The Idaho Springs siftings-news. (Idaho Springs, Colo.) 1905-19??, 1908-08-08
G. A. PETT|B0NE
DIES OF CANCER
PASSING OF FORMER WESTERN
FEDERATION OF MINERS
OFFICIAL.
HAD BEEN ILL At BOISE
INDICTED WITH MOVER AND HAY
WOOD IN STEUNENBERG
MURDER CASE.

Denver. Following an operation
from which he did not rally, George A.
Pettibone, prominently connected
with the Western Federation OF Min
ers' troubles in Colorado. and one OF
three under indictment IN the Idaho
courts on a charge of completely IN
the death OF Governor Steunenberg
Of that state, died in St. joseph's hos
pital Monday night.
For more than year past his health
had been very poor, and for six months
prior to and during the trial OF Charles
II. Meyer and William d. Haywood. he
was critically i'll in Jail at Boise, Idaho
Following the acquittal of Meyer
and Haywood. Pettibone was released
from the Boise Jail, still under indict-
mcnt, and went to Los Angeles for his
health, the physicians in attendance
upon him believing that the change OF
climate and scene would benefit him
Some time ago he was brought to Den
yer at his own request. ard was taken
to St Joseph's hospital last week.
After a consultation of physicians
and surgeons an operation was decided
upon to save as a last resort and on
Saturday it was performed. A cancer
GUS growth near the liver was found.
His constant illness had so debilitated
his system, however, that from the
first his recovery was scarcely hoped
for and he gradually failed in strength
until death came last evening. His
wife, who nursed and cared for him
tenderly during his incarceration in
the Boise jail, was at his bedside when
| the end came
Pettbone, who has been charged by
| the government of Idaho, with having
a hand in many of the Infamous
| crimes committed there in that state,
was born in Miles, Grove, Erie county,
! Pennsylvania. forty-five years ago
! When still young man he came west
and was known in the Occur d'Alene
! country, in northern Idaho, more than
| fifteen years ago
! At that time he was prominently
| connected with the Western federation
! in that district. and the blowing up OF
/ the Bunker Hill and Sullivan mine and
/ mill some twelve years ago was laid
/ at his door He was tried in the Fed
| eral District Court in Idaho on this
/ charge and was sentenced to the pen
/ itentiary for one year. After serving
this sentence he came to Colorado.
The blowing up of the Bunker Hill
mine was one of the first atrocious
| crimes laid at the door of the fedora
ton Through a misunderstanding be
1 tween the management of the com
pans and the miners a feeling of bit
terness was engendered, which re
| suited in open war being declared. The
mine and mill were closely guarded by
the company and an attack upon tht
proNDty by 1000 miners from sur
rounding towns and camps was re
pulsed.
Pettibone, ii was charged, person
! ally planned and executed the blowing
up of the property by huge dyna
mite bomb sent down water flume
| from point half mile above the
| mill
When the miners troubles arose ir
| Colorado, Pettibone was ostensibly {
| quiet merchant in Denver, but he was
charged by the Pinkerton detectives
! with being the originator OF an ex
plosive composition more deadly thar
dynamite and without the drawback:
of nitroglycerine. In the miners par
| lance this was known as "Pettibont
DOPE" or "Pettibone's hell-fire'
Always cordial and of good appear
ance and address, Pettibone was ex
ceedingly popular among the fedora
ton members and also had man,
friends in other walks Of life.