Los Angeles herald., 1907-07-29
JURY RETURNS A VERDICT OF
"NoT GUILTY"
DEFENDANT STEPS FROM PRISON
AND EMBRACES MOTHER
Courts Instructions and Disbelief of
Story Told by Harry Orchard Ina
fluence Twelve Men to Declare
Federation Official Free
By Associated Press.

| X sunlight of a beautiful Sabbath
- morning, into the stiffness of a city
drowsy with the lazy slumber of sum
mer Sunday William d. Haywood, the
defendant in one of the most noted trials
| involving conspiracy and murder that the
| country has ever known, walked today
| a free man, acquitted of the murder of
former Governor Frank Steunenberg.
| The probability of a verdict of acquit-
tai in the case of the secretary-treasurer
| and ackn owledged leader of the Western
| Federation of Miners had been freely
predicted since yesterday, when Judge
| Fremont Wood read his charge, which
was regarded as strongly favoring the
defense in its Interpretation of the laws
of conspiracy, circumstantial evidences
and the corroboration of an accomplice
| who confesses.
| 1t was also freely predicted that in the
event of Haywood's acquittal the state
would abandon the prosecution of his
associates, Charles H. Meyer, the presi-
| dent of the federation, and George A.
| Pettibone of Denver. Statements from
| counsel and from Governor Gooding is
sued today dispel this view of the sit
uation. Governor Gooding said:
1.-The verdict Is a great surprise to me
! and L believe to all citizens of Idaho who
| have heard or read the evidence In the
| case.
"I have done my duty. 1 have ro regret
| for any action have taken and my con-
science Is clear. AS long as God gives
me strength shall continue my efforts
for government by law and organized
society.
1.-THE state will continue vigorous
| prosecution of Meyer and Pettibope and
| Adams. and of Simpkins when he Is APP
pretended.
.'There will be neither hesitation nor
! retreat"
Meyer May Get Bail
| Application will be made to Judge
Wood tomorrow morning to admit Meyer
and Pettibone to bail, and it was stated
| tonight that In the case of Meyer,
| against whom the state is admitted to
| have it's weakest case favorable cor
| sideration would not be unexpected.
! Not the least interesting Of the COM
| ments made on the verdict today was
| that of Harry Orchard, the self-confessed
/ murderer of Governor Steunenberg and
the witness upon whom the state cniefiy
! relied to prove its claim of sinister con-
spiracy against the Western Federation
of Miners. When told at the state peni-
tentiary that Haywood had been acquit-
ted, Orchard said:
| "Well, have done my duty. / have
told the truth. 1 could do no more 1
am ready to take any punis hment that
I may De n1eLeU OuL 10 Iue lOI my OitlAACS
| and the sooner it comes the better
| 1t was after being out for twenty-one
hours that the jury, which at first had,
| been divided to 4 and then seemed dead
| locked at 10 to 2, finally came to an agree
ment shortly after the first faint streaks
| of the coming day showed gray above
| the giant hills which wall Boise to the
| north and east. The weary, snow-bearded
| old bailiff, who had kept an all-night
| vigil before the door of the jury room,
was startled into action by an imperative
| knock from within. Events moved rapid
| ly enough after this and when at last
| the principal actors in the trial had been
gathered into the court room at a few
| moments before o'clock, the white en-
velope handed by the foreman to the
Judge was torn open and the verdict
read.
Thrills Prisoner
1t came as an electric thrill to the
| prisoner, to his counsel, to the attorneys
! for the state and to the small group or
| heavy-eyed newspaper men and court
| officials who had been summoned from
| beds but lately sought, or from otfices
where sleepless waiting had marked the
night. Tears welled to the eyes of the
| man who during the eighty days of his
| trial had sat with stolid indifference
written upon his every feature-at last
the icy armor he had thrown about him
self with the first day of jury selection
had been pierced, and whatever or pent
up feeling had been contained within
was loosened.
Haywoods attorneys were fairly
lifted from their seats and Judge Wood
made no effort to restrain them as they
pressed forward to shake his hands and
shouted aloud their congratulations
Attorney Hawley, leading counsel for
the state, and A. M. Van Duyn, the
prosecuting attorney of the county in
which former Governor Steunenburg was
assassinated. sat gloomily and unspeak-
ing in their places. Senator Borah, who
made the closing plea for the conviction.
was not present. OF the prisoners
counsel those in the court room were
Clarence Darrow of Chicago, z. f.
Richardson of Denver and John F. Nu-
gent of Boise.
The absentees from the defendants
table included Edgar Wilson, the for
mer law partner of Judge Wood, who
presided at the trial.
No member of the prisoners family
nor any of his friends among the So
cialist writer's and the members of the
labor jury who have been attending the
trial was in the court room at the early
hour the verdict was returned. The
spectators benches were empty. but
in the doorway stood Governor Frank
Gooding, who has taken an active part
in pressing the prosecution of Haywood
and his associates. There was no dem
onstration other than that made by the
attorneys for the defense and the court
proceedings were over, the prisoner had
been discharged and the jury dismissed
for the term in less than three minutes
time.
Boise Is Surprised
The news of the verdict was received
reluctantly in Boise. Extra editions of
the papers carried the tidings far and
wide and during the day there was con-
siderable discussion in clubs, cafes, ho-
tel lobbies and upon the street corners.
The surprise which had been so mani
fest In the court room was manifest
everywhere. The long time the jury was
out had conveyed the general impression
that there could be no other outcome
than a disagreement. The rumors which
spread so rapidly and frequently through
the night and which were as unreliable
as such rumors always are were gener-
ally to the effect that a majority OF the
Jurors had voted for conviction. Some
were even so radical as to say that the
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