The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-05-03

has been done, that it's business is t.
calmly and fairly try the men who ar
accused, to free them if they are In
nocent, to hang them if they arr
proven guilty, and to do this fear
lessly.
But under the surface of calm there
is a strong undercurrent of apprehen.
sion and nervousness, tragic in many
of its aspects. Violence is the ever
present fear. The position of the
prisoners and their activity through
years of bitter labor warfare, the dis
sension over their arrest in Colorado
and removal to Idaho. the rallying OF
thousands of wOrkmen to their sup
port and the radical propaganda un-
dertaken in their behalf, together with
the intense feeling against the Mine
Owners association and other incl
dents have served. rightly or wrongly
to make the case in the minds and at
titudes of thousands a contest between
the classes rather than a trial for the
alleged crime of murder.
In few minds is there belief that
HAYWOOD Meyer and Pettibone, their
friends or the men affiliated with them
in labor union circles would approve
much less encourage, any act of vio-
lence at this time, because such act, 1t
is believed, would be a fatal error. But
there is a general fear that from the
ranks of the violent radicals there may
come a man or men desperate enough
to attempt ASA ssination or agitation
may give sinister suggestion and in
spiration to some crank or irrespon-
sible.
Letters that threaten every form of
violence are pouring into Boise from
all over the country by the hundreds
and most of them are directed to Gov
ernor Frank r. Gooding, who is made
largely to bear the brunt of all that
this celebrated case invites. Detectives,
police and friends of the governor gen.
orally are constantly upon the alert to
H.. 49, TT.
family and friends he has finally and
under protest altered the routine and
movements of his life and work at
least to a point offering the least ex-
posture compatible with the perform
ance of his duty Governor GOOding
may be in no danger from any source
but he and his friends live every hour
in the chill atmosphere of danger and
to them the tragedy is ever real.
Another man similarly marked in
the belief of many men is Harry Or
chard, alleged to be the assassin hired
by the three prisoners, whose alleged
confession is the basis of the states
case. Perfectly reasonable men here
look at the high witness chair in the
county court house, shake their heads
seriously, and tell you that Harry Or
chard will die in it. They tell you, too,
that if he were taken out of prison
tomorrow his body would be found
found within a week.
Harry Orchard may live to die on
the gallows for his confessed part in
the murder of Steunenberg. but such
is not the belief of all the men in this
community. This same apprehension
offers a difficulty from the standpoint
of the prosecution in securing jury.
This has been a man-killing country
and under the shadow of a strong sus-
picion that there may be avenging
murders by cranks or others. it may
prove difficult to secure twelve men
willing to run the suspected risk, even
in this country of courageous self re-
liant men. assuming that the state es-
tablishes it's case.