The sun., 1908-04-05
GIN. WELLS A MARKED MAN
LITTLE WONDER 4 BOMB WIS
PUT UNDER HIS BED.

DENVER, March Slater the aoquittal
q william D. Haywood. secretary and
treasurer OF the Western Federation ol
Miners, on the oharls Of numbering ex-Gov
Frank Steunenberg Of Idaho, good many
peoplo expressed the opinion that the
,eieration leaders had had their lesson.
They will be good now for a long time.
said these persons.
They have had rude awakening In the
shape OF the attempt TO blow up Gen. Bulk
,ey Wells with dynamite bomb as he lay
sleeping In his house near Telluride early
lSst Saturday morning. Not soul who
Knows the part that Gen. Wells has played
in the troubles between the federation and
the mine owners that have kept this State
stirred up for the last ten or twelve years
has the slightest doubt that the man who
planted the bomb by Gen. Wellss bedside
was federation sympathiaer II in fact he
gas not direct agent OF the federation,
For the last ten years Gen. Wells has
uaen one Of the most conspicuous figures
N the history Of Colorado. He is a Harvard
nan Of the class Of 'o4 and comes Of an old
and eminent New England family. Becom-
ng financially interested in certain mining
properties In this State he determined
when the troubles with the miners In the
middle 'e0s became acute to come here
md take a personal part in tie manage
nent Of his properties.
Since then no one has been more active
u oppOsition TO the federation policy OF
rIolence and outrage than he. Az the time
II the Cripple Creek riots he was an officer
the militia and he subsequently became
lijutant General OF the State forces,
His personal courage and quiet fearless
pess early earned him the title OF the man
,rho il afraid Of nothing and since then he
las done many things that have confirmed
his right TO that Tile. II takes courage in
his part OF the country to be outspoken
n condemnation OF the Western Federation
ind Il takes even more courage 70 place
nneself at the head and front OF the oppo-
,ition TO that notorious organization,
Gen Wells did great deal to earn the en-
nity Of the federation when he took com
nand OF the special train on which early
one Sunday morning, the arrested Leaders
and Pettibone, were hurried cut OF Colorado
and UP into Idaho. there to be tried for the
murder Of Steunenberg, OF which Harry
orchard accused them.
And when Steve Adams, who was one
n Orchards principal assistants In the
work OF carrying out the murderous plans
II the federation, also made confession
corroboratng In almost every point the
confession made by Orchard, Wells again
stepped into the deadly lmelight. He took
personal charge Of Adams when he was
brought by the detectives 10 Colorado for
the purpose Of going over the ground
covered by his confession and verifying
various points In IL by direct examination
Vt the places where the crimes were com
mitted.
Gen. Wells Il was too who was one Of |
the chief witnesses against Adams at his !
trial for the murder Of Fred Tyler in Idaho |
last autumn, when the jury for the second |
time disagreed And Gen. Wells has had |
more 10 do than any other man with bring
ink AdAms 70 Colorado 10 be tried for the
murder Of Arthur Collins In 1902.
One Of the feats that have helped earn
for Gen. Wells a reputation for courage
was the excavation Of the bomb that Harry
Orchard planted outside judge Goddard's
gate in the CITY of Denver, Goddard was
one Of the Judges who rendered decisions
70 which the Western Federation took
lmbrane
This h scarcely the place 10 enter into a
discussion Of the merits Of that decision.
There IL much to be said on both sides.
Whatever the facts may have been, the
iadaration leaders, according 10 Orchard,
determined to bump Oh Judge Goddard.
Al both the Haywood and Pettibone
trials Orchard swore that Haywood and
Mover told him TO get Judge Goddard
and at their order he laid his plans When
h. made his confession IN Detective Mozart
and in the spring Of 1908 Orchard gave all
ne details OF the plot.
The hired federation murderer said that !
rarly In the year 1905 he visited Judge
ioddards house at Humboldt and Twenty
sixth avenues in Denver and buried a
,omb under the sod just outside Goddard's /
gate. He cut q piece Of square turf, dug
/, hole under it, inserted the bomb and then
'eplaced the turf,
The bomb was the same sort OF internal
engine that Orchard used in all his muir
ferrous achievements. II contained about
en- pounds Of dynamite. There was also
'ome chlorate OF potash and sugar. mixed
ogether, and a bottle Of sulphurio acid,
ogether with some giant caps.
In the neck OF the acid bottle was loosely
laced a cork. ,In the cork was stuck
,in. To the pin was attached cord with
! loop at one end. A screweye was fastened
o the swinging gate.
Orchard said that he had learned that
Judge Goddard was in the habit OF leaving
ds homo at about O'Clock every morning.
ie placed this bomb outside the gate before
aylight one morning and then went away:
II half past he came hack and strolled
long In front OF the gate pretending TO
Fad a newspaper.
As he passed the gate he dropped the
ewspaper and while picking 1t up he
cached under the loose piece Of turf, seized
he loopsd end Of the cord attached 1t 10
he screw eyein the gate and hurried away.
lie expected that when Judge Goddard
anne out few minutes later he would open
he mt the ooYd would null the cork from !
ne acid bottle. the acid would set up a
hemioal reaction with the potash and sugar,
hlch would create so great heat that the
iant caps would explode and set on the
ynan1ite. II was In exactly this manner
hat ex-Gov. Steunenberg was killed.
But the cork had been inserted 90 loosely
! the bottles NECK that some OF the acid
al leaked through and had corroded the
In that held the cord. When Judge God
ard opened the gate the, cord pulled the
In from the bottle, but the cork did not
,rA out, Il was TO this fact that the iurist
wed mn 6fe II
WaAn Orchards confession was carried
, The Colorado authorities Gen. Wells
Tered TO undertake the perilous job Of
ggink up the bomb. Several witnesses
ood aiar on while he did II. Judge God
lrd and bis entire family retreated to the
ar Of their house.
Gen. Wells dug up the bomb with a heavy
asp knife, The thing was taken TO the
ltskirts OF Denver and there the dynamite
contained was exploded. The rest Of
was exhibited at haywood's trial Judge
Dddard and the members OF his family
ID practically walked over II every day
Z months.
The arrest OF Steve Adams followed
oeely upon the confession made by Or
ard. Adams was taken 10 Boise, Idaho,