The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-05-05
WERE ON THE SPOT IN SPIRIT History of Steunenberg's Assassination. IDAH0S MARTYR GOVERNOR Haywood and Associates Alleged to
 Have Compassed Crime. Though Harry Orchard Knows He Will Be Convicted And Execut-
 ed, He Will Make Clean
 Breast.

Thursday next be placed on tria! charged with the murder of ex-Gov- ernor Frank Steunenberg. In all, four men are in custody charged with the same offense. They are William D. Haywood, Charles H. Mover, president of the Western Federation of Minors; George A. Pettibone, former member of the executive board, and Harry Orchard, a member of the federation. Of these men, Orchard, 1t Is alleg- ed, has made a confession, in which he admits that he killed the former governor, and in the same confession, 1t is alleged. duplicates the other l men under arrest, together with oth- CTS as being accessories before the | fact Under the laws of Idaho, while it is admitted that Haywood, Mover land Pettibone were not in the state at the time of the murder, they are charged with the actual murder, the contention under the statues being | that they were on the spot in spirit, | that they planned and, therefore. | compassed the death of Governor | Steunenberg.
 History of the Case. In it's main and literal branches, the complete history of the case ex- tends back to the early period of con- fict between union and non-union miners in the Couer d'Alene district of Idaho, that narrow strip of mountain country, rich in lead and silver ore, under the shadow of the great divide between Idaho and Montana.
 The back ground to the Steunenberg case is the momentous struggles Tn the Couer d'Alene extending as 1t did over a period of seven years and in- volving the calling out of the state militia and finally the dispath of Uni ted states troops by President McKin- ley to the scene, centering around the towns of Wallace, Genn and Wardner To the part that the dead governor played in those days, furnishing as ne did. an example followed later by the governor of Colorado. the prosecution goes for motive charged against the accused.
 It Is alleged that, for the purpose or revenue. as evidence of unrelenting determination to carry on a campaign of terrorism, to impress with their power, daring loyalty on, and retain the moral and financial support Of some 32000 followers, the members or the timer circle of the Western Fed eration planned and executed series of murders and acts of violence, me- dieyal in conception and napolfstic Tn execution. It Is charged that Harry Orchard and Steve Adams, now under arrest and charged with the commits sion of other murdArs, were the hired agents dClea@A
 of these plots.
 Crimes Traced Fifteen Years.
 These crimes, it is alleged. can be traced down through the last fifteen years through the days of the Dull pen" stockade, in which several union miners were imprisoned in 1899 under guard of United States troops, again to the great Cripple Creek strike and the more recent struggle in Colorado. Geographically, the action is confined chiefly to Colorado and Idaho but Mon- tana, Utah, Nevada and California are also States in which were enacted DOT tions of the tragedy.
 Orchard has made a confession, 1t IS said. and lies in the Idaho penitentiary ready to take the stand again Hay wood. It is alleged that Orchard will repeat his confession upon the stand and as the chief witness for the State, will relate a story filled with plot and counter plots startling in the develop nent and execution.
 Steve Adams also made a confession and 1t is expected he will be one of the witnesses for the prosecution. although Adams later, under pressure of rOla- tives, it Is said, repudiated portions of his statement.
 SteunenberE'H Origin.
 Frank Steunenberg, who came from humble, masterful stock, began life as a printer joined the typographical union and throughout the greater part of his life was in strong sympathy with the cause of union labor. This circum- stance gives ground for an important contention of the case. On the one hand it was argued that because Steun- enberg refused to countenance, as Governor, or permit violence, in behalf of the union, he was stricken down as a traitor by a mind that never forgets and an arm that can reach through years to strike when least expected. Ca the other hand it Is contended that his well known advocacy of union princi- ples made 1t at once improbable that his death was procured by union men.
 The murder is a pivotal point in this, the most remarkable case in American jurisprudence. for the events develop backward and forward from his as sassination.
 Was Blown % Death.
 SteunenberS was blown to death on the evening of December 30 1905. In the gathering gloom of a stormy evening. he entered the side gate of his resi- dence at Caldwell, where. retired from politics. he lived the simple life as a sheep farmer. A bomb or peculiar man. ufacture, with a string attached. was sunk in the snow beside the gate. the string, a piece of fisn line. being fast ened to the gate. As Steuenenberg entered, the opening of the gate sprang the trigger of the bomb He was ter ribly mangled. being blown nearly fif- teen feet from the gate He lived near ly an hour. was conscious and spoke, but his ruptured ear drums were dead to sound and he died '. 1thout knowing what had killed him. The explosion aroused not only the little town of Cald- well, but the whole State. Orchard had murdered Steunenberg and before the day was over he was suspected He had gone to Caldwell from Denver. as Thomas Hogan. and vsriouslY claimed to he an insurance man, a buyer of sheep and d gambler. A search of his room in the hotel revealed the first def mite evidence. and on January I. 1906, he was placed under arrest Orchards trunk revealed that evidence and then A score of witnesses located him at va rious times, lurking about the Steunen- berg home. with Jack Smkins, a mem- her of the Executive Board of the West ern Federation, who has not been caught. watching the Steunenberg house with field glasses and making in ouirIes as to Steunenberg's movements. At this Juncture. there occurred a cir- cumstance to which great significance has always been attached. If Is said that Orchard when asked at his pre- liminarv examination if he wanted counsel said that If news of his arrest were published. counsel would prompt lv be on the ground to advise him.
 Subs sequentlv, Hogan" was identified chard. wanted on charge of blowing up the Independence depot. and unon