Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-02-20
HARRY ORCHARD CONFESSES
Says Miners Federation Plotted to Kill
Peabody and Colorado Chief Justice.
PLANTED BOMB At JUDGE GABBERrS GATE
IL Failed to Explode when
He Pulled the string-Light
Thrown on Number of
Crimes.

BOISE, Idaho, Feb. 19.-orchards alleged
confession purports to give details of the
plot TO assassinate former Governor Steu-
nenberg from its inception. 1t gives the
! names of other men alleged to be impli-
| Gated. Since the confession was secured
| more than two weeks ago the detectives
/ have verified many of the details.
One of the statements in this confession
is that Orchard was selected to assassinate
one of the Justices of the supreme court
of Colorado year ago He says he buried
| a bomb at the judges gate, but when he
pulled the string the contrivance failed to
| explode. He took the string away and
! gave up the attempt. Detective James
MCFARLAND of Denver has, it is claimed
since dug up the bomb.
In his alleged confession Orchard says
! he was alone in the actual execution Of
the Caldwell plot, that he had first planned
| to shoot Steunenberg with buckshot and
| went to the house on Christmas eve for
! that purpose. intending to shoot through
the window. but abandoned the plan and
hid number of cartridges under the side
walk. The cartridges. it is claimed have
since been found by the officers.
Orchard has Il is claimed told of the
workings of an 'innor circle of the West
/ eTH tueIdllo1 VI mlIltIS' HlHiuldllleu
Denver: gives details of a plot that led
to the killing of a number OF men in the
Telluride district in Colorado. and informa-
tlon about various outrages at Cripple
Creek He implicated Jack Simpson and
man named Adams in the Stcunenherg
conspiracy officers are searching for these
mon. They are supposed to he in the vi
cinity OF IIaines.
Detective MCFARLAND claims to have Sc
cured the confession by appealing to Or
chard's memory Of his home teachings.
He says he made il plain to Orchard that
the state had perfect against him
and that the best thing he could do would
be to make preparations forsR future
| world
The confession was committed to writing
and was signed by Orchard in the pres
ence Of witnesses.
Moyer Charged with Murder.
DENVER, Fen. l9.-Publicaton was made
here today of the complaints on which
Governor Gooding of Idaho asked requlsi-
tions for Charles II. Meyer, president. and
William d. Haywood secretary-treasurer,
of the Western Federation of Miners. and
G. A. Pettibone. former member of the
executive committee of that labor organi-
zation.
From this It appears the mon who were
secretly arreGted here Saturday night and
hurredy removed to Idaho were charged
directly with the murder Of former Gov
ernor Frank Steunenburg of Idaho. and
not merely with being accessories to the
:. crime. The -coinpaints and reauisitions in
the three cases are Identical and charge
the accused men with having discharged
the bomb by means Of which Steunenberg
was killed a Caldwell Idaho, December
30. 1905. Tho specific charge of murder
was made. II is explained. in order to fore
stall habeaus corpus on behalf of the ac-
cused men, but no attempt will be made
to show that they were in Idaho at the
time of the commission of the crime. II
is alleged, however, that they conspired
with others to murder Steunenburg and
furnished funds to carry out the plot
The atrocious murders committed during
the labor troubles in the Cripple Creek and
Telluride districts In this state, which have
been shrouded in mystery; the earlier Coul
D'Alene murders and the more recent
Steunenburg assassination form a chair
J of crimes with which efforts are beins
; made to connect the officers of the West.
. ern Federation through the confession said
TO have been made by Harry Orchard
who is charged with the Steunenburs
murder.
Plot Against Peabody.
This confession. II is asserted, disclosed
a plot to kill former Governor James Pea
body of Colorado, William Gabbert, chic
! justice of the Colorado supreme court. anC
John Campbell, former chief Justice Orch
/ ard is said to have confessed that whole
sale assassinations were planned at tn,
headquarters OF the Western Federation
! of Miners in Denver, chiefly by refugees
from the camps at Cripple Creek and Tellu
, ride. 1t is also said that Orchards con
fession gives history of the explosion a
a the Independence station near Crippl,
, Creek on June 6, 1904, which killed fourteen
. men and injured many others.
Governor Mcdonald. who issued tn
necessary papers for the extradition of tn
Federation officers to Idaho. said toda,
: that he had read a copy Of Orchards con
. fession. but was not at liberty to divulg
It's contents.
James MCFARLAND, head Of a detectiv
agency which was employed by the Idah
: authorities In the Steunenburg case de
clared today that the evidence against tn
: men who have so far been arrested
very strong and that more arrests are We
to be made. He would not state the natur
of his evidence or how it was obtained.
: Vincent St John, who was arrested 4
Burke, Idaho, last night, was presiden
, Of the miners union at Telluride Colo
at the time of the assassination OF Arthu
Collins, superintendent of the Smuggler
Union mine at that camp He was arreste
and charged with completely In that murdel
but was never brought 10 trial
= Bombs Dug Cp In Denver.
1t develops that Orchards confession, az
eording to the best authority, stated tha
: bombs had been placed in the gateways q
the residences Of two members of the Co
!, orado supreme court and that more than
dozen attempts had been made TO assass
n nate former Governor James H. Peabod,
;. An investigation since the alleged cor
q fession was made disclosed the presenc
IS OF bombs in exactly the spots indica te,
h The man who unearthed the bombs,
l. prominent member OF the Colorado M
tional Guard, is now in Idaho having a,
companied the party that returned wit
Meyer, Haywood and Pettibone He wi
appear as witness in the Orchard tria
n ii is said, to prove the truth of the a
legged confession.
Information reached here tonight fro
Cripple Creek that Edward Green a fe,
Grafton man. had been arrested on a wa
- rant forwarded by the Idaho authoriti.
- charging him with connection in the Stel
nenberg assa assination. Two other wa