Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1906-03-15
Will GET FAIR TRIAL IN CHEHALIS COUNTY
ALLEGED IDAHO MURDERERS
ASSURED OF FAIR PLAY.
Governor GOOding, in Reply to In.
quiry of an Indiana Labor Union,
Pledges the State of Idaho to
Give NOyer, Haywood and Petit.
bone Square Deal.

The Central Labor Union of Evans
vile, Indiana, has written Gov. Gooding,
OF Idaho, in respect to the prose, ution of
the alleged murderers Of Gov. Stuen.
burg, through a committee which states
the communication is for the purpose OF
"disabusing your mind that 'Unionism'
is anarchism.'
The reasons are moderate in tone,
but in some measure reflect the idea
so widely disseminated that the pros
ecution of these men is in pursu-
ance of a conspiracy. The governor
and Mr.. Hawley are asked to weigh
the confessions carefully and to use
their best efforts to secure fair
and impartial trial for the accused
They ask that the men be given full
opportunity to prove that the con-
fessions "are trumped-up evidence
solicited by rich corporations for the
sole purpose of disrupting unionism
in the Western states, and probably
put to death two American citizens
that had not done anything but act
as officials of the Western Fedora
tion of Miners"
In view of this misconception of
the attitude of the state that seems
to be so widely prevalent among
laboring men, the governor has sent
a reply to the Evansville resolutions,
in which he has set forth the pur-
pose of the state very carefully and
fully. The governor set forth the
belief that the members of the
Evansville union have been misin-
formed, for he cannot believe that
they would countenance assassina-
ton. Proceeding, he states that no
mineowners, no association OF mine
owners, or any corporation OF what
ever nature. wealthy or otherwise,
has had anything to do with the
work of securing evidence against
these men. Nobody but the state
employed detectives in the case. The
facts of the murder of Frank Steun-
enburg, former governor, are given
briefly, and the arrest OF Harry
Orchard, the fact of the employment
of James Mcfarland, the detective,
is given, and the statement made
other than his stipulated fee and eX-
penses He was employed solely to
get at the truth AS to the confess
sion secured from Orchard, the let
ter states Mcfarland visited him,
informed him who he was and asked
him to tell the truth about the mat
ter. No promise of any character
was made. Orchard fully expects to
pay the penalty for the crime which
he has confessed.
The letter continues:
"He told story of conspiracy ana
murder against Ex-Governor Steun-
enburg so revolving in every detail
as to be almost unbelievable. He
gave descriptions of other crimes in
which he had been Interested, or OF
which he had heard, and from these
descriptions and other data, furnish
ed by Orchard, the state has been
enabled to collect mass of evidence
so strong that | was compelled by
my oath of Office and by my feelings
as a man and citizen to ask for
the arrest and eXtradition Of Meyer,
Haywood and Pettibone."
1t is further stated that the con-
fession from Adams was secured in
the same manner, no hope of inn
munity being held out to him. These
men confess against themselves as
we'll as against others, the governor
points out, and without promises of
clemency. They tell what appeared
to be the blunt truth indicating
that the men accused were implicat-
ed in a conspiracy to commit MUIR
der. The letter continues:
Unions Should Not Protect Them.
eff these stories are true you and
the members of your union will GER
tainly agree with me that no punish
ment under the law IS too severe to
be mcted out to the guilty men.
Their guilt or their innocence can
not be said to have any bearing upon
the rights or privileges of union
labor. Labor organizations are
vitally interested in this case. II
the men now accused are guilty OF
murder they will be condemned by
every labor organization in the
world. If they are innocent the
state of Idaho, their accuser, will
do it's duty in righting the wrong
done them"
The governor expresses his belief
in unionism, saying he knows the
condition and reward of labor have
been wonderfully improved through
the instrumentality Of labor organi-
cations. Further he expresses the
opinion that labor organizations
should be the first to condemn
wrong. Continuing he says:
81 want to assure your union that
the accused men shall have a fair
and impartial trial. The fairness of
spirit in which you addressed me
has induced this lengthy epistle.'
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