The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1907-10-03

! A~ntnoot Cohpau}. iulS, II I!
claimed, was his connection with tn,
conspiracy.
Rumors of timber land frauds have
been rife in Idaho for years, and II
was over two years ago that District
Attorney Norman NJ Ruick, an an,
pointee OF President. Roosevelt and
one OF the shrewdest, most indomit,
able and courageous men In the serv.
Ice OF the government anywhere, act.
ing under direction OF the depart.
ment of justice. started an investiga.
/ tion, which, In its results, has
smirched the regulations OF more
prominent men than any other sim.
liar Investigation in any state.
| Ruick started trouble In northern
Idaho first. Ills efforts there have
resulted in the conviction and sen.
fencing, among Others. OF W. r. Ket.
tenbach and George II. Kester, two
prominent bankers and politicians OF
Lewiston, as well as a number OF
smaller fry.
The grand jury which dipped deer
into the doings OF the Barber Lum.
ber company, convened In Boise early
last spring. District Attorney Ruick
laid before it the results of two years
and more patient Investigation made
by himself and by special agents and
secret service operatives. working
under his direction and that OF the
department of justice. The testi.
Gony Of large number OF witnesses
was also taken.
Frank Steunenberg met his death
at. the hands OF an ssassin. The
death OF his brother, A. X. Stennen-
berg, banker OF Caldwell, which &C.
Cured while the grand jury was In
session, was almest equally tragic.
and, in the universal opinion OF Ida.
hoans, was directly attributable to
the grand Iury's Investigations.
One day scbpoena was served up
on A. X. Steunenherg 10 produce the
books OF his bank, the Caldwell Trust
company, before the grand Jury.
The subpoena seemed to affect him
like blow. lie went home that
evening like a man In dream,
walked into his house, and, as be
passed from one room into another,
slammed open pair Of double doors
with such force as to break the glass
in them. Then, almost Immediately.
he sank upon lounge In stupor
from which he never rallied. In
twenty -four hours he had Joined his
brother on the other side.
Rumors OF suicide were rife In con-
nection with the death OF A. X.
Steunenberg. They are still rife;
but the more fixed opinion is that
shock, not suicide, was the cause OF
the death--that the strong man
feared the revelation which his
books would make 10 such an extent
that bis heart refused TO perform It's
function. Typhoid fever has also been
assigned as the cause uf A. X.
Steunenberg's death, but. IL such be
the case, II caused death more quickly
than 1t usually does.
While the grand jury was in ses-
sion l.. 6. Chapman, Boise manager
OF the Barber Lumber company. was
subpoeaned to bring the books OF the
company before the jury. lie re.
fused and Judge James III. Beatty,
who was then on the federal bench.
but sho has since retired, promptly
sent nim TO Jail for contempt OF
court. lie was subsequently released
on writ Of habea corpus issued BY
Circuit Judge ". h. Gilbert, sitting
at Portland, Ore As result the
books, so much desired BY the prose.
cution, have not yet been inspected
BY anybody connected with the gov.
eminent.
On the grand jury which returned
the indictments were two old u.en
who bad been Frank SteDnenberg S
warm supporters ana friends during
bis lifetime. One day, when the evi.
dence duplicating their former Idol
was particularly black, these two old
men fell weeping into each Others 5
arms because Of the revelations which
bad been made. From an nDim.
peacbable source it is learned that
the grand jury tonk a sirsS - ballot on
the question Of whether or not ~
would indict SteGnenberg. we're he
alive. Tire bsIlos resulted for con-
yiction b, an overw belming majority
only tso OF the gIand jury voting
ia the negative. IL must be under
stood that ii does not take the unani-
nous vote Of the grand jury TO re-
turn an Indictment
While the grand iury was 10 ses-
sicn and when IL became apparent
that Borsh either lad been or would
be indicted. Calvin Cobb, proprietor
OF the Boise Statesman, who was
then In the East, fastened to Wash
ington and through his good friend
Clifford Pincho. head OF the forestry