WHOLESALE ASSASSINATION.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 172, 20 July 1907, Page 13

WHOLESALE ASSASSINATION.

"TSADING IS BLOOD." THE IDAHO TEIAIi. The trial of Wm. D. Haywood, secretary of the "Western Federation of Mm- ' ers, for the mnrder of ex-Governor Steunenberg, on December 30, 1906, began In earnest at Balse, Idaho, on Tuesday, June 4. Adams, who, with Harry Orchard, an other official of the organisation, confessed that they had been the iools of the "inner circle" of the Federation in a long list of mnrders and attempted murders, was tried some time ago for one of these crimes, but the jnry disagreed, and he repudiated, his "confession," which was the strongest evidence adduced by the prosecution. Mr Hawley, the Public Prosecutor, in his address, said the evidence would fully develop the events which h,e wished the jury to consider, and he would not therefore at present go into the details of the ease for the State in reference to the assassination. He described ex-Governor Steunenberg as one of the foremost fignres in Idaho, and explained the positions held by Haywood, as well as Moyer (president) and Pettibone (committeeman), who are also to be put upon their trial on the charge of complicity as members of the "inner circle" of the Western Federation of Miners. Harry Orchard, Mr Hawley added, who was said to have confessed to placing the bomb which blew up Governor Steunenberg in position at the garden gate of his residence, was likewise a member of the Miners' Federation, as wa3 also Jack Simpkins, who had never, been arrested. Hayward, Moyer, and Pettibone, although not in the State at the time of the assassination, were indicted as principals, because the laws of Idaho recognised that those aiding, abetting, or assisting in such crime became principals. "We will show," continued Mr Hawlev, "that the leaders of this organisation have been responsible not only for the death of Governor Steunenberg, but for scores of others. Our object will be to show that from the very inception of the Federation there has existed a conspiracy among its leaders—its "inner circle' —with the purpose of not only perpetuating their own power and controlling the Federation, but exercising governmental functions in sections of the country where members of the union were employed; and that the leaders employed from time to time desperate criminals to do away with those selected, for one reason or another, for disappearance." Mr Hawley then declared that the Federation's "inner circle" traded in blood. The killing of Governor Steunenberg was not the primary act of the main conspiracy, but was merely incidental to it. He described the death of Governor Stennenberg, at his home in Caldwell, Idaho, whether he had retired after completing his term of office. A bomb, buried in the ground under bis garden gate, exploded and blew him to pieces, at the same time tearing down the front, of the house. We will show that the "inner circle" were responsible for some of the most fiendish crimes ever committed anywhere, all to carry out the purposes of the "inner I circle." We will show you that these men were responsible for the murder of Arthur Collins at Telleride, and of Leigh Coliins in the streets of Denver. Mr Hawley also promised to prove that the "inner circle" were responsible for the death of fourteen persons, who were blown op at -the railway station at Independence, in Cripple Creek, while the blowing up of the Vindicator Mine, and other outrages, would show that Haywood and his accomplices had repeatedly attempted to take the life of Governor Peabody in Colorado In-the same manner' as Governor Steunenberg's assassination was accomplished. Mr C. F. Wayne spoke to having seen the blowing up of Governor Stenrienberg. Witness resided next door to the house, and had just gone into his own house when the explosion occurred. Several residents of Caldwell deposed to having seen Orchard pass the Governor's residence almost daily f" onth before the crime, and one si having seen him use field-glasses fo» the purposes .of observationMr Julian Steunenberg, son of the murdered man, told the Court that he had conversed, with Orchard, who was, then known as "Hogan," a few days previous to the murder. HtFOBMEE IN THE WITNESS-BOX. There was Intense excitement in Court when it became known that Orchard, who had been brought from the penitentiary In which he had been confined since the ntnrder, wae to be the next witnesSv Orchard first gave an account of a special meeting of the Union, *t which the secretary announced that it had been decided that day to go to Wardcer and blow up a mill at the Sullivan and Bunker's HiU mines, and hang the superintendent. There were 1000 men on the train bound for Wardner, most of them armed. "We were told to fire on the mills as we approached, and. we did so." "The fire ■was returned. Soon afterwards it was discovered that the guards had fled, and immediately the miners took possession. They put powder in three places, and the mill was blown up." "Who was Governor o fthe State then? , —"Governor Steunenberg." In November Davis and Sherman Parker, who were in charge of the strike, came and asked mc if we could not send a bomb into the Vindicator mine and rnin it. They said they would give mc £100 for doing it. I went to Scholtz, but he 1 did not want to undertake it, as he ~ had not been paid for the last time he. went into the mine- A man named Ackerman then said that he would help mc. I got 501b of giant powder and arranged it with I giant caps, whicn were set off by lifting the guard rail as the cage passed the seventh 'evet. We placed the bomb, but I did not hear anything of it for a week, when it finally exploded. The superintendent, McCormick, and Melbeck, the shift boss, were killed." Witness stated that as a result of this interview Haywood and Moyer asked if he could, fix up a scheme to kill Mr Peabody, Governor of Colorado, and it was arranged that he (Orchard) should go to Governor Peabody's residence and see how that object could best be accomplished. They ware on his trail for three weeks. foDowing him cloeely, and once failed to kill him only because a lady was with him. They then determined to .put a bomb under the sidewalk and explode *t when the Governor was passing over It. The plan was abandoned, temporarily in order to kill Mr Lyte Gregory, » detective in Denver. Orchard then described' the killing of Gregory in Denver. "I shot him thrice myself and killed Mm," said witness. Before the afternoon's adjournment, Orchard, withont displaying the slightest feel ing, related the story of how he blew up the railway station at Independence, Colorado. On the following night he was Informed by Sherman and Parker that several members of the Convention were coming to Independence to invesdgate the conditions there, and was told to hold off nutU they had left. "They left on Sunday morning," continued Orchard, "and on Snnday evening we placed a hundred pounds of powder beneath the platform. We attached a wire,, and awaited the train's arrival. The train brought non-unionists. Steve Adams and I botk palled a string, vpaettiss aeraal tMtttos of ■■lylmk mU, J*fcfc mmc tmttt a htn et giwrt ago.

