The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1907-09-28
BORAH TRIAL BEGINS
Idaho Senator Faces Charge Of
Demanding Government.
DEAD MAN IS IMPLICATED
Ex-Governor Steunenberg Indicted as
"John Doe" in Alleged Conspiracy
In Which Many Prominent Men Are
Said to Be Involved


in Which Many Prominent Men Are
Said to Be Involved.
Boise, Ida, Sept g In beginning
the work here Of impanelling jury to
try United States Senator William E.
Borah, charged with conspiracy to de-
fraud the government of valuable tim
Der lands, District Attorney Norman
M. Ruick announced that former Gov
ernor Frank Steunenberg was one Of
the men indicted with Senator Borah
for conspiracy. Steunenberg Is repre-
ssnted In the indictment as John
Doe"
The case was called before Judge
Edward Whitson in the United States
district court.
The prominence Of Senator Borah
IN the politics Of the state, his per-
sonal popularity in this, his home
town, the leading part he took in the
prosecution of William D. Haywood,
charged with the murder of Governor
Steunenberg, and the fact that more
than 100 we'll known residents of
South Idaho are alleged to be involved
with him in the so-called conspiracy,
combined to attract an interest in the
proceedings against him nearly equal
TO that which marked the first Of the
western Federation of Miners trial
mere.
The circuit courtroom was crowded
70 overlooking when Judge Whitson
took the bench. The array of counsel
on either side was imposing The
government, whose representatives
here freely predict hearing of sen.
sational interest, has practically taken
tho case out Of the hands of District
Attorney Ruick, against whom charges
of improper conduct before the grand
Jury have been filed, and assigned the
matter to special attorneys trained in
timber law and fresh from successful
prosecutions in other Western states.
Imposing Array Of Counsel.
These are M. G.. Burch of Detroit and
8. R. Rush Of Omaha, both special as
eistants to the attorney general of the
united States. There also was pres
ent Timothy F. Burk Of the United
States district attorneys Office at
Cheyenne who was sent to Boise to
assist the special grand jury now in
session in it's investigation of the
charges against District Attorney
Ruick. Senator Borah's attorneys in
clude James H. Hawley, senior coun-
sci for the state in the Haywood case,
Paine, all local attorneys, and c. F.
Bundy Of Eau Claire, Wis. The latter
also represents the interests OF the
Barber Lumber company, the corpora
ton that is said to nave profited by
the alleged frauds and some Of whose
officers have been indicted
The Indictment against Senator b.
rah alleges that he, with twelve 9th.
ers named as co-defendants, conspired
to defraud the government of many
thousands of acres of timber land in
Boise county. AS a result Of this al
legged conspiracy it is alleged that 1O8
residents Of Boise took out timber
claims and sWore in doing so that they
were acting solely in their own inter-
ests, whereas these statements are al
legged to have been false, and it is al
legged that agreements had been en-
tered into whereby the claimants were
to turn their lands over to the others,
who, In turn, were to transfer them to
the Barber Lumber company, whose
officers make their headquarters in
Wisconsin and who are said to be
affiliated with large lumber interests
In the West. Among the 1903 claim
ants are many of Bosses best known
'oitizens. In some instances five and
)six members of one family, including
wives and daughters, are involved. -