The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-06-12
CRlMELIST CROWS
Orchard Adds SWindling to the
Long List.
He Sold Fake Hail Insurance to
Colorado Farmers.
HE DENIES COACHING.
Says MCFARLAND Is Not Telling
Him What to Say.
Still Cool Under Fire of Cross
Examination.

BOISE. lQdnO. June lZ-ln CIOSS
animation of Harry Orchard today is
being carried over the attempt on the
life of Governor Peabody at Canon City
and the events Immediately succeeding,
including the Goddard and Gabbert dyn-
an1ite plots and follows the usual meth
DDS designed to confuse and discredit
the witness. Attorney Richardson again
suggested that Orchard was being
coached by Detective MCFARLAND and
counsel for the prosecution and provok-
ed the sharpest wrangle that the at
torney and witness have had in their
long contest. Orchard spiritedly denied
that he was being coached and asserted
that he was telling the truth.
Orchard said that he and Pettibone
discussed the project of killing Judge
Gabbert. but that he alone had started
out to murder Goddard with a bomb
without any suggestion from Haywood,
Meyer and Pettibone. except the general
one made some months before Still an
other crime came home to Orchard to-
day. Under examination he confessed
that he swindled farmers in southern
Colorado with fake hail insurance
game while down there trying to kill
Governor Peabody.
Just before noon recess the monot-
ony of the examination was broken by
Orchards description of his attempts
to Kill Sherman Bell in Denver For
some IL nights he was at Bells resi-
dence awaiting an opportunity to
shoot him.
More than once Bells life was saved
by the barking of small dogs.
Proceedings in Detail.
Attorney Richardson began at once
to question Orchard today regarding
his conference with Charles H. Meyer
at the latter's home in Denver about
April, 1905 Orchard testified yester-
day that Meyer, Pettibone and Hay
wood told him at this time to go to
Canon City, Colo, to get Governor
Peabody" Movers home was in the
Aberdeen fats. Orchard said he went
there of his own vOlitiOn- He had not
seen Meyer for d year or more before
this The witness was not sure how
the Peabody matter came up or who
spoke of it first. Meyer said he want
ed to get rid of Peabody SO no one
else would follow in his footsteps
Peabody had gone out of office at this
time.
Orchard said he talked with Hay
wood and Pettfbone at the latter's
store. They gave the same reasons for
wanting to get rid of Peabody. Meyer
also had a feeling of personal enmity
toward Peabody. Orchard said, blam-
ing him for being the cause of his
arrest
Orchard said Pettibone asked him
to get a position as life insurance So
licitor before going to Canon City. He
got letters of recommendation from
several persons. among them MI
Hawkins, a law partner of Attorney
Richardson, who has conducted the
cross examination of Orchard. Rich
stances of securing the Hawkins letter
and demanded to know if Orchard had
not said it was necessary for him to
get work in order to support his fam
lily. Orchard said he told Hawkins he
was desirOus of getting the position as
a solicitor The witness said he met
Hawkins at some trials in Telluride
and the attorney remembered. Hay
lot Orchard 10 ha ToadR q
a mistake in getting a letter from
Hawkins. fer if anything happened in
Canon City it might involve the attor-
ney who had been representing the
federation.
To Avert Suspicion.
Pettibone told Orchard he must |
have some semblance of an occupation |
If he was to remain in a town the size !
of Canon City without arousing sus- |
picion 1t was for this reason that he |
took UP insurance solicitation:
The casing of the Peabody bomb
prepared at Canon City has been placed |
in evidence. Richardson wanted to !
know today why the would be assassin ]
OF the ex-governor had made such a /
large bomb. Orchard said he had |
planned to place the bomb outside the !
house and beneath the window where |
Peabody often sat in the evening. The
fact that the bomb might also Kill
Mrs Peabody and the children made |
no impression upon him at the time
Orchard declared. The witness said he |
made a pretense of insurance solicita-
tion while in Canon City and vicinity. |
He did not succeed in writing any in
surance policies. so he went into the |
hail insurance business with a man
from Kansas City named Vaughn.
This insurance of farmers against
hail storms was a fake, wasn't it?''
asked Richardson
1T was a fake. yes, sir"
You just gave the farmers piece
of worthless paper and took their
money!"
Yes. sir"
Orchard said he made a great deal
of money out of the scheme.
The plan to blow up Peabody with
bomb had been abandoned in the mean
time.
.'Why?" he was asked.
Because Peabody had stopped sit
ting by the window"
Richardson tried to get the exact
dates of Orchards travels while in the
hail insurance business and being un
successful, he turned impatiently upon
the witness and demanded for the third
time in the long cross-examination:
Who told you not to let me pin you
down to any place or date?"
Nobody" shouted Orchard in re-
turn.
HawIey and Borah Laugh.
Attorneys Hawley and Borah, for the
state, laughed heartily at Richardson's
seeming discontinue.
Who told you to always tell me
you are telling the truth?" next de-
manded the irate attorney.
Mr.. MCFARLAND. Mr.. Hawley and Mr..
Borah all told me to tell nothing but
Hal Hal" cried Richardson ''They
told You to tell me you are telling the
'ma- sir" replied Orchard positively