The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-12-04
FAIR TRIAL FOR ASSASSINS.
STEUNENBERG MJRDERERS HAVE
ONLY THE Law TO FEAR.

Cove rnor Of uahO Declares That Meyer,
Haywood ana Petubone VIII be Tried
Merely ~ Men and Not ~ labor Lead
ers-Protcsts and Threats or Unions Vain
Gooding and all the law abiding citizens
Of this State who nave been upholding
him in his steadfast effort to try the men
accused OF the cruel assassination Of ex-
Gov. ~Steunenberg were pleased to hear
to-day that the United States Supreme Court
has decided that Meyer, Haywood and Petit
bone must answer the charge OF conspiracy
to do murder.
This IL the effect. at least. Of the courts
decision adversely to the habeas corpus
proceedings brought by counsel for the
prisoners.
The Governor and his advisers have been
confidently expecting to be sustained by
the Supreme Court OF the United States,
but for all that they are none the less
pleased.
All the prisoners, including Harry Or
chard. who admits doing the actual work Of
drSdsSlIlhJtuh anu Wbo AtHPututoo thC bLAN
three, will now be promptly arraigned
before Judge Smith inc a date set for the
trial. IL now seems likely that this will be
had at the January term OF court unless
counsel for the accused find means to still
further postpone il.
Gov. Gooding to-day desired THE SrN
correspondent to say to the people Of this
country that in this most important case
L. - III 49, - ----l --N-I
and irrevocably upon one thing-that the
men accused of the murder OF ex-Gov.
Steunenberg should have a fair and inn
partial trial before the best and squarest
jury that Idaho could produce; that they
should be completely cleared IL innocent
and hanged by the neck until dead il guilty.
1T is a murder trial. solely and simply"
said the Governor, and no amount of agita-
ton and misunderstanding can make il
anything else. There is not and never has
been the least occasion for Mysteries or for
the assumption. so widely and amazingly
made. that the Government Of the State
Of Idaho was intent upon convicting Meyer,
Haywood snd Pettiboue, innocent or guilty.
An ex-Chief Magistrate Of this State
is assassinated at bis own door. almost
in sight Of his wife and children, in a par
t~icularly cruel and shocking manner. We
rave one prisoner who admits he was the
tool and accuses these other prisoners
Of plotting the murder. | should he false
TO my oath Of Office, false to every prompt
ing Of official responsibility, false to every
decent impulse Of a decent man if | did
not use every power that the State possesses
to bring these men to trial.
An astounding impression has somehow
gone abroad that an effort has been made
10 PREJUDICE the case. do not say that this
is the result OF the wiirul misrepresentation
of labor leaders. but this impression seems
current among labor labor organizations.
il [ may Judge from the scores Of protests
| have received.
Il can only believe that in some way the
labor organiza tons of the country have
been sadly misled. Meyer and Haywood
are labor leaders, it is true, but shall il be
said that if "A labor leader il accused of
murder he shall not be tried? We are not
going to try labor leaders in this case.
We are going to try men. They are going
to have a square deal from start to finish
no more and nc less. Can any labor or
ganization ask more than that?
"Icannot believe that any reputable labor
organization would be content to nave it's
leaders rest under the accusation Of muir
der and seek no vindication in court. And
for that reason | cannot help thinking that
all the labor organizations of this country
that lave protested against the action of
the State Of Idaho in this case have been
misled in some way. II would indeed be
a grave prospect for this country il so
large a proportion of its citizens were will
ing to put themselves on record as opposing
a sincere and determined fort to discover
the truth regarding the dastardly murder
Of one of the foremost citizens of the State
Of Idaho"
In addition to the many protests Gov.
Gooding has received against the attitude
Of the State in the Meyer and Haywood
case many threatening letters have been
sent to him. Several of them have been
adorned with skulls and crossbones and
have promised him a variety Of unpleasant
finishes in case he did not stCS the prosecu-
ton of the accused men. One letter post
marked Los Angeles gave him just a week
TO alter his course and announced that an
avenger was even then on the way to Kill
him in case he did not repent.
But Gov. Gooding is a man Of unshakable
courage. He d~isregards all threats with
the single remark I'VE nave a murder
case on our hands. We intend to try II.
That's all"
Harry Orchard is confined in the State
penitentiary about two miles out OF Boise.
Meyer, Haywood and Pettibone are held
in the county jail just beyond the capitol.
They are fed with the fare of the prison
employees and anything else their counsel
wishes to buy them. They are allowed to
spend their days together in the same room
and to exercise in the jail yard several
hours each day, restrained from ESQ ape
only by the presence of two or three guards.
THE sun correspondent saw them stroll
ing about yesterday. All three are reported
to be in excellent health and they looked it.