Coeur d'Alene evening press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1907-1929, 1908-03-19

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he was sentenced by Judge Wood to
be hanged for the murder of former
Governor Steunenberg, Harry Or
chard seemed to be in better spirits
than at any time since his arrest.
This may be due to the recommended
tion of the court that his sentence be
committed by the state board of
pardons to imprisonment. Last
evening at the penitentiary Orchard
consented to an interview and gave
out the following statement.
Il had intended to make a state
ment about a number of matters
when given an opportunity, before
Judge Wood today, but his ad-
dress took me OF my feet. 1t was
so unexpected that was ratified and
could not say, on the spur of the mo-
ment. just what I wished to say.
Money Not Incentive.
Then, for one thing, / have often
been called a hired assassin, and
that, l believe, has led to a wrong
impression of what constituted the
motive for my crimes. 1t was not
for the money that did those things
Say, when l first went to the Occur
d'AIenes / had an adherence just
such as you would have had for the
things that we're going on up there.
l was told of the things before
went to work. l talked with Fred
Markell about them and criticized the
way the men were doing. l did not
think them right. Markell cautioned
me to keep my mouth shut. I'd
have to. He told me how his father
had been Obliged to get out of the
camp for fear of his life because he
had too freely expressed his opinion
But later, after / had heard them
talk and fight day after day, and
hearing nothing but their side of the
story, l came gradually to adopt the
views of the men with whom
of mind then. Life seemed far from
rosy. l had parted from my wife
back east / didn't care much what
happened, and l didn't stop much to
analyze things. 1 had cast my lot
with the miners and naturally fell
into adopting their views. / believed
we were fighting a great battle for
our rights. When we blew up the
Bunker Hill & Sullivan mill didn't
feel any particular responsibility for
it, 1t seemed then as If we had a
right to do that.
Thought He Was Justified.
after l left the Occur d'Alenes l
wandered around a good deal. had
no particular object in view, but I
had no thought of being criminal.
Finally reached Cripple Creek, and
there l met the men whom ! had
sympathized with up north. The
fight was soon on there and readily
ook a side thought we had rights
THAT should be protected by blood
shed if necessary. That is how it
was. It wasn't what money got for
committing the crimes entirely. l
felt l was working for a cause
BY the Help OF God.
Something was said regarding the
remarkable strength and fortitude
Orchard has exhibited all through
the tedious cases resulting from his
murder OF former Governor Steunen-
berg, and he said:
1T has been hard-so hard. But
my strength has been sustained by
Providence. without the power
from above never could have done
this; l never could have stood the
strain No one can know how my
mind and heart rebeiled against go
ing before the public and laying bare
the secrets of my life. | dreaded TO
tell of those awful crimes; but
knew it was my duty. 1t was God
who helped me to perform that duty.
I feel that / have his blessing for
performing it with his assistance.
Wife Is Noble Woman.
Now Orchard suddenly broke
in. there is one thing I would like
to make a statement about for you
TO publish. Ii is something / have
never mentioned for publication. and
it Is my duty to say something about