The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-06-28
William Easterly Tells of
TrOubIOus Days in Colorado
In His Testimony at the Trial
of w. ID. Haywood.
MAKES STRONG DENIAL
OF Much That Was Testified to
by Harry Orchard.
Heard Him Threaten to Take
the Life of Steunenberg.

Boise. Idaho. June 2s.-william East
erly, who was one of the leaders of the
great Cripple Creek strike and whom
Harry Orchard connects with some of
the violence in Cripple Creek. was re-
called to the stand az the Steunenberg
trial this morning and continued his
testimony in behalf of William D. Hay
wood. Easterly directly denied Orch
ards testimony that reflects upon him
and swore that in the fall of 1908, he
heard Orchard threaten to kill Steunen-
berg.
On REORGANIZATION, the state
strongly attacked Easterly for remain
ing silent after he knew Orchard as
Thomas Hogan, had killed Steunenberg
and not speaking until Orchard made
confession duplicating the Western
Federation of Miners.
DIR. MCGEE Recalled.
Inme dietely after court convened this
morning the prosecution recalled to the
stand DR.. l. L MCGEE of Wallace.
Idaho, a witness for the defense, whose
cross-examination had been deferred.
DR. MCGEE had testified that he saw
Harry Orchard in the Occur D'Alenes
in 1904. On one occasion he observed
Orchard in company with a man named
Cunningham. Orchard claims to have
given the Peabody bomb to a man of
this name. The prosecution today
wanted DR.. MCGEE to describe Cunning
ham, The witness said he had seen
the man but twice and then they al
most came to blows over a political
discussion.
Was Cunningham a stout MANI"
asked Mr.. Hawley. Of the prosecution.
We didn't get that far replied the
witness
Did he have a mustache?"
I don't know, but he had a gun"
Following DR.. MCGEE, w. B. Easterly
was called to continue his testimony,
begun yesterday
Easterly denied positively that he
had ever talked with Harry Orchard as
to the Independence depot explosion.
Orchard was at Cripple Creek the latter
part of 1908. and the first of 1904. He
mined little" said the witness. "but
he was quite fiend at card games.
He seldom worked more than a month
at a time
Leaders CounseIIed Peace.
EasterIy asserted that during the
Cripple Creek strike there was never
any talk of violence, except by a visit
Ing member The visitor proved after
ward to be secret service man in the
employ of the mine owners The labor
leaders always counselled peace. saying
that any disorders which might occur
would be attributed to the union.
Easterly went over much of the
ground covered yesterday in the testi-
mony of W. F. Davis. He told of the
meeting addressed by Meyer and Hay
wood at which the two accused men
urged the miners to maintain peace and
order.
did you ever hear Meyer and Hay
wood tell Orchard in Denver in your
presence that he could not go too fierce
at Cripple Creek to suit them?" asked
Mr.. Darrow.
Il did not" replied the witness.
Easterly said he was arrested at
Cripple Creek AS matter of military
necessity and was thrown into the
bull pen for several days.
Easterly said he was at home in bed |
when the Independence depot was des- |
troyed- He did not know what had |
happened until next morning. He then |
heard that the soldiers were coming and |
went to Cripple Creek from where along |
with many others he went to Victor.
Were you armed2" asked Darrow.
No. sir, not with a rifle
He Had a Six Shooter.
Easterly said he had a six shooter" |
At Victor he went to the Union hall !
--here several hundreds members of the |
Western Federation of Miners were |
gathered. The streets were filed with |
all sorts of people. some soldiers some
detectives and some mine owners Off
Gals. Easterly declared that the SOL
diers in passing federation men would
say:
There's one that ought to be hanged
or have his head shot off"
In the afternoon c. Hamlin. secretary
of the Mine Owners association, made a
speech in the streets in which he refer
red to the Independence depot explosion
ought to be hanged and the rest driven
out of the district. Then a shot was fired
and as Easterly put 1t, the fireworks
began"
You were armed?'' repeated barrow
Yes sir"
What did you do -
Il did like many of the others. I was
very badly excited
Where did you go?"
When the firing was over 1 went up
Third avenue and stayed there until 1
saw the militia maneuvering around
and apparently surrounding the Union
hall. Then they began shooting at the
hall and 1 went on up the hill toward
home On my way I stopped at Steve
Adams and told him what l had heard
and seem
Talked to Steve Adams.
What did you tell him as to leaving
the country2'
Il told him of the threats had heard
against him and others and told him he
had better protect himself When 1 got
home 1 armed myself with a Wfnches-
ter repeating shotgun and then went to
Goldheld, Colo, where there was to be a
meeting of union men, I met several of
the boys on the way and they were also
armed We were going to meet to pro-
Sect ourselves
while we were at Goldfeld we saw
the militia and Citizens Alliance people
and the sympathiZers all around. going
about and taking into custody all the
union miners they could find
Easterly said there were but about 20
OF 70 union men in the hall, where the |
meeting was being held at Goldfeld, !
Colo When the militia started in their
direction the miners left the hall and I
we're nred at them The miners took {