Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-07-23


were changed and in place of sitting In the
afternoon court met at O'Clock in the
evening, Judge Wood was informed by the
Jury that the extreme heat of the court
and he complied with the request for a late
evening session.
steunenberg's Death.
MI Richardson plunged directly into the
death of Gov Steunenberg in his opening
sentence. He declared it was Gov. Steunen-
berg's fortune during his administration to
stand in the forefront of labor war in
the Occur d Alenes.
Perhaps, he said, the situation demanded
all that the governor did. Perhaps it did
not.
II do not know" declared Mr.. Richard
son, land 1 shall not attempt to say. But
at any rate, for the first time in the adj
ministration Of American justice the bull
in this bullpen perhaps as matter of ne
cessity; but certainly without due process
of law. Gov. Steunenbergs course was
condemned on the one side and praised on
the other. as the members Of the two hos
tile camps view the matter.
When the death Of Gov. Steunenberg
was flashed to the world there was the i'm
mediate conclusion in nearly all quarters
that there was some connection between
the Occur 'Alene troubles and the bomb
which was placed at his gate.
Again hostile camps arose On the one
side 1t was said the act must have been
done, by some man in whose breast per per
however were strong in their condemna-
ton of the Western Federation of Miners.
1t has been said here that in some quarters
there was even an attempt to justify the
deed.
No Justification.
Il want to say to you gentlemen that we
of the defense do not believe there Is any
justification for such an act. We shall not
attempt to Justify it; we do not believe it
can be justified from any point of view"
Mr.. Richardson then reviewed the events
following the death of former Gov. Steun-
enberg, saying Harry Orchard was caught
almost redhanded in the act. Pinkerton
detective came to Idaho and soon had
confession from man, who, to save his
own worthless neck, was ready to place the
blame upon others. The matter was taken
up by that portion of the press which de-
ponds upon the prosperous and capitalistic
classes, and the leaders of the Western
Federation of Miners were adjudged guilty
without a hearing.
So far reaching was that influence, de-
clared Mr.. Richardson, that it extended
even to the White House. The attorney
begged the jurors to lay aside any impress
sion they may have formed from reading
the newspapers during the past year, and
to start with him at the beginning of the
case and go through the various events
one by one without feeling or prejudice.
DO this he exclaimed, 80 may
justly determine in the light Of our con-
sciences, illuminated by high heaven, If the
man here at the bar and his companions in
the cells are guilty"
The Alleged Conspiracy.
Discussing the law as applied to Orch
ard, Mr.. Richardson said the corroborating
evidence in support Of confessng witness
must be something that. standing by itself.
separated and apart from the witnesses
story, is sufficient to remove all reasonable
doubt as to the defendants guilt.
He charged that the state had cor
roborative circumstances of that character
as to the murder Of Gov. Steunenberg and
for that reason general conspiracy was
charged and all the events Of the Colorado
labor trouble was gone into.
But, said Mr.. Richardson the conspiracy
that the prosecution complains of is law
ful conspiracy. IF this be a conspiracy
then you are in a conspiracy If you are
democrat and voted the democratic ticket.
The Federation of Miners was in a con-
spiracy to elect it's men to office, to shorten
hours and fix wages, and every one of these
objects is lawful in this country"
Taking up next the history Of the West
ern Federation of Miners, Mr. Richardson
said that, while much was heard nowadays
as to the equal distribution of wealth, the
motto of all would be, SO long as men are
constituted as they are ITO get all YOU can
while you are getting, says II This say
ing, from THE Hoosier School Master"
applied alike to capital and to labor.
A Rockefeller at One End.
Delving into the Occur d'Alene trouble,
Mr.. Richardson declared that most Of the
mines there were owned by the Standard
Oil Company, and he proclaimed that
wherever conditions were such as to create
Rockefeller at one end Of the line and
man with gaunt dinner pail at the other
end more or less friction trouble is
bound to occur. The Bunker Hill property
had been turned in for taxation at $50, 900,
but after the mill was blown up a loss Of
$3OO.0 600 was claimed.
Il am not going to explain or apologize
for the men who blew up the MILL" said
the attorney. 1T Is sufficient for us to
say that Haywood was not part Of it.
Meyer was not part Of it. and Pettibone
convict these men for what was done that
day. SO the matter requires but little
Thought or attention.
after the mill was destroyed 1t is shown
the men returned to their homes and their
work. There was no more disorder no in
surrection but Gen. Merriam and his negro
troops were ordered into the district.
The Bullpen Incident.
ut Is said, to his credit. that Gov. Steun-
enberg was not upon the ground and did
not see personally what was done; but,
gentlemen Of the jury, If you were driven
out Of the country, If you were incarcerated
in a bullpen. If you were subjected to the
insults OF negro soldiers would there not
have been hatred and resentment in your
hearts against all who had caused this
treatment melted out to you? All, I say
that 1t is to the credit of every man put in
that bulpen, without charge or trial, that
there was no result from it disastrous to
the leaders securing their incarceration, be
they great or small l say that this fact
speaks volumes, in my mind. for the con-
troll this organization has over it's mem
berS.'
Before taking up the Cripple Creek trou-
bles, Mr.. Richardson returned to the his
tory Of the Western Federation of Miners,
and pointed out what it's objects had been
to better conditions, to care for it's sick
and dying, the widows and orphans of its
members.
He ridiculed the idea that any one could
claim that 600 workmen. organized for
their betterment, could be termed 10000
criminals.
AS to Cripple Creek. Mr. Richardson dwelt
again upon the fact that many of the mines
were owned by the Standard Oil Company.
Wherever that company operates be it Col
Orado or Michigan, the attorney stated.
there was always some sort of labor trou-
BILE.
And labor" he exclaimed, always gets
the worst of it. l don't know whether labor
is always right sometimes WCong, but l
do say that it is not right that the laboriHg