The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1907-11-12
OF PiNkERToN DETECTIVES WHO
TESTIFY in ADAMS TRIAL
AT RATHDRUM.
WELLS AS WITNESS
Confession Of Defendant to be Put in
Evidence With Testimony Of James
Observation-Disclosures Himself to
Join Western Federation.-Hawley
Takes Lead In Case.


SpokesmanReview from Rathdrum,
Ida, says most of the day in the case
of Steve Adams, member of the
Western Federation Of Miners who is
ON trial here for the alleged murder
OF Fred Tyler, homesteader in the
Marble Creek country of Shoshone
county, Idaho, three years ago. was
taken UP by Clarence Darrow, lead
ing attorney for Adams in paving the
way for an argument as to the truth
fulness of Pinkerton detectives.
s. G. Thiele, assistant superinten-
dent Of the Pinkerton Spokane office
was Mr.. Darrow's victim and from
early morning until court adjourned
he battled with the detectives on the
witness stand going over and over
again, step by step and thread by
SAAA Ses4 SAC Observation-Disclosures surrounding
the manner In which Adams confessed
to Thiele and the trend and meaning
of that statement. Prior testimony
made by Thiele was dug up by Mr..
barrow. Mr.. Darrow is good at this.
His caustic manner, his harsh voice
and sharp tongue. tend to lay great
stress on a point where otherwise an
attorney might fail. On the whole,
Thiele made q good impression and
while 1t Is certain that he will be
attacked in the arugment of the Chi
cago attorney, he did the states case
no harm by shallow discrepancies.
Attorney Hawley in the Case.
j.. H. Hawley, who conducted the
Haywood case at Boise and the first
Adams trial at Wallace took the lead
for the state today, Mr.. Knight retir-
ing for the time being. He had only
one clash with Attorney Darrow. c.
H. Williams and Attorney clyde, for
the state, have gone to the Marble
creek country to look over the ground
where the Tyler murder occurred, and
possibly be of use in rebuttal for the
state.
Bulkley Wells Of Colorado to whom
Adams made statements after he was
in his custody arrived here today and
will be used as a witness for the state.
George g. Huebner, clerk at the Boise
penitentiary, who recorded Adams
confession, Is also here. Adams con-
fession is to be put in evidence under
the testimony Of James MCFARLAND.
Mr.. Darrow, following out the
scheme used at the first trial, called
James MCFARLAND manager of the
Pinkerton western district from cross
examination. Mcfarland said he got
Adams to describe his part in the
steunenberg murder.
Il told Adams" he said, "t1at he
would better make a clean breast #
the whole affair, as he would feel
much better and It was a debt he
owed to the state and to the law and
order; that he was tool and he
admitted 1t. used the bible stories
of David and st. Paul as illustrations
OF what benefited man when he re
pented Of crime and that he might be
redemmed."
by whom" asked Mr.. Darrow.
by God, of course" said McPar-
land
Promises to Adams.
You did not tell him that you would
forgive him and that you would save
his soul?" asked the lawyer
81 have not the power Of abso1u-
ion," replied MCFARLAND.
"Did you make Adams any pro-
Mises?"
81 only told him that believed the
state would be fair; told him of Jerry
the bum, in the Mollie Maguires who
was not prosecuted when he turned
state evidence after he had hand In
the killing of Daniel w Ray
Mr. Thiele was then recalled for
direct examination. He said that
Adams confessed to the Tyler murder
three weeks after he had confessed to
MCFARLAND of his part in the exGov-
ernor Steunenberg murder.
Adams watched Thiele narrowly
while he was talking. The jury lean
ed forward to a man with the mott
intense interest during the narrative.
Thiele told Of Joining the Western
Federation of Miners at Butte in 1904
when he was working there in a
secret capacity for the Pinkertons.
you did that to spy on your fel-
low men?" asked Darrow.
.r did not said Thiele. "they