The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1907-06-14
LAWYERS INTEND TO BREAK
DOWN ORCHARDS STORY
Defense Is Laying the Foundation fof
the Charge That Steunenberg's
Assassin Was Hired by Mine
Owners.

Boise, ldaho.--Slowly but surely
the defense In the Haywood trial Ia
developing the lines by which 1t
hopes to break down the story Of
Harry Orchard, so far as it affects
Haywood, now on trial, Meyer and
Pettibone, who are yet to be tried on
the same charge. If it is possible to
heap further obliquy on the witness
they have done so by proving him
capable Of petty crimes. BY his own
admission he Is bigamist, a thief. a
liar and an incendiary. He has played
the traitor to his employers. He has
deserted two wives and his child. To
all these offenses he has been forced
to confess, but under a grueling ex.
animation by Richardson he has stuck
to his story and given chapter and
verse. Possible witnesses after wit,
nesses have been named, and counsel
for the defense state most positively
that the pile of sworn testimony they
will bring to contradict Orchard must
convince the jury of the entire falsity
of his testimony ~ their questions
they have plainly indicated their in.
tention to prove taat Orchard was the
hired agent of tie mine owners, who,
harassed by tfa Western Federation
of Miners, de ermined to wipe union
labor from tie mines O. Idaho and
Colorado, PLANNED :sinations,
train wrecls and mine explosions
that could be laid to the door of the
Western Federation of Miners and
would lcep militia on the ground
while non-union men worked in the
mines
1t has been shown under the cross
examination that Orchard trafficked
vita railroad detectives in the mining
legion of Cripple Creek during the
great strike there. while almost at
the same time he was In the conf
dence Of the leaders of the Western
Federation of Miners, and led by Mr..
Richardson, Orchard has stated that
he was hired by Meyer, the president
of the Federation, to act as his guard
against thugs alleged to have been
hired by the mine owners to attack
and terrorize him.
From half dozen states, witnesses
will be called to deny Orchards asser-
tons. Already two men accused by
Orchard Of completely In the plots he
says were Matched within the inner
circle" of the Western Federation
have been called upon the stand In
open court where they sat as spec,
tators. Orchard has identified them
as the men he named, and Billy Eas.
terly and Owney Barney have openly
gneered their denial of the testimony.
The court room scene Is remark.
Hble-possibly the most remarkable
ever seen in any court. Session after
session since Orchard first went on
the stand crowd has sought admis-
sion. Every seat is filled long before
the sheriff calls the court to order.
Hundreds are turned away. The
prisoner, Haywood, has a battery Of
six lawyers. The state has fou.. Hay
woods family, his wife, mother, sis.
ter and two daughters, sit close be-
hind him, but the prisoner watches
every detail, consults counsel contin-
uoupiy hhu 10 AWAY uiOiI oViuoih
the slightest sign OF emotion,
Between counsel for the state and
defense the feeling is very apparent.
At every session there comes a quick
of sharp words. At times
he situation becomes intense. J. H.
the senior counsel for the
state, Is quick to anger and down
light in his challenge. United States |
Senator Borah, his colleague, is Keen |
quick of tongue and sarcastic. Rich
irdson, for the defense, has a re-
,onant voice that rises In anger and |
inpatient of interruption, he frequent.
y filings sneer at Hawley or Borah,
,r thunders his objections when he
kinks an interruption out Of place.
Clarence Darrow sits beside him as
as a cat. Slow Of action and
If speech, he seldom takes part in
he passages, and is ever ready to
smooth the rufhed feelings of either
ide