Los Angeles herald., 1907-05-11
DECLARE MOYER
WAS A CONVICT
DETECTIVES LOOK UP HIS
RECORD
One of the Men Accused of Killing
Governor Steunenherg Said to
Have Served TIme for
Burglary
BY Associated Press.

BY Associated Press.
CHICAGO, May 10.-The Journal to-
day prints long story in which 1t Is
alleged that Charles H. Meyer, presi-
dent of the Western Federation of
Miners, who is about to be tried at
Boise, Idaho, for completely in the kill
ing of former Governor Steunenberg,
served as a convict in the Joliet peni-
tentiary in this state in 1886 and 1887.
The date of his discharge is said to
have been January A, 1887.
According to the Journal, Meyer was
sentenced from Cook county on Feb
ruary 4, 1886, to serve one year for
burglary. The date of his discharge
is given as January 4, 1887.
At l o'clock the office of the warden
of the Joliet penitentiary declared that
during the period mentioned by the
Journal a man bearing the name of
Charles H. Meyer was an inmate of
the prison, His number was declared
to be identical with that given above.
The arrest was made upon the morn
ing of December A, 1886, according to
the Journals story, by Patrolman John
Hartnett, who is now a lieutenant at
the West Lake street police station,
and was for time an inspector.
F1dTIneLL OOIlTlITVS 0LOIy
Lieutenant Hartnett today corrobor-
ated all of the facts given above, and
said that he had been told afterward
that Meyer had declared that had
Hartnett been little slower with his
club when making the arrest he would
have been killed.
Hartnett said today:
.'Moyer used to amuse himself in
saloons by shooting pool balls into the
pockets with his revolver and he had
the general reputation at that time of
being a bad man."
John Heating, Meyers partner, died
while a convict in the Joliet peniten-
tiary, and one of his brothers, Charles
Keating, who is now prisoner in the
county Jail, said today:
1--WE always knew that Charles Fl.
Mover, president of the Western Fed
Grafton of Miners, was the man who
was sent to the penitentiary with my
brother Johnny. I don't remember
him myself, but he used to go with
my sister, and I have often heard my
folks speak of him. After Meyer got
out of the penitentiary he used to write
to a mutual acquaintance, Samuel Will
liams, and Williams used to read the
letters to us. One time Sam came over
with paper telling how Charley Meyer
had been made the head of the miners
union"
Causes Sons Downfall
Mrs. Keating, the mother of John
Keating, today accuses Meyer of being
the cause of her sons downfall. She
said:
"Charlie Meyer left Chicago as soon
as he got out of the penitentiary, but
for a long time he wrote to Sam VIII
liams, who lived next door to us. and
Williams used to read the letters to us.
williams later went to Missouri and
we have not heard from him since"
The Journal also prints a story dated
Boone, Iowa, which is substantially as
follows:
Frank s. Meyer, chief of police of
Boone, for years a conductor on a
street car line here, is a brother of
Charles H. Meyer. He said today to
a Journal correspondent:
tI heard that Charles got into trouble
in Chicago once and was arrested.
Probably the less said about it the
better. / know that Charley went to
Chicago in 1884 or 1885, and was gone
about a year and a half. I did not
hear from him during that time. Later
Charley went to Deadwood and then
to Denver. have often heard Charley
speak of Sam Williams, but 1 never
saw Williams myself"
1t appears that the Pinkerton detec-
tive agency soon after the arrest of
Meyer became aware that a man
named Charles H. Meyer had been in
the penitentiary at Joliet. Operatives
were set to work to collect evidence
as TO the identity of the convict, Chas.
H. Meyer, for the purpose of using it
at the trial of the president of the
Western Federation of Miners in a
certain contingency.
No evidence on the subject can be
introduced unless an attempt is made
to show good character. If this should
be done at the trial of Meyer witnesses
will be on hand to show that the
president of the federation is the Meyer
who served term in Joliet peniten-
tiary for burglary.
If Meyer was at work in the Black
hills in 1856 and can produce proof to
show this fact the jury will have be-
fore them the question of preponder-
ance of evidence.
Says Story Isn't True
Rv Associated Press