The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1907-11-15
PROSECUTION COMPLETES TEs-
TlMoNY AGAINST ALLEGED
SLAYER OF TYLER.
i'm TRIAL OF ADAMS
Confession of Defendant Continued in
Record, Despite Protest of His coun-
seI-clarence Darrow Outlines De
tense in Opening statement-Re-
Counts Life OF Adams.

Spokane, Nov. 14.-The state closed
its case shortly after noon today in
the trial of Steve Adams, according to
report from Rathdrum, Ida. Miss
Mamie Sharer and T. E. Pyle were on
the stand this forenoon, the object of
their testimony being to corroborate
that of previous witnesses. The cross
examination Of, James MCFARLAND, the
Pinkerton detective, was concluded
by Mr.. Darrow. after which the pros
ecution rested.
Clarence Darrow, leading counsel
for Adams, asked that the jury be re-
tired, and then moved to exclude the
confession of Steve Adams from the
records on the ground that it had
been obtained through threats and
promises. He was overruled. Then
he moved the court to advise the jury
in his instructions to return YER
dict for the defendant. 1t was denied.
Attorneys Of the defense served no
tice that they would ask. Judge
Woods to alter instructions given in
the former case at Wallace and he
said that he would hear their argu-
ments on such a proposition some
evening after court was over.
Opening Statement.
In his opening statement MIR. Dar-
row outlined the life OF Adams, how
he had been farmer and then a
teamster; how his sympathy With the
teamsters after he had joined their
union led him further in the union
ways, and that after he removed to
Cripple Creek, Colorado, he joined
the western Federation OF Miners. He
spoke OF the labor troubles at Indes
pendence in 1903 and 1904, but did
not mention the blowing up Of the In
dependence depot until after he had
said that because Of some part the
defendant took in the. labor troubles
he was imprisoned for SO days with
out charge being entered against
him, and that he was released after
wards without having been tried.
Mr.. Darrow then gave Adams YER
sion Of his advent in the Marble
Creek country and the subsequent
murders by anti-claim jumpers. He
reviewed Adams alleged movements
between Marble Creek and Spokane
with the apparent purpose Of proving
an alibi when the murders were COM
mitted He added:
IA year later a body that the state
has tried to prove was that Of Fred
Tyler was found and was identified
as Tyler's. We will show that this
Identification has not been substan-
tial. There was no inquest and we
will show that Steve Adams was in
no way responsible for the murder Of
Fred Tyler"
steunenberg Murder.
Mr.. Darrow here went into the
Steunenberg murder, and into Adams
alleged connection with it, saying
Adams was arrested on his claim in
Oregon, where he was trying to for
get that there ever was a Western
Federation of Miners or any labor
troubles in the Colorado mining dis
trict. He said: Ss &
"Adams was thrown into the Idaho
penitentiary, where Harry Orchard
was set to work on him to get him to
confess. That's Idaho. He told
Steve that his sins had been forgiven,
and later Detective MCFARLAND was
given charge of Steve. Attorney
Moore, who was given $100 by the
governor to go to Colorado to get
Governor Mcdonald to promise that
he would not prosecute Adams and
who played false to Adams. urged
Steve to confess, as he said the gov
ernor had said that IL he did not ne
would hang him as high as Hannah. y
/ It was demanded also that the Or
chard confession be corroborated as
to details OF the Steunenberg mur-
dern sii. NJ &tssSS H