Omaha daily bee., 1907-06-26
Denies that He Made Threats Against
Steunenberg,
SEVERAL CONTRADICT STATEMENT
Evidence that Murderer Blamed
Victim for Financial Losses.
ORCHARD IN CRIPPLE CREEK
witnesses Say He Held Many Confer
ences with Detectives of Mine
Owners and Railroad
Company.

BOISE, Idaho. June 25.-The first direct
testimony In defense Of William D. Hay
wood was offered today. and It was chiefly
directed toward showing that Harry Or
chard, blaming Frank Eteuenberg for the
loss OF his interest IN the Hercules mine,
had threatened to have revenge by killing
him, and that the conduct OF Orchard and
X c. Sterling, both before the Indepen-
dence explosion. when they were frequently
seen together and afterward, when Ster-
ling called off a bloodhound that was fol-
lowing Orchards trail. justified the infer
ence that the Mine Owners inspired the
crime.
The calling of the first witness for the
defense was preceded by further examin-
alton of Orchard to permit the defense TO
complete its formal impeaching questions.
These questions were nearly all In con-
nection with the claim that Orchard killed
Steuenberg because OF an alleged grudgs
growing out OF the sale OF his interest
in the Hercules mine, Orchard. who came
into court under protection OF the same
flying squadron of guards that always
acts as his escort, maintained his old
calmness and spoke In the low-pitched
soft tone. He again denied that he ever
threatened TO kill Steuenberg because Of
Nht IltTtulNb IIllS anu ubdln hhb0INcu NndN
he sold his interest in the mine two years
before the trouble that drove him out OF
northern Idaho. Two witnesses called
later in the day swore that Orchard did
threaten to kill steuenberg because Of the
Hercules matter and the defense has pre-
pared the way for such testimony from
dozen more witnesses The two heard
today were r. r. Read. once of Cripple
Creek and now of Goldheld. New. and the
other Charles A. Sullivan, formerly OF
Cripple Creek and now watchnan In the
Brown hotel in Denver.
Orchard Made Threats.
Redd said he heard Orchard make the
statement and threat in the miners hail
in Cripple Crock, and Sullivan swore that
while he and Orchard were fellow boarlers
at John Neville's plac6 in Cripple Creek,
Orchard repeatedly said that but for
steunenberg he would be a rich man and
that he intended to kill him. The cross
examination showed that both were MEM
bers OF the Western Federation of Miners.
and that Sullivan was friend of Haywood,
Meyer and many Of the union leaders at
Cripple Creek
DR.. 1. L. McGee, a mining broker OF the
Couer D'Alenes, another impeaching wit
ness swore that Orchard told him in 1904.
at Wallace, Idaho. that he was a ''spotter'
for detective agency Orchard denied this
conversation; denied that he was in Idaho
at any time in 1904.
Several witnesses. principally women who
kept lodging houses at Cripple Creek, To-
Gated Orchard at various conferences with
Sterling, the detective for the Mine own
ers association, prior to the Independence
| explosion. and there was a further show
| ing as to meetings between Orchard and
d. c. Scott, the detective for the Florence
& Cripple Creek railway. Another wit
ness told of the effort to locate the men
guilty of the Independence station outrage
| by starting a bloodhound from the chair
rung used In pulling of the mine explosion.
| He said the dog took the road to Colorado
Springs, the one over which Orchard fed
IN the night, and that when he reported
to Sterling he got orders to call the dog
of. Sterling said he know who blew up
the station. and later said that Steve
Adams had done so.
The state fought the admission OF the
bloodhound story and also opposed the ad-
mission OF evidence covering general fea-
lures of the Colorado labor law, but in
both instances the court ruled with ths
defense.
Effort to Impeach Orchard.
SAN FRANCISCO, June 3.-The taking
OF depositons in this city in an effort TO
impeach the story OF Harry Orchard at the
Boise trial that he placed a bomb in front
Of r. w. Bradley's door in Washington
street near LeaYenworth was begun yester-
day. W. N. Linforth, who owned the build
ing and secured a $4,000 Judgment against
the gas company for damages caused by the
explosion. was the principal witness. Lin
forth stated in his testimony that gas leaks
were found later and that before the expio-
sion gas was smelled for some time. His
testimony was corroborated in this detail
by Mrs. Pichard and Miss Cumming, who
occupied one OF the nats. Lnforth testi-
ned that from the room where the leakage
occurred gas could find its way all through
the house.