STEUNENBERG MURDER TRIAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 60, 27 July 1907, Page 3

STEUNENBERG MURDER TRIAL.

SENSATIONAL AND AMAZING EVIDENCE. MURDER PART OF THE DAY'S WORK. ORCHARD'S CALLOUS CONFESSIONS. After a jury had been obtained to hear the trial of Haywood.. Mayer and Petti,bone, officials of the Western Federation of Miners, who were accused of the murder of ex-Covernor Stonnenberg at Boise City, in the State of Idaho, U.S.A., Mr James Hawley, the leading counsel for

Lite prosecution, described the formation of the Western Federation in 1803. He , said that the Executive Committee were given almost absolute control, tlie rank and tile knowing littic of what was going on. lie then went on to say: "Our object will be to show that from the very inception of the Western Federation of Miners there existed a conspiracy among the leaders in its 'inner circle,' the object of which was not only to perpetual e their own power and control over the Western Federation, but also to control the governmental functions of the sections of the country wherein members of the union were employed. The leaders employed desperate criminals from time to time to do away with those who were selected, for one reason or another, for disappearance, and who ran