Daily Arizona silver belt., 1907-01-24

k"NS "e shS StSuhenpeIg hone, dHd when
 tho governor opened it the mine was
 fired, killing him instantly. Tho miners
 had but slight personal grievance
 against Steunenberg, and it is alleged
 that his murder was only one of series
 of assassinations planned by the ac.
 cused men in order to revive the life
 and influence of the miners organiza
 ton, which had suffered seriously as n
 result of the failure of the strikes.
 A short time after the murder
 through the efforts of Detective James
 Mcfarland of Denver, Harry Orchard
 was arrested and made confession. in
 which he charged the officials of the
 Western Federation of Miners with hay.
 ing instigated the crime. Orchard s con.
 teSsion was most remarkable record of crime. In addition to giving the details of the Steunenberg murder he
 told how he had planted and exploded the bomb which blew up the railroad station at Independence, Colo, killing
 thirteen men and manglmg six others. and how he had plotted to assassinate Governor Peabody, Judge Goddard of the supreme court of Colorado, and oth CTS who had incurred the enmity of the Western Federation of Miners.
 Mover, Haywood and Pcttibone were not m Idaho when Orchard s confession was obtained They had gone to Den
 yer. The authorities believed they were leaving the United States. The war.
 rants for them were sent hurriedly to the governor of Colorado. He issued extradition papers before the arrests were made. ~fhe three men were taken on the evening of Saturday, February
 lS..and hustled on board a special train
 They had no opportunity to retain or consult counsel. On account of alleged irregularities in the conduct of the po- lice who arrested them they appealed to the United States courts for writs of habeas corpus. These being refused they appealed to the United States su. preme court. That court little over a month ago decided the application ad- yersely to the men, thus removing the last bar to their trial.
 The trial is expected to be battle royal. Some of the best legal talent of the west, and, in fact, of the entire country. has been secured by those in. tercstcd in the defense, while two of the leading attorneys of the Idaho bar will conduct the prosecution. There is some likelihood that the attorneys for the defense will ask for change of venue to either Ada or Washington counties, of which Boise and Weiser are. respectively, the county seats. The trials probably will be long drawn out, es- pecially if the defendants insist upon being tried separately. If separate trials are had, it is probable that Mover will be the first defendant put upon the stand, as he is the president and guid ing spirit of the Western Federation of Miners.
 Probably the feature of the trials will be the testimony of Harry Orchard and Steve Adams, the two men who have confessed to a part in the conspiracy to assassinate Steunenberg. Though the Orchard confession has been carefully guarded by the authorities. many of it's details were learned at the time of the extradition proceedings. But practical ly nothing has been given to the public regarding the Adams confession, be- yond the statement by Governor Good ing at the time the confession was an nounecd, said it was "more sweeping than that of Orchard, and embraced the story of some twentysix murders, besides other crimes, which were laid at the door of the inner circle v of the Western Federation. Around the con fession of these two men, it is com monly believed, twill practically revolve the entire ease of the prosecution.
 The continued prosperity and power of the Western Federation of Miners ] as now constituted, depend on the out come of the impending trials. If Mover Haywood and Pettibone are convicted the present organization cannot survive, and years will pass before another of equal influence can be found. By their and by leaders of organized labor generally the indicted officers of the Western Federation are regarded as martyrs. Their defense will be con ducted by able lawyers, with unlimited money at their disposal Clarence $. Darrow, who defended Eugene V. Debs in the trial growing ont of the Amer jean Railway union strike, and who ap peared for the United >AIine Workers before the anthracite strike commission, will likely lead in the defense.
 John Mitchell s United Mine Work CTS, although rival of the Western on March Y appropriated & ,OO0 and "as much more as may be necessary, to aid in the defense. The New York Industrial Council of the Industrial Workers of the World, the Central Federated Union of Washing ton, D. C., and socialists and radicals throughout the country have indorsed the indicted federation officers and subscribed money to aid in the de- fense. The total sum of money contrib .lted for the defendants is very large.