The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1906-02-27
HORROR TALE
OF CRIME
-----------
Orchard Has Made a Full
Confession
TELLS OF Is MURDERS
Gov. GOoding Of Idaho Says Many Are
Implicated--Reward Offers With
drawn-Men Arrested Said to
Be conspirators.
TELLS OF rs MURDERS

| Boise, Ida. Feb. 27.--Gov. Gooding Of
Idaho has issued the following state
ment with respect 20 the assassination
of former Governor Frank Steunenberg
Il want to state officially that Harry
Orchard has made u full confession as
| to the manner and motive Of the assas.
sination Of former Gov. Steunenberg,
telling Of the plans made and giving the
names of those making them. The as
sassination Of former Governor Steuncn-
berg, which occurred At his own gate
on the evening Of December 80, 1905,
was the third attempt that Orchard
made against his life.
@Ihis confession was made to James
Mcfarland. II included history Of his
| life from his early boyhood up to the
time Of his arrest. In that confession
Orchard implicated all those now under
arrest and others, including j. j.. Sim
kins. He told the story Of 20 murders,
the results Of conspiracies In which all
the accused parties were interested.
When this story II given u the public
believe ii win be the greatest nara
tive OF crime the world knows.
eThere has never been any doubt as
ID the truth of Orchards confession
among those who are familiar with
| the crimes committed in Idaho and Col.
orado and charged to the inner circle
Of tile Western federation Of Miners.
have seen Orchard myself since this
confession was made. He told me that
no promises Of clemency or reward had
been held out to him by Mcfarland Or
anyone else The finding Of the bomb
at Judge Goddard's gate DENVER and
many other things which will later be
made known al the trial, have proved
the truthfulncss Of Orchards confession
with his story.
The state desires TO secure justice.
There IL no thought 81 Furnishing the
innocent or waging war on any labor
organization. The assassination Of for
mer Governor Steunenberg, grave crime
againet the state Of Idaho, was commit
ed, and az the executive Of the state
Of Idaho, : felt il my duty TO bend
every energy toward the discovery Of the
guilty parties and their fitting pun
ishment
Il wish 20 announce that ] have with
| drawn the offer of $4,000 reward made
by the state for the punishment Of the
guilty parties, and have advised that
others who had offered rewards do like
wise They nave agreed to do 50, and
today there is not a single dollar Of re-
ward offered by US for information lead
ing 10 the arrest Of D. l.. simpkins, and
this is the only reward now offered in
connection with the Steuneuberg assas-
sination.
"My reason for withdrawing the re.
ward and advising others who had Of
fered rewards to withdraw them, is that
feel that no detective association or
offered BY the state. Harry Orchard was
arrested before any detectives were on
the ground, on information secured By
committee Of citizens Of Caldwell, a..
sisted BY few of as who left Boise
on the special train a few minutes al
ter the assassination OF former Cover.
nor Steunenberg.
"There is no question about fair
trial. No higher class OF citizens can
be found than those who live in Canyon
county. There may be prejudices
against any class Of people, BE- they la
bofers or capitalists. | am a firm be-
lever in organized labor, but | feel
there must be more OF any effort made
By the members OF such organizations
to select men with better characters as
their leaders.
There has been some complaint made
"a 70 the close confinement Of Meyer,
Haywood and Pettibono ID the peniten.
tiary. wish IL understood that az
much leniency will be given these men
as the rules Of the prison win per
init.
"They have not been eiyen prison
garb nor prison food. They have been
furnished the same food as is placed on
the table for employees Of tho peni
tertiary. They win BE- given ample op.
poftunity for exercise, and will, with
the exception Of the state papers, BE-
allowed any newspapers they desire.
There - not better library IN Ida
no than the one az the penitentiary
They have been given access to this, and
viii be shown every courtesy in keep
ing vith the management and discipline
Of that institution