Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-01-04
wsstern Federation Of Miners
official Had Nothing to Do With
steunenberg's Murder.
COMMENT AT HEADQUARTERS
.,to. Seoy. Mills Declares That
Verdict viii End the Consplr-
acy Cases in Idaho.
Thinks Meyer WIN Never be Brought
To TrlaI--John Mitchell SAYS He
Fully Expected Acquiital'

Roise. Ida. Jan. After u
n ,onrs deliberation a verdict
~ not guilty was reached by
81 .he iu,y trying George A. Pettibone,
charged with completely in the muir
s. lor of ex-Gov Frank 4. Steunenburg.
rhe verdict was brought into court
81 a. t1.1b this morning. No demonstra-
,ior Of any kind marked the reading
81 :, The verdict which made Pettibone
,ree man. After two years impris-
cement awaiting trial the defendant,
& O,ie and emaciatcd because of his
a hione illness, merely smiled as he heard
his freedom, and moment later
81 ~ was surrounded by his attorneys
Il and friends His wife, who has been
n nv his side at every session of court
q during the trial, wept for JOY.
An night the balloting of the jury
,,ood 40 for acauittal and for CON
u yiction. There was no change until
Il Tho final ballot was reached both Of
,hc men who had been holding out
giving ,yav at the same time. Expires
SONS from members of the jury after
II their discharge, showed that from the
start 10 of the jurors maintained that
q the state had failed to prove the de-
a PENDANT guilty of the crime charger.
THE verdict caused little surprise IN
q Bojse. in view of the verdict in the
haywood case. The defense Introduced
4 nractically no evidence and did not
& argue the case, simply maintaining
Il mat the state had entirely falleu 10
Y connect the defendant with the Killing
OF Steunenberg.
4 30 action was taken in the mover
gIff
inc state admit that the prosecution
d of the Western Federation of Miners
leaders for the Steunenberg murder l.
at an end. Meyer will be released
d from bail. probably this afternoon.
n The lrdictment against Jack Simp.
q kins who is fugitive. Will stand. fet-
tlbono will return at once TO Denver
His health Is ma very presario ,hst IBIS Ms
dillon and his physicians rear tnat 'ls
n,aladv is of such a nature tnai -hs
a will never recover
s. WHAT MILLS SAYS.
81 Denver ian. 4.--There We're but Few
y persons in the office of the Westei =
81 Federation of Miners in this city To-Day
81 when news of Petitioners aequittal was
n rsceived and no demonstration, save
81 EXPRESSIONS of satisfaction. was MADE
81 Ernest Mills, acting secretary, Is tine
only officer of the federation in the CITY
n I'VE have been confident that Petit
bone would be found not guilty, sauo
81 Mr. Mills There was not partlcit
a Of evidence TO connect him elthe'
81 with conspiracy to kill Gov. steusn-
Fl berg or with a general conspiracy
81 against the foes of the miners unions
FL Nc feel certain that this will end tn
81 conspiracy cases in Idaho, and tina
n Charles III. Meyer. president OF III
"a federation. will never be brought U
81 trial. Now we shall see what Will b'
81 done with Harry Orchard on whos'
81 unsupported word the cases agains
81 Meyer, Haywood and Pettibone rested.
MITCHELLs COMMENT.
Kansas city, Jan. 4.-John Mitchell
81 president of the United Mine Work
ers of America, who Is at Excelslo
81 Springs, Mo-, taking the waters. talk
lN ed with an Associated Press represen
81 tstye over the long distance telephon
q Of the Pettibone verdict. Mr.. Mitche
s said:
n II fully expected the verdict of no
a guilty ] cannot see how IL could hay
n been possible to have convicted MI
RI Pettibone upon the evidence of Harr
Fl Orchard
Mr. Mitchell said he did not care I
II discuss the verdict further at this tins
WHAT DARROW SAYS.
s. Los Angeles, Jan. 4.-Clarence :
81 Darrow. the Chicago attorney. WI
81 directed the defense of Haywood an
Pettibone, sitting today In a rockin
Il chair beside his bed at the ,jaliforni
hospital, and wrapped In bed cloth'
a and bandages, received the verdict
The jury in the Pettibonc case wit
4 the greatest pleasure. The Associate
Press correspondent was flrst 10 al
n Prise him Of the news.
1T Is unnecessary for me TO say
81 he said, that | am delighted. ! a
q RratiAed beyond measure. l had,
course, expected an acquittal, but
II Enow IL Is a great satisfaction"
II Mr.. barrow then dictated the Il
N lowing message to Geo. A. Petition
q Congratulations. Come here. | ma
flowers enough for two funerals
Il Commenting further upon the reau
MI, barrow said
There was never anything to the
II cases but Orchard. He related weil
fantastic, exciting story. but there "
no confederation OF II that tended
Itself 10 incriminate anybody, Il
81 country had seen in the Haywood tli
what a monster or liar he was.
was not safe TO take the life OF a
man on such testimony. In the ~
libone trial, the people had becol
accustomed To the story of Orcha
and thoroughly discredlted II. Va
81 little attention was paid TO II,
II should think that the prosecute
would now dismiss the case agar
81 President Meyer. Even Orchard ties
Ned 10 very little against him aud
one else did. The fact that he "
admitted To bail showed that the pro-
cntion held their ease against him
be weak"
Referring TO the logical result of
lcquitlal OF both Haywood and PET
"a bone, Mr.. DarroW said
II think the Western Federation
Miners has large field OF usefulne
q The struggle In Colorado was char
ieriaed by many acts on both sides Il
would not have done outside OF a gr
Industrial war. II Is necessary
both miners and mine owners To-
ganlze They ought now to try
work together and build up the m
ng Industry OF the west, They car
lley try, Certainly. the aequlttal
these men rs the best thing that 60
possibly happen 10 all classes In
community. lf these men had b
hanged II would have resulted
greater bitterness and hatred and
Innate disaster to both sides"
MI. DarrON said that lp had no