The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1907-06-14
Conscience Alone Prompted Him
to Confess, Says Orchard.
HAD THOUGHT OF SUICIDE
Reading Bible Showed Way to Duty and
Peace,

Boise, June .13.-The men who are
battling to save the life of VIM. D. Hay.
wood and the good name of the West
ern Federation Of Miners made their
greatest assault upon Harry Orchard
today, when carrying by cross-exami-
nation the review Of his life Of crime
down to his confession, they bitterly
assailed his guiding motives.
Six days they spent in stripping him
before the jury of every shred of mo
rality of character and then suddenly
turning upon his in final fierce attack,
they fought with every means known
to legal craft to convince the jury that
Orchard was committing crime in
falsely swearing away the lives Of in
nocent men in the hope of saving his
own.
The series of quickly delivered at.
tacks gave to the trial amid the scenes
centering around the big witness chair
in Judge Woods court depth of dra-
matte intensity, a compelling human
interest that held either man Oh
woman who watched and listened
Orchard failed when they recited to
to him the tale of King David and
Uriah that Detective Mcfarland re-
lated to him when he came seeking a
confession. He fought to save him
self, but the tears filled his eyes and
he rocked unevenly like a fainting
woman His voice lowered to huski-
ness and he hid his face in a handker-
chief. Then he steadied himself and
went on strongly to the end. He de-
Tended his motives by saying that he
had finally found true conversion and
in penitence had resolved to make all
possible reparation by freely confess
ing all. MCFARLAND had told him
that he was doing a great service for
the state and that states were kind
to men who served them; there was
no other promise.
.sYou knew that if you confessed to
the Stuenenberg murder the state
would put you out of the way?" ham.
mered Attorney Richardson.
Eyes, SIR
"And would do it quickly?"
81 believed they would put me out
Of the way"
sBut somewhere along the line the
thought came to you that you could
get out Of it by laying it on to some,
bady else?'''
"No, sir; that was not the thought
at ALL" And it was here that Orchard
gave a remarkable explanation of mo
tives that impelled him to confess
His voice fell to low tone, but there
was no other show of emotion. Com
plete silence gave every word to the
entire room. The Whiz of the electric
fan overhead was the sole accompani
ment of the recital.
Il thought" he said, "of putting my
self out of the way, but thought over
my past life. / did not believe in
hereafter at all, but was afraid te
die and I thought at times that hao
been such monster--my crimes hac
been 50 great that would not BIZ
forgiven
WHO told you that?'
"No one"
"Who wrote that out for you?"
sNo one, but after had been SEN
bible and had read it some came
to the conclusion that would be for
given if 1 made a confession of every
thing. began to think that the grave
did not end everything, and made "
NV mind to tell the truth about tht
| whole thing
so you thought you would make
\ your peace with the future by hayint
somebody else hung, did you?" asked
Mr.. Richardson.
mo, sir; think any man can make
his peace with the future. il he wants
| to. believed it was my duty to tel
the truth. did not see any othe
way, regardless of the consequences t
myself, or anybody else; owed 1t t
society, I owed it to God and to my
/ SELF"
The defense suggested that if Or
chard did not get the reference to hi
duty to society. God and himself d