Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-02-23
PLOT AGAINST STEUNENBERC
More Details from the Alleged Confession Of
Harry Orchard.
FIRST PLANS LAID IN DENVER
All the Men wanted Are Now Under
Arrest Except One. aud lie VIII
He Taken within Few
Days.

DENVER, Colo. Feb. 22.-Thc following
additional details of the case against the
or1cers of the Western Fedora ton of Min
ers now Imprisoned in Idaho were pub
llshed by the Denver Post today:
Charles II. Meyer, William D. Haywood
ana George A. Pettibone planned the as
sassination of Ex-Governor Frank j. Steun-
enoerg of Idaho i'm Denver last summer ac-
cording TO the detectives who have worked
up the case against the Western Federatio
or Miners leaders. The actual details OF
the assassination, they say, were worked
out by Harry Orchard and L. ]. Simpkins
the latter member of the executive board
or the federation living at wardner Idaho
In his confession Orchard is said to have
admitted that he spent three DAYS in last
October with Simpkins. hunting and fish
ing on the latters timber claim on the
upper st. Joe river near Mica Meadows, in
northern Idaho. Orchard also confessed
they declare, that during December he Wis
lted Vincent st. John. president of the
Burke Miners union at Burke. Idaho Or.
chard declares that st. John and simpkins
spent week together shortly before the
assassination OF Ex-Governor steunenberg
and that the plans for the murder were per-
fected by them.
mits that he actually placed the bomb, but
that he was assisted by Stephen Adams.
alias Stephen Dickson.
One More Man wanted.
All the men wanted are now under ar
rest with the exception of l.. ]. Simpkins
alias J. Simmons. who is being searched
for In the neighborhood of Haines, Ore
and for whom a reward of 1900 has been
offered by Governor Frank r. Gooding OF
Idaho. Information has reached the de.
tective agency that Simpkns arrest can
be expected hourly.
TIE detectives claim to be able to prove
that during the fall and Immediately pre-.
ceding the meeting of the executive board
of the Western Federation of Miners, which
| took place in the Pioneer building in this
city in the middle of December, several
members of the board visited the Coeu;
d'Alene district i'm Idaho.
At that time the members of the execu.
tive board gave II out that their visit was
for the purpose of familiarizing themselves
with the district for the purpose of placing
the federation on it's feet again. This, the
detectives declare was nothing but blind
the real purpose being the perfecting OF
plans for the Steunenberg assassination.
The detectives while not being able tc
find if President Meyer was In the northern
district of Idaho at that time. declare they
have conclusive proof that President Meyer
met Executive Committeeman Simpkins In
southern Idaho and travelled with him &c
the meeting in Denver. Orchard left the
Occur dAlene district about that time and
there is evidence at hand it is said to show
that he was in Denver at the meeting OF
the executive board.
After the neetinP Orcha I'd nd
left Denver going to Salt Lake City. They
remained there only a day or so, travelling
together to Caldwell. arriving there about
a week before the assassination.
Letter Furnishes n Clue.
! BOISE, Idaho, Feb. ga story is pub
lshed here today TO the effect that a letter
written at the headquarters of the West
ern Federation of Miners in Denver was
the foundation upon which the detectives
worked to secure the evidence which Will
be used against the prisoners now charged
with the murder of former Governor
| Steunenberg. This letter, 1t is said, was
| addressed to member Of the federation
| in Silver City, Idaho, but he did not call
for it and detectives secured the missve
1t is suspected that this letter directed
| the assassination of Steunenberg and as
an encouragement 10 the act referred Ia
other crimes which had been committed
and the perpetrators of which had escaped
punishment. The name of the person 10
whom the letter was addressed is with
held. Other letters from the Denver Office
of the federation are said to have been in
tercepted, and 1t is said that these letters
have been used in securing damaging
statements from one of the prisoners under
| arrest.
The prisoners, Meyer. Hayward and Pet.
tibone, are confined in separate cells. They
are permitted to have books. but no news
papers. and they are allowed to consult
| together once each day in the presence OF