Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-24
TALE OF An ASSASSIN
Steve Adams Describes the
Killing of Steunenberg.
DID NOT HAVE A CHANCE
Instructed to Use His Own Judgment
in Mode Of Murder.
WEIRD STORY OF GREAT CRIME
to the Confession ths
Miners Had Premeditated
Scheme to Kill the Governor.
DID NOT HAVE A CHANCE
WEIRD STORY OF GREAT CRIME
According to the Confession Il

W. Adams version of the alleged connection
of the Western Federation of Miners with
the assassination in 1905 of former Gov. Frank
Steunenberg of Idaho was read today to
the jury that is trying Adams for the muir
der of Fred Tyler. Adams. who Is a MEM
Der of the Western Federation of Miners,
made a confession, now denied by him, to
the murder of Tyler, following a confession
of Harry Orchard, duplicating Adams in
the assassination of Steunenberg and also
in the murder Of Tyler.
Adams was arrested in Oregon and taken
to the Idaho peuitentiary at Boise, where
on November q, 1906, he confessed. 1t Is
said. to Detective James Mcfarland in
the presence of George Hubner. a stenog-
rapher, and Warden Whitney of the peni-
tertiary. The confession was read to the
jury by Detective Mcfarland.
Adams Confession.
Adams confession states that he joined
the Western Federation of Miners at Grip
pie Creek: that he knew Charles Meyer
president; William T. Haywood. secretary.
and George Pettibone, committeeman, of
the Western Federation of Miners; that
Joe Simpkins now charged with murder
but at large; that they wanted to get"
Steunenberg: that Pettibone went to Hay
wood and got 500 for Adams expenses:
that the manner of getting Steunenberg
was left to him: that he went to Idaho, met
Simpkins and there planned the crime that
resulted in Stuenberg's death.
Adams confession, as read by Mozart
land. recites that Steve W. Adams was
born in Jackson county, Mo. in 1857: that
he worked in mines at Cripple Creek, near
Telluride and about Sflverton, Col. reach
ing Telluride in March 1899 or 1900: that he
,1,, II L-nlo, Of tnnr
about seven years ago and had card of
1906; that he became acquainted with Meyer,
Haywood and Pettibone before the Arthur
Collins assassination and was intimately
acqua inted with them right along after
that up to the time he left for Oregon in
1868. The confession continues:
Told to Go to Idaho.
During the time you were acquainted
did you ever hold any conversation with
Meyer. Haywood and Pettibone about the
assassina ton Of former Governor Steunen-
berg?"
mcfarland is the questioner)
"They told me to go to Idaho and see
Jack Simpkins, that he wanted to see me
about some business connected with Steun-
enberg and that I would find him at Wal
lace, 1 believe
sible When did you talk with them about
the assassination of former Governor
Steunenberg?"
Shortly after I saw Simpkins. 1t was
shortly after the dynamiting ;, OF the depot depo
twhere several men were killed. at !nde-
pendence (Col), in July. 1901, think.
who talked to you about the ,esasina-
ton of Steunenberg" "
, George Pettibone. He told me that
Simpkins wanted to see me, and when
went to see Simpkins he told me about the
Steunenberg matter. He said they wanted
to get SteunenberS.
Wanted to "Get" Him.
They said they wanted to get him?
DID they say kill?''
.'They said get him."
you mean Simpkins said they wanted to
get him. Meyer was not present. was he?"
II don't know where he was, but think he
was in Jail at Telluride; and l got $500 to
come to Wallace with, from George Petit
bone Pettibone went to Haywood to get it."
How did you know that he did?"
':Use His Judgment"
He told me that he did. He asked me to
wait until he went and got it. He said moth
ing as to the manner in which we were to
remove Steunenberg. He gave US no direc-
tons. 1t was understood that I was to use
my own judgment, and Pettibone told me
about Smpkins wanting to see me before 1
received the money. did not see Haywood
after l received the money.
Simpkins told me that he wanted me
to go to his timber claim in the morning.
Smpkins said that he would write back
that day for money, and then he would
begin on the Steunenberg case He wrote
to Denver. but l do not know If he got
the money not. Pettibone told me
after that the money was sent to the
wrong address. After / got to the timber
claim met some settlers, one named Ma
son and another named Rale. He is the
one known as wall Eye" I also met a
man by the name of Glover There were
some claim jumpers there. Simpkins told
me that he wanted to get rid Of these fell
lows, and that if 1 did so he would give
me $500. Two men got killed. Meut
Glover, Simpkins and myself assisted in
the killing. Tyler was the first man
killed. and I killed him with winches-
ter. We went down to the miners camp
and he was not there. We stayed around
ALI day and then went out on the trail.
We stopped at a spring and 1 heard some
one coming 1 said: "All right, I am glad
of it."
Left the Body.
1--WE hid behind some trees, and l saw
that it was Tyler coming He had big
gun buckled on and 1 told him to hold up
his hands One of the boys took his gun
and we took him to Simpkins' cabin and
kept him till morning and then took him
three miles out on the trail and I killed
him. Three Of US was together all the
time. After the killing the body was left
between two logs. Tyler always refused to
say where he came from. but said that
man by the name of Lewis, Spokane man,
had placed him on the claim.
After the killing l went down to Harri-
son and met Simpkins, and I told him
what had done and said that he did not
have any more claim jumpers on his claim.
He said that he would rest around Harri-
son for while and then go back and get
the rest of the fellows on the other claims.
In about a week or thereabouss we went
back up there and met fellow by the
name of Boule. There was Jack Simpkins
Meut Glover and myself There was an
other man, whose name do not remember.
We met the man on the trail and Simp-
kins and Glover knew him. Mason was not
there. We shot at the man with Boule,
but missed him. After that we went back
to Glover's cabin and Simpkins went to
Masons cabin. We finally got out by going
to Glover's cabin and got canoe and went
by way of the st. Joe river. We landed
above the Glover ranch and let the canoe
drift. We waited around there until the
sheriff came up to investigate the death of
Boule.