The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1907-06-06

edge Of the CHASTITY series of narra-
tives to be related by Orchard has
reached the public from time to time
since his arrest, but the crowded court
room thrilled when within the first
fifteen minutes of his testimony Or
chard, in reply to question of Mr..
Hawley, leading attorney for the state,
coolly said:
81 lit one Of the fuses that blew up
the concentration mill at Wardner on
April 20, 1899. Two men were killed"
Some Preliminary Testimony.
The first witness called when court
opened was J. M. Brunsell, a hotel
proprietor of Nampa, Ida. Brunsell
identified the names Of Thomas Hogan
and John L. Simpkins in his hotel reg
lister for November, 1905. Hogan, or
Orchard, was at the hotel with Simp-
kins on Nov. IS. .....-. ..-. r..
The presence of Simpkins at Nampa
on Nov. and at Silver City on Nov.
8, 1905, was established by A. Hinkey
and J. A. Connors, hotelkeepers in
these respective cities.
Following Hinkey and Connors on
the stand came G. H. Wentz, book
keeper of mining company at Walk
er, Ida, and formerly in bank at
Wardner. Wentz said he knew Jack
Simpkins, one of the men alleged to
have had a hand in the murder Of
Governor Steunenberg, and was ac-
quainted with his handwriting. He
identified the photograph Of Simp-
kins, which was offered and accepted
in evidence over an objection from the
defense.
Guy Feight Of Nampa told Of seeing
Orchard and Simpkins in company at
Caldwell prior to the assassination of
Governor Steunenberg
Harry Orchard was then called and
after five minutes delay he was
brought in by two deputies, passing
close to Haywood and the latters fam
lily as he walked to the witness chair.
Orchard said in reply to a question
by Senator Borah that he is at pres
ent confined in the Idaho penitentiary
charged with the murder of Governor
Steunenberg. He said he was born in
Northumberland county, Can, forty
one years ago. His true name is AL
fred Horsley, but he had been known
as Harry Orchard for the last eleven
years. He came to this country in
1896 and went\to work in a mine in
Idaho in 1899. He joined the Western
Federation of Miners at Burke, Ida,
in that year and despite the objection
Of the defense, who asserted that
Haywood at that time was not an Off
cial Of the union, was permitted to
tell Of the blowing up Of the concen-
TRAITOR mill at Wardner, Ida, in April,
1899, when two men were killed. He
testified this action was decided upon
at special meeting Of the union and
that he lighted one of the fuses that
blew up the mill.
Steunenberg Was Governor.
Orchard testified that at the time of
the Wardner affair Frank Steunen-
berg was governor of Idaho and that
four or five days after the trouble
United States troops arrived in the
Couer d'Alene district. When the
troops came into Idaho Orchard said
he quit work and went to Montana,
but remained there only a short time
Then he went to Utah and later to
California After further ramblings
through various states he reached
Cripple Creek, Colo, soon after July
4, 1902. Orchard worked for a time at
indicator mine No. 1, near Butler.
He left there in August, 1909, going
out in the general strike which was
on among the miners in the district
Describing the trouble at the Vim
dicator mine Orchard said he was of
fered $500 by W. r. Davis, president
Of the local union of the Western Fed
GRAFTON of Miners, to send bomb into
the mine and ruin it. He finally did
so, Superintendent Mccormick and
Mel Reck, shift boss, being killed.
The next day he went to Denver,
where he met Haywood and Meyer in
their offices in the Miners Exchange
building. Meyer, he said, gave him
5000 and later Haywood paid him
$500 additional for blowing up the
nine
Continuing, he said that later Hay
wood and Pettibone asked him If he
could fix up a scheme to assassinate
Governor Peabody. It was arranged
%1.a& = L 81.