Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1907-06-29
MOTIVE OF ORCHARD
Haywood Defense Continues Attack
Upon His Story.
EASTERLY TAKES THE STAND
Witness Tells Of Orchards Threats
Against Steunenberg.
WR0NGD0ING
D. G. Copely Also Says He Heard
Orchard Threaten Dead Man.
EXPLOSION IN vINDICAToR MINE
NOnuniOn Miner Recites Incidents
that Make IL Appear to BE
Accident Instead of
Crime.

BOISE, Idaho, June 2,-The attorneys
for William d. Haywood continue to center
their efforts on the discredltng of Harry
Orchard and the establishment OF their
claim that Orchard killed Frank Steunen-
berg in revenge for the loss OF his inter
est in the Hercules mine. Today they d.
rectly attacked the Vindlcator explosion
with the testimony OF a witness that made
Il appear accidental rather than criminal
Thomas Wood, a nonunionist. who entered
the NindicRtor mine as a timberman after
the strike began, swore that the night be-
fore the explosion he placed a box con-
tanning twenty-five pounds Of giant powder
ut the shaft of the eighth level He saw
the powder the next morning shortly after
10 o'clock and few minutes later Super
lntendent Mccormick and Foreman Beck
came to the eighth level. They remained
but a Hhort time and left to go to the
sixth level where they were killed. Wood
Bwore that when he reached the shaft
twenty minutes later the powder was gone
and II was a reasonable inference that Nc
Cormick and Beck took It with them.
Wood testified that he had seen re-
volver in Becks pocket. that the fragments
OF only one revolver were found in the
sixth level and that the bodies OF Nc
CormicJ and Beck were blown apart, in
dcating that the explosion had occurred
between them. Orchard said that he fred
a revolver w,+h a wire attachment 80 that
when the safety bar was raised It would
send bullet into the giant powder he had
placed. One witness for the state has
sworn that he later found a wire attached
20 the safety bar. but Wood. who was
among the first to reach the sixth level
after the explosion. said that he carefully
exanlineG the safety bar and found moth
ing attached to f. Wood gave his testi-
mony IN a clear and forcefu manner and
told thrilling story OF the climb to safety
OF the men cut OFF by the explosion below
the sixth level.
More of Orchards Alleged Threats.
william Easteriy, who concluded his
testimony this morning. and ID. C. Copley.
who was called this afternoon, both swore
that they heard Orchard tell OF the loss Of
the Hercules mine and threaten to kill
Steunenberg for It. On cross-examination
the state scored them both and particularly
Easterly. who received two letters and one
telephone message from Orchard on the
eve OF the killing OF Steunenberg, for re-
naming quiet when they knew a crime
might be committed, Easterly contended
that he. did not know Steunenberg lived
at Caldwell, and explained that although
Orchard he took no steps Immediately after
the crime except TO consult counsel for the
federation, because he was not an informer
and Copley asserted that he did not take
Orchard seriously when they met In San
Francisco and he told him of the Bradley
crime.
There a further showing as TO the
work of the bloodhounds at Independence
which the defense declares were sent first
TO the house of a deputy sheriff and ther
down the road that Orchard took on his
flight to Denver and on to Wyoming anG
denials and re-denials from Easterly and
Copley OF any form OF misconduct on the
part of members of the Western Federation
Of Miners.
Testimony of EasterIy.
Following Dr. McGee, w. B. Easterly
was called to continue his testimony begur
yesterday.
Easterly denied positively that he ha,
ever talked with Harry Orchard as to tn
Independence depot explosion. Orchard wa
at Cripple Creek the latter part OF 100
and the first part OF 1904. 'He mined
little" said the witness, but he wa
quite a iend at card games. He seldom
worked more than q month at a time"
Easterly asserted that during the Crippl
Creek strike days there never was an,
talk Of violence at the meetings OF tn
union except by visiting member. Tn
visitor proved Afterward to be a secre
service man in the employ of the min
owners. The labor leaders always coun
seled peace. saying that any disorde
which might occur would be attributed I
the union.
Easterly went over much OF the sroun
covered yesterday in the testimony Of w
n k,Vl a
dressed by Meyer and Haywood. at whic
the two accused men urged the miner
60 maintain peace and order
Did you ever hear Meyer and Haywoo
tell Orchard In Denver in your presenc
that he could not go too fierce at Crippl
Creek to suit them?" asked Mr.. Darrow.
Il did not" replied the witness.
Easterly said he was arrested at Crippl
Creek las a matter Of military necessity
and was thrown into the bull pen" 10
violence.
Easterly said he was at home in be
when the Independence depot was dc
s,royed. He did not know what ha
happened until next morning. He the
heard the soldiers were coming and weT
20 Cripple Creek. where. along with man
others. he went to Victor.
Were you armed3" asked Darrow.
mo, sir not with a rifle"
Easterly said he had a six-shooter.
Feeling Among Soldiers.
At Victor he went to the union hal
where several hundred members OF IN
Western Federation OF Miners wer
gathered The streets were hIled with a
sorts Of people, some soldiers, some dc
tectives and some mine owners on1cial
Eastsrly declared that the soldiers In pass
ing federation men would say:
There's one that ought TO be hange
or have his head shot on"
'In the afternoon c. c. Hamlin. secretar
~ the Mine Owners association, made
heech In the streets IN which he referre
% the Independence depot explosion an
nAid that nifty or more Of the leaders ougt
ba hanRad and the rest driven out Z