The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-07-12
The Man Being Tried for the
Murder of Steunenberg
Takes the Stand in His Own
Defense at Boise.
TELLS HIS LIFE STORY
Has Worked i'm the Mines Since
He Was 8 Years Old.
Declares He Never Discussed
Any Crime With Orchard.

DOlSe, lQanO, july Nv llllam Il
Haywood, charged with the murder
of Ex-Governor Frank. Steunenberg
was called to the stand immediat ely
after the noon recess Thursday to tes-
tify in his own behalf and his examill-
alton by Mr.. barrow was begun.
The accused man was perfectly al
ease as he walked to the chair and
I took oath as a witness. His voice was
quite low at first. but when his atten-
ton was called to it. he elevated it SO
as to carry to Judge Wood
Haywood said his father and step
father were both miners. and he first
| began work as a miner under the lat
| ter Haywood was born in Salt Lake
| City in 1859. His father was born in
Ohio. and his mother in South Africa
the daughter of an English army
He first went to work at the mines
when he was years old. He was
married at Pocatello. ID, and has two
children-daughters. The witness.
| other when boy of by sticking a
knife in it. The prisoner spent the
| greater part of his mining career at
/ Silver City, Id. He joined the West
ern Federation of Miners in 1896.
Haywood declared he never knew
| Governor Steunenberg and had no in
terest in the Occur d'Alene troubles
other than as member of the fedora
| ton.
Paid a Lot of Lawyers.
The prisoners wife. mother and
young daughter were present in court
yesterday afternoon when he was call
| ed to the stand.
Resolutions and discussions con-
demning Gov. Steunenberg's course
| in the Occur d'Alene. Haywood de-
clared. were not confined to the West
ern Federation of Miners but applied
generally to labor organizations
through out the country.
The witness was asked if he ever
said to anyone. as has been testified,
that Governor Steunenberg should be
exterminated.
mo, sir" he replied. 'I think what
1 said was that he should be relegated,
and 1 took a hand in RELOCATING him"
Haywood became a member of the
executive board of the Western FEEDER
alton of Miners in 1900. holding that
position until June. 1901, when he was
elected secretary-treasurer- Office
which he still nominally fills. His sal
airy is $3.50 a month.
The witness was questioned at length
as to the early history of the organiZa-
ton. the duties of its officers, etc.
torneys. Haywood declared that at
times it has had as high as twenty-five
attorneys on the pay roll. Its growth
has been steady ever since that time,
Creek year, when there was a tenn
porary loss of 5000 members.
Federation in Politics.
The federation. according to Hay
wood, has always taken an active in
terest in politics.. one of its objects be-
ing to elect its friends and defeat its
enemies. 1t has also taken a deep inter
est in labor measures affecting all
classes of working men.
An eight-hour law, as applied to
miners, has been secured in nearly
every state where the federation is
organized. In some cases it became
necessary to amend state constitutions
before the eight-hour statute could be
effective.
Haywood was led by barrow over
part of the ground covered by Meyer
as to the beginning and progress of the
The witness said his duties as secre-
tary of the federation kept him at
headquarters practically all the time.
dent and members of the executive
board. He accompanied Meyer to
Cripple Creek soon after the strike was
called there. and at the Pinnacle park
picnic delivered an address in which
he counseled peace, and warned
against any form of violence.
Haywood said he first met Orchard
in 1904, at the same time Meyer met
the man. Orchard came as a delegate
from one of the Cripple Creek miners
unions to a convention of the State
Federation of Labor. The witness de-
MED as fatty as Meyer did, that Or
in December. 1903. and that he had
congratulated Orchard on blowing up
the Vindicator mine.
He never spoke to me at any time
about the VindicatOr." declared Hay
wood. land never received any money
from me-
Fight With Soldiers.
Haywood corroborated what Meyer /;
testified to as to the circumstances of |
Orchards accompanying the president |
nF hs. cd Onr2V
when Meyer asked Orchard if he |
had any firearms" said Haywood, |
Orchard unbuttoned his vest, reach !
ed way down in his belt and pulled a /
y-five-caliber six-shooter. 1t must /
have been a foot and half long. I |
asked him what he was going to do
with that thing. He said he would
lake it to Ouray- I said, DO you
going to wait till you undress your
self to get that gun?
Haywood's recital of the incident.
told in even good humor, called out
ripple of laughter in the court room
Haywood told of Meyers return
from Ouray to Denver in 1904 in GUS
tody of a detachment of militia. Hay
wood, at his own request, was allowed
to meet Meyer at the depot. The wit
ness told how he had just greeted
Meyer at the depot when General
RulkeIey Wells interfered, and Hay
wood struck Wells.
what happened then2"
1.-THE soldiers set upon me. and 1
got much the worst of it,"
Haywood was then taken to the OK
ford hotel. he said, and there one of
the soldiers pulled a six-shooter on
him. Haywood struck the soldier
and then another row occurred. in
which Haywood was again roughly
Haywood said that he heard moth
ing of the Independence depot ex-
plosion. or the murder of Lyle Greg
Dry until after they happened. Or
chard. he said. had never approached
b i'm In nnectinn with either of these