The White Pine news. [volume] (Ely, Nev.) 1906-1910, 1908-03-12
Court Sets Next Wednes-
dayfOr Delivery OfSen-
tence-..His Birthday
Pleading Made byPrisOn-
er Without EmOtiOn.--
Came as Surprise

BOISE, Idaho, March 1.-THE
last chapter in the famous Frank
Stepnenberg murder case is under
way in the district court for Canyon
county at Caldwell Harry Orchard,
whose startling confession made
public in February. 1907. caused the
arrest of Charles IL. Meyer and
William d. Haywood, president and
secretary of the Western Federation
of Miners. and George Pettibone.
honorary member of that organiza-
tion, and the subsequent trials of she
latter two, faced Judge Fremont
Wood and pleaded guilty to the
charge of murder in the first degree.
Pending and during the trials of
Haywood and Pettibone. the trial of
Harry Orchard had been postponed
from term to term in the Canyon
county court until, after Pettibone
had been acquitted last January and
Meyer soon after dismissed upon mo-
tion of the prosecuting attorney, it
was definitely stated that o clard's
case would be called for ina! dispo-
sition this March term.
There has been great deal If
az W iioN oitnd1u Wpuiu
conduct himself when arraigned at
bar. Juries in the trials of Hay
wood and Pettibone refused to be-
lieve his terrible tale of crimes COM
mitted at the instigation of the Off
GERS of the federation. They were
all freed. After that the opinion
was expressed in many quarters that
Orchard would doubtless make use of
every legal right he might have to
obtain his own release or a light SER
tence
The stand he took this morning
was surprise to almost every one
and his attorney says was entirely
voluntary on his part and against
the advice of many who hau seen
and talked with him. II is known
that strong influences have been at
work the past few weeks to gel the
man to stand by the plea of not
guilty and stand trial
There were few persons in the
court room this morning. Orchard
urban line from the penitentiary in
Boise in charge of Warden Whitney
and guard. On the same car were
HIS dliOTuey, II rank l. WyDldn, OF
this city. and Judge Wood of the
Ada county district court. who was
appointed by Judge Bryan to sit in
the cases growing out of the Steunen-
berg murder because he himself was
unqualified, having. before elected as
Judge, appeared by appointment of
the court as attorney for Orchard.
The case was called at 10 o'clock
and Mr.. Wyman at once notified the
court that Orchard desired to with
draw the plea of not guilty which had
been entered in his case upon his
first arraignment by order of the
court, and enter a plea of guilty in
stead, to the charges of the indicf-
ment
Judge Wood questioned Orchard
as to whether he fully understood
the status of the case, what 1t meant
for him to plead guilty and If he un-
derstood that to plead guilty meant
pleading guilty to the charge of first
degree murder
Perfectly calm, and with no indica-
ton of any emotion in face or voice.
Orchard answered that he had gone
thoroughly with his attorney and
had made up his mind definitely.
Judge Wood allowed the plea to be
changed and set Wednesday, March
is, at 10 a. m, as the date for SEN
tence. Harry Orchard was born
March Is, 1866.