Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1907-05-29

tldl were HituS against MS lie aILSf
the Occur dAlenes troubles worried
him or not, said Mrs. Steunenberg.
If they die, he never mentioned it.
His friends wanted him to carry a re-
volver, but his answer always was:
If those fellows want to do anything.
they'll get me in the back, anyway"
Long before his death Steunenberg had
put aside all political ambition. He
knew that his action in 1899, in de-
claring the Occur d'Alenes to be in d
state of instruction and rebellion and
calling in the federal troops, meant
political death for him; and he may
have occasionally entertained the
thought that it would mean physical
death.
The Murder.
About $50 on the evening of Satur.
day, December 80, 1905, Steunenberg
started for home from his Office. His
Oldest boy. 20 years of age. with a
companion, was two blocks behind
him. The early night was dark.
Orchard, who had been waiting.
passed the boy and his companion, and
hurried across lots in order to pass
the father. Orchard reached the side
gate of the Steunenberg home FIVE
minutes before Steunenberg. He
stopped down, and picking up a short
fish-line attached to the bomb which he
mad planted earlier at the left hand
side of the walk, just inside the gate
tied the string to the frame of the
gate. (This string was attached by
means of a bent pin to a cork loosely
held in the neck of a small vial con-
tanning sulphuric acid. When the cork
was pulled the acid was spilled over
some giant caps, and the bomb was
eXploded). When he had tied the
string to the gate Orchard made off
in the darkness. Steunenberg opened
the side gate, his usual place of en-,
trance. AS he entered he must have
turned round to close the gate, for
when the explosion occurred the flesh
of mis- right side was torn literally
from the bone. When Mrs. Steunen-
was able to inquire: whats the mat.
ter, mother? What does this mean?
Who shot me?" He lived 90 minutes.
His features were not marred, though
portions of his clothing were found
fifty feet away. When the neighbors
sought gently to place Mrs. Steunen-
berg on a couch, it was found to be
covered with broken glass from the
windows
About ten minutes after the report
of the explosion Orchard appeared in
the dining room of the Saratoga hotel
and ordered his supper. While in his
room that same evening, OrchaEsf put
a bottle containing small quantity of
sulphuric acid in the same coat pocket
in which he had unknowingly left an
explosive cap, intending later to
throw the bottle away. The acid
leaked on the cap. causing an explo-
sion which, in his agitated state,
Orchard thought could be heard all
over the hotel; but it seems not to
have been noticed
The murder occurred about Gas.
Governor Frank r. Gooding, at his
home in Boise City, thirty miles away.
was advised by telephone of the as
sassination at exactly seven O'Clock.
He went down town seeking particu-
lars Of the occurrence. and, not learn
ing anything in Boise, called up the
sheriff at Caldwell by telephone. He
was advised that the sheriff had
placed Gordon of guards around the
town. Governor Gooding ordered
special train and went at once to
Caldwell, arriving there an hour and
a half after the explosion. An or
ganization was Immediately perfected.
and the work of investigation was
continued all night. The officers went
on the theory that the person who
set off the Internal machine must De
still in Caldwell. The registers of the
hotels and Of the boarding houses
were all scanned very carefully, and
the names Of all strangers placed on
the list of suspects. There was quite
a heavy snowstorm on the afternoon
of December 80, and there were six
Or eight inches of new snow on the
ground, so that the tracks of any one
leaving Caldwell by conveyance or on
foot could be followed
On the following day, when every
one in the town was discussing the
assassination Orchard called the
chairman of the board of county com
out from an excited group
of men in the Saratoga hotel lobby,
and asked him if he knew where he,
Orchard. could buy a band of wethers
cheap.
Arrest of Orchard
This question, so coolly put, aroused
suspicion later against Orchard he
was watched closely all that day, Sun
day Most of the time he sat in a
chair Of the lobby of the hotel gazing
out of the window without change of
position. 1t was dlnicult to engage
him III conversation. About noon his
room was searched and a very small
piece Of plaster of Paris and a pinch
of explosive white powder were dis
covered in his valise. He was brought
before an informal inquisition, held in
the Office of District Judge Frank J.
Smith Orchard appeared perfectly
collected, said he was from Denver,
and held a contract with the Mutual
Life Insurance company. as the rep