The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1912-07-18

the history of this government had
been enacted.
1t was my misfortune to be Gov
ernor ON that Inflated New Years
eve. l say misfortune, for no man
would court the great responsibilities
that those trials brought
When the news reached me by tel
ephone few minutes after that aw-
1ul tragedy, having lived in Idaho
since boyhood and being familiar
with the struggle between capital and
labor in the Occur d'Alene country,
1 was satisfied in my own mind that
Governor Stuenenberg had died
martyr for Idaho.
l was so convinced of the cause OF
his assassination that l Immediately
offered a reward for the arrest and
conviction Of his assassins, and made
it known that ii the assassins were
unprecedented that they would be
prosecuted in the name of the State
|of Idaho.
In this stand l had the approval
OF all the good citizens OF this State,
and the many thousands Of dollars
that was required for the prosecu-
ton of the case was willingly appro-
priated by Republicans and Demo-
rals alike in the next session OF our
eglsiature without dissenting
voice. l have never been criticised
for making the prosecution of those
guilty of that awful crime in the
name of the State of Idaho. nor do !
believe there is q good citizen In this
State who to-day would criticise me
for that act.
Assassination and Orchards
Confession.
In few minutes after receiving
the news Of the assassination l was
on my way to Caldwell on special
train, and as Governor of the STATE
took charge Of the investigation. Be-
fore midnight Harry Orchard. who
was then living in Caldwell under the
name of Hogan" was placed on
the suspect list and by II O'Clock the
next day enough evidence had been
secured against him to warrant my
ordering his arrest. He was placed
in confinement in the County Jail at
Caldwell, which was believed to be
unsafe to hold so great a criminal.
Later Harry Orchard was removed
to the Penitentiary where before
James Mcfarland, the head of the
Pinkerton forces on the Pacific Coast,
| lie made full confession of the assas-
sination of Ex-Governor Stuenenberg.
together with all the crimes that he
had committed.
It was a story of twenty-six muir
ders.
The criminal annals of American
history, or of the whole world, tells
no such a story of crime as was COM
mitted by Orchard and his associates.
He implicated as his associate in
most of his crimes Steve Adams,
whose whereabouts were unknown.
Orchard told the story of how
he and Steve Adams blew up the
railroad depot at Independence.
Colorado, killing thirteen men
and seriously injuring many 9TH
ers. He told how he and Adams
murdered Lyle Gregory in Dem
ver.. He told the story Of how
for months they tried to assas-
sinate Governor Peabody of Col
orado. He told how they lay
lay with sawed off shot guns un-
der the trees in Governor Pea
bOdy's yard at his home waiting
for him to return that they might
take his life. Governor Pea
b0dy's carriage drove up, but out
of it stepped his daughter with
i q friend. The Governor was not
in the carriage and his life was
saved. He told the story of how
he and Adams placed a bomb
where the Governor passed to
;. his office, but just as the Gov
II ernOr passed the Inflated spot
coal wagon drove over the wire
that was attached to the bomb,
making it impossible for them