The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-11-13
MURDER OF TYLER
Story of the Killing Is Told on
the Witness Stand.
In the Trial of Steve Adams in
Idaho.
LED OUT AND SHOT.
Confession of the Prisoner Is
Read in Court.
Penitentiary Warden Retells
Tale as Told to Him.
LED OUT AND SHOT.

| state militia of Colorado, occupied the
witness stand in the Steve Adams trial
! at Rathdrum, Idaho, yesterday after
noon. He testified first to having seen
Adams on May 81. 1905, at Orchard,
Idaho, on the Oregon Short Line, about
| thirty miles from Boise City. He went
there to meet him, to go to Colorado
| with HIM. Adams was with two men,
Gene johnson and S. C. Thiele.
On cross examination Mr.. Wells,
who is a member of the Colorado state
railroad commission, said he was in
| charge of the special train that took
Meyer, Haywood and. Pettibone to
Boise. from Denver. He said. as q
member of the Mine Owners associa-
ton. being manager of a mine in Tel
luride, he had an interest In the pros e
cution of these men, assghe4 believed
they were guilty of inStigatfngs the muir
der of Steunenberg. Wells said that
Adams had expressed fear lest he meet
some member of the Western Fedora
ton of Miners.
'Why?" he was asked.
Because Adams said that if any
members of that organization recog-
nized him he would be violently dealt
with, on account of the statement that
he had made in exposing his officers"
E. L. Whitney, warden of the state
penitentiary at Boise, was called when
MI. w ellis ndQ InlSn6Q, ana he T0IOIQ
the story of Adams as to the killing of
Boule and Tyler. About the only new
features he added were that Newt
Glover, Alvah Mason and Adams led
Tyler out to die the morning following
the night they had kept him prisoner,
while trying to ascertain who had sent
him into the country, and who were his
relatives. They had a rope around his
neck. Whitney said:
He told me that when the man
leading Tyler had reached a certain
spot he stopped and said:
'.'This is good enough for him. and
I shot him. He said they cached his
body there and went away and left it,
Whitney said that afterwards Adams
retold him the story and said that he
believed the shooting of Boule and
Tyler was justified as they had been
sent into the country by someone to
jump claims and had met a just fate.
In the last hour of court the confess
sion of Adams was read to the jury. 1t
was made to James Mcfarland. the
Pinkerton detective, soon after Adams
was arrested in February, 1906, and
put in the Boise prison. 1t was admit
ted by Judge Wood during McParland's
direct examination. Attorney DarrUw
objected on the ground that it had not
been made voluntarily and that, induce
ments and promises of 1eniency had
prompted it.
Adams Confession.
In the confession Adams is quoted
as saying CndC ne met MOyor, nay
wood and Pettibone in Colorado 1.-The
summer following Arthur Collins as
at Telluride" and that he
had been Intimately acquainted with
them up to the time he left Colorado.
'.They told me to go to Idaho and
ed as saying that he wanted to see
me on some business in regard to ex-
Governor Steunenberg and that I
would meet him near Wallace, Idaho,
l.
The confession deals with prelimi-
nary talk about the proposed ASA ssi-
nation of Governor Steunenberg. This
talk had occurred shortly after the
dynamiting of the depot at. Indepen-
dence, in 1904. 1t was about a. month
after that Adams started for Idaho.
The talk had taken place in Petit
bones back room, and besides Adams
there had been present Haywood and
Pettibone
The confession continues:
"They just told me to go up and see
as he wanted to see me-
and he would probably tell me about
the Steunenberg matter, as they want
ed to get Steunenberg.'
did you get any money!
They gave me 5000 to go up there
on;"
George Pettibone.' - /
After meeting Sfnpkirs,,~ Adams |
said, he fingered but g. short time I'M
Wardner, but left soon Cor Simpkins'i
claim, about fourteen miles above thej
head of navigation on the st. Joe
There were some = Jumpers in |
here Adams is quoted as saying.
Was offered $500.
"Simpkins said that if I helped him
to get rid of those fellows he would |
give me $500. Two of these men were |
killed.
''Who assisted in the killing of these
nen?"
Newt Glover. Jack simpkins and
myself
How did you carry out the murder
IF Tyler 2"
1--WE went in one night, Newt Glover, |
AIvah Mason and myself to Simpkins' |
"a pin made some coffee and had break |
fast and in the morning we went over
20 try to catch Tyler. in his cabin On
we lay there until shutdown. He never |
returned, and we started up to a |
spring, and while we Were drinking we
heard some one coming. I said:
All right, I am glad of it, I got |
my Winchester and, standing by the |
side of the TRAIL never moved. 1 saw
It was Tyler coming; he had big gun |
ouckled ON him: I stepped out on the
hands. We then disarmed him, took |
him to Simpkfns' cabin and stopped /
here until morning when We took him |
hree miles out in the timber and killed |
him.
What was done with the body?"
at was ltft lying between two logs"
"Who did Tyler say placed him on |
he claim ?' 49,
"A fellow named Lewis-a banker, I
hink, from Spokane-but can not say
positively"
After that what occurred %
II went down and met Simpkins at
Harrison and told him what I had done,
hat he did not have any Jumper on
lis claim.
I'm about week or thereabouts, or
two weeks, we went back up
n there. and met fellow named