The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1907-06-29
LAS1ERLY ON STAND
Leader in Cripple Greek Strike
C0ntradictS Orchard.
DENIES ACTS OF VIOLENCE
Also Testifies That in the Fall of 1908
He Heard the States Star Witness
Threaten to Take the Life Of For
ner Governor Steunenberg.

Boise, Ida, June 29.-William IL.
Fasterly, who was one of the leaders
Of the great Cripple Creek strike and
whom Orchard connects with some OF
the violence in the Cripple Creek dis
trict, was called to the stand on con-
vening of court and continued his tes-
tinlony in behalf Of William d. Hay
wood Easterly directly denied Or
chard's testimony rejecting on him
and testified that in the fall OF 1903
he heard Orchard threaten to kill
Steunenberg.
In the cross-examination the state
strongly attacked Easterly for re-
naming silent after he had known
Orchard, as Thomas Hogan, had killed
Steunenberg and not speaking until
Orchard made a confession implicat-
ing the Western Federation OF Miners.
On taking the stand Easterly denied
positively that he had ever talked
with Harry Orchard as to the lnde-
rendcnce depot explosion. Orchard
was at Cripple Creek the latter part
of 1903 and the first OF 1904. he
mined a little," said the witness, but
he was quite a fiend at cards. he
seldom worked more than a month at
a time"
Easterly asserted that during the
Cripple Creek strike days there was
never much talk of violence at the
meetings of the union except by
visiting member. The visitor proved
afterward to be a secret service man
in the employ Of the mine owners
The labor leaders always counseieo
peace, saying that any dlsorders
which might occur would be attributed
to, the union.
Easterly said he was arrested az
Cripple Creek, 'as matter OF mill
tary necessity" and was thrown INTO
the bull pen" for violence. he said
he was at home in bed when the lnde-
pendence depot was destroyed. he
did not know what had happened un-
til next morning He then heard that
the soldiers were coming and went to
Cripple Creek, where, along with
many others, he went to Victor.
At Victor he went to the union head
quarters, where several hundred men,
bers of the Western Federation OF
Miners were gathered. The streets
were filled with all sorts OF people,
some soldiers, some detectives ana
some mine owners officials. Easterly
declared that the soldiers in passing
federation men would say:
Soldiers Use Strong Language.
There's one that ought to be
hanged or have his head shot on
In the afternoon" said Easterly.
&C. C. Hamlin, secretary Of the Mine
Owners association, made speech IN
the streets in which he referred to the
independence depot explosion and
said that fifty or more OF the leaders
ought to be hanged and the rest
driven out OF the district. Then
shot was fired and the fireworks be-
gan.
When the firing was over ! Went
up Third avenue and stayed there
until | saw the militia maneuvering
around and apparently surrounding
the union hall. Then they began
shooting"
Easterly then said he went home,
armed himself with a repeating shot
gun and went to Goldfield, but did not
remain there long, as the militia
drove all union men out OF town. He
next went to Denver. There he saw
Haywood, Meyer and Pettibone. Eas-
terly changed his name to "Bill
Brown" The witness said he went