The San Francisco call., 1907-06-27

duueu an account OF the conversation
on which Richardson had based an i'm
peaching question, telling how Orchard
had made threats against the life of
Steunenberg one day in Altman, when
the witness and Bill Easterly were to-
gether.
The first thing that he had ever heard
OF any such charges against him as
Orchard had made Davis said. was
when he read the newspaper accounts
of Orchards testimony here, and he
then telegraphed the defense that he
would come from Goldfield, near where
he now lived, to testify.
WITNESS STRANGELY DENSE
Senator Borah went at Davis in
whirlwind fashion, and in less than
five minutes had him mixed up in d
remarkable account of his doings on
the day of the Bunker Hill and Sulli-
van mine destruction. Davis had been
testifying in a clear, strong voice and
with manner that was frank and en-
Saging, except that he kept his eyes
pretty much on the fioor and did not
often look up at his questioner. He
faced Borah steadily during the cross
examination, but his eyes constantly
sought the floor and his voice dropped
so that it was often necessary to ad
monish him to speak up. The lawyers
for both sides came in at times with
that direction and so did the court.
The jurors watched the contest be-
tween Davis and Borah with close at
tention and evident interest Haywood
sat back in his chair and watched his
old associate like a hawk. After three
or four preliminary questions as to his
birthplace and early residence Borah
jumped into the Wardner riot. Davis
said that he spent April %, 1899, the
day of that affair at Gem and the next
minute was struggling in the effort
to remember the name of a single man
with whom he had talked, and then he
couldn't remember a word of all their
conversations.
Davis saw the riot train pull into
Gem, and was standing within 30 feet
of it. He saw 200 or 800 masked men
on It. but did not recognize one of them.
He had been in the country several
years and knew many men, but did not
recognize one that day.
He did not remember who was with
him when he was looking at the train,
nor did he see any of the guns or any
of the men that the train carried.
Neither did he see anybody from Gem
board the train. He had been foreman
at the Frisco mine for 20 months, but
did not remember where the powder
house was nor did he recall whether
the train backed up TO it after first
starting from GSitl.
1T was a pretty interesting morn
ing. wasn't it," asked Borah.
i don't know that it was replied
Davis with dropped eyes and low voice.
Was there any excitement?"
NO, | think not; no great amount"
1T did not disturb you to see a train
load of masked men,"
No"
You knew where they were going
"a m dn
''Oh, I didn't"
And you didn't ask any one?"
NO, sir"
You saw that trainload of masked
men and you didn't inquire once where
they We're going or what they intended
to do?"
no: it was not any of my particular
business"
1T was the usual thing up there,
was itg queried Borah sarcastically
''oh. don't know as it was" replied
Davis.
The only men that he saw on the
train whom he knew were the engineer
and conductor. He couldn't give the
name OF a single man except employees
OF the railroad.
How long after that train arrived
at Wardner was the mill blown up?'
Il don't know anything about it"
Several persons told him that a strike
was on at the Bunker Hill and Sullivan.
but he could not remember the name of
one of them. He read it, though, in .
Spokane paper.
Was the mill nonunion when-i it was
blown up?"
4 don't know
Then Borah took up Davis change
of name and Davis said that he did
that because he was blacklisted and
wanted to get job somewhere else,
which he could not do under his own
name.
How did you know you were black
listed?"
MEMORY FAILS HIM.
"It was because of a petition that
we had signed in SO when we were
working for the Bunker Hill and Sulli-
wan. We wanted better timbering.
They had killed several men in the
mine because of bad timbering and sew
eral hundred signed the petition. They
blacklisted every name on the petition
That was six years before this?"
Yes"
And you worked there afterward
under your own name?"
Yes"
And you were going to Butte, a
federation camp, where you could get
a job under your own name?"
Well 1 don't know as 1 could"
Borah brought out the fact that
Davis worked for few days, after the
Bunker Hill and Sullivan mill explo-
sion, at the Hercules mine, with Gus
Paulson. That was news TO Senator
Borah. Just after the explosion gen
eral search was made in the Occur
d'Alenes for Davis and placards Of
fering a reward for his arrest were
posted in the camps. But he was not
found, and not until this came out was
it known where he had been.
Borah took Davis along over his
story as far as the conversation with
Orchard, when the alleged threats
against Steunenberg were made Davis
repeated his account of that talk and
then Borah proceeded:
What did Parker say about it?"
II don't remember"
What did you say?"
Il don't remember"
What did Easterly say?"
Il don't remember"
Did anybody make any remark
about Orchards threat?"
Il don't remember that anybody did"
You don't remember any statement
but Orchards; can't recall any reply
that anybody made; don't know any
thing but what Orchard said?''
Davis grinned feebly and admitted 1T