These exploded the powder,, .the etatiaa was.wrecked, and twelve or fourteen pc«» sons killed: '— - . _ _■ He went to San Francisco with instrn* tions to locate Fred. Bradley, formerly "> manager of the Snllivan and Bunker's nifl mice In Idaho. He went to Bradley** home on the morning when the milk was delivered, and" placed, strychnine In tie can. - The poison failing, he purchased 10H> of gelatine powder, of which he made a bomb. He arranged it so that when Bradley opened the door it would explode. Asked as to the result. Orchard saM when Bradley opened the door next mor* ing the explosion blew out the front ef the house and blew him into the street. After this Pettibone sent 450 dollars t* Orchard, who made no further attempts on Bradley, as the latter was badly injured On leaving California after the attempted assassination of Bradley, he returned* to Denver •wearing a soldier's uniform. "On arriving ttiere, he Immediately called up Pettibone on the telephone. Pettibone asked* mc how Bradley was. I toM him he was still alive when I left Saa Francisco, but it was reported he would , lose his sijjht and be deaf for the res* of his life. Pettibone said that was better than if I had killed him outright, for he would now be a living example." Witness asked for money, and receive* l≤s dollars (£23), with the assurance that he would get more whenever he wanted it. A VARIETY OF. UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPTS. Haywood next asked him to go to wo* on Judge Gabbert, who, he said, had been giving decisions against Moyer, president of .the Federation, whom they were trying to get out of Telluride on a habeas corpus. Witness, accompanied by Steve Adam 3, went to Judge Gabbert's house, taking a shot gun -with them, but did not see the judge. Haywood also wanted to "have another try" at Governor Peabody, saying he did not care how they got rid of him. "Steve Adams, Billy Ackerman, and I,** said witness, "set to work and made s bomb. We put it under the sidewalfe in Thirteenth-street, Grand-avenue, Denver, along which the Governor walked every morning. Adams and I watched for the Governor until he came out "Just as he was walking over the place where the bomb was, two heavy coal waggons en mc out of an alley and passed over the wire leading to the bomb, so that we could not pull it. After the waggons had passed and the governor had gone, we went and got the bomb and threw It into the river. "I reported to Pettibone that we had failed, and he said, That's too bad.' After that we tried to shoot JUx Peabody, and hung around his house for a long time. but could find no opportunity. ""We also tried to shoot Frank of the Colorado Fnel and Iron Co., whom HajTvood accused of trying to "fix , the Legislature against us. He also said Dave Moffatt, the president of the First National Bank, was 'another good man to be got out of the ■way,' as he was convinced Mr Moffatt was behind the peo- ' pie who were fighting t<ke Federation. Adams and I watched abont Mr MofiTatt'm house for some time, but did not 'set* him We were .also told to set after Judge Goddard, who, Haywood thought, had been the means o" persuading the Supreme Court of Colorado to declare the . Eight Hours Bill unconstitutional. General Sherman Bell was another intended victimThe prosecution' produced a Jarge shell, which Orchard identified as the outer c&ing of a bomb which he carried to Canoa City in the hope of blowing up Mr Peabody after he had retired from the governorship. . It -was made of leac and was as large as a two-gallon can. Witness explained that it was loaded with 301b of Giant powder In the baae> ment of Pettibone's store, Pettibone himself assisting in tne operation. Orchard next told of the blowing-up of a bicyclist named Wally, who, picked np a purse at- ■ tached to a bomb intended for Judge Gabbert's destruction. , : - "Haywood suggested,** continued the ■witness, in a steady voice, "that we ought to 'get' Steonenberg, after having let him go for seven or eight years. I then went to' Patterson, Sew Jersey, and wrote letters to Judge Gabbert, Judge Goddard, Governor Peabody, General Sherman. Bel], and others, telling them * they would get the same. It would have a. good effect. Moyer said, and ■would be better tha™ km. ing them, for it would be a living death. ,. The witness named four unionists whoa ' Haywood promised to send to Caldwell t* murder Governor Stenneaberg.