The Colorado statesman., 1907-06-08
Worked at the indicator.

Orchard remained in the vicinity for
nearly year, during all of which time
the strike was continued.
what were you engeged in during
that time?" asked Hawley.
Il had no regular occupation" re-
piled Orchard.
What trouble was there at the Vim
dicator mine in which you were en-
gaged?"
The defense objected and the ques-
ton was temporarily withdrawn.
Where were the headquarters of the
federation at this time?" Mr.. Hawley
asked.
AT Denver"
"Who was president and who was
secretary"
Haywood Was the Secretary.
Charles II. Meyer was president
and w. d. Haywood was secretary"
replied the witness.
Mr.. Hawley then renewed his ques-
tion as to the Vindicator mine. 1t was
once more objected to.
Judge Wood overruled the objection
upon the statement of the counsel for
the prosecution that Haywood would
be connected with the affair. Judge
Wood said that unless Haywood was
mony as given by Orchard he would
rule it all out.
Confesses to Hieh-Grading.
81 had been high-grading in the Vim
dicator mine," said Orchard.
"High-grading is commonly known
as stealing high grade ore. l had some
powder in the mine," continued Or
chard, "and reported the fact to Da-
Wis, President of our local. He said
he would give me 5000 to set the pow
der off and blow up the mine. The
union men had all been called out on
strike. l asked a companion. named
Scholtz, If he would like to go in with
me. He said all right and that he
thought we were justified. We went
to the mine and took couple of shots
at the man running the cage. He ran
away into a tunnel. We did not find
the powder and came out of the mine
unmolested.
In November some time w. F. Da-
Wis and Sherman Parker, who were in
charge of the strike, came to me and
asked if we couldn't send bomb into
the Vindicator mine and blow it up.
They said they would give me $500
for it. | went to Scholtz about 1t, but
he said he did not want to do it, for
they had not paid him for the last time
he went into the mine. A man named
Ackerman then said he would help
me.
Killed TWO at Cripple Creek.
81 got fifty pounds of giant powder
and arranged it with giant caps which
were to be set off by the lifting of the
guard-rail as the cage passed the sew
enth level. We placed the bomb but
did not hear anything of it for about
week, when it finally exploded Su-
perintendent Charles Mccormick and
Mel Beck, a shift boss, were killed
THE next day. however, both Davis
and Parker were arrested-the day
following the meeting at Victor. w.
B. Easterly was also arrested, but re-
leased on habeas corpus. He went to
Denver and l followed him, where
went to see Haywood and Meyer at
their Offices in the Mining Exchange
building.
Il knew them only by sight prior to
this. | introduced myself and they
said they knew me by reputation.
Meyer asked me il l wanted any
money and | said not at that time,
but later. Meyer said Easterly had
told him had blown up the Vindicator
mine and killed Mccormick and Beck.
Says Haywood Was Pleased.
Haywood told me the blowing up of
the mine was fine piece of work and
they were much pleased with it,
talked to Haywood, Meyer and East
erly about the matter. They said there
would be nothing further for me but
night work for while. Haywood said
he would have to clean those fellows
up at Cripple Creek.
| "MOyar uaua mo con and HAYWOOD
later, in Meyers office, paid me $500
for blowing up the mine.
Il returned to Cripple Creek in De-
cember, 1908, and since then l have
not done any labor. Haywood and
Meyer both told me | could not go too
| fierce to suit them-to go ahead and
blow up anything | could think of-to
get some of the soldiers If possible.
Il went to work and made a couple
of bombs with giant powder and dyna-
mite. / was helped by Owney Barnes.
| turned one of the bombs over to a
man at saloon who said he was go
ing to throw it, / don't know what be-
came of it.
81 wanted money for what ! had al
read DONE" continued Orchard
Parker told me that several of the boys
had been doing little things, and they
all wanted money but it was hard to
get, because nothing big had been
pulled off. / decided to tell the rail
road people, because l wanted my
money. The next day told d. c. Scott
of the railroad company. l told him
all knew about the matter. Scott
wanted me to come back again, and
| did see him again. Meantime the
bomb in the Vindicator had finally
gone Off Scott sent for me again and
wanted to know if / knew anything
about the explosion. | said no, that
thought it was an accident.
Il met Meyer several times during
the trials which followed the explosion.
Meyer was attending the trials and
said he thought We ought not to do
anything while the trials were in prog