arrest because of the charges
made against him in connection with
the Independence explosion and had
therefore changed his name to Hogan.
For time he worked for various COM
paDies in this city and last April left
Colorado, saying he was. going to New
York The next heard Of him he had
been arrested in Idaho, charged with
the assassination of Steunenberg.
s Neville was arrested in Wyoming
and taken back to Cripple Greek, but no
serious attempt was ever made to prose
cute him Sheriff Bell of Cripple Creek
CLAIMS that Neville confessed to him
that he and Orchard dynarnited the sta
ton. 1T is said that Neville is now dead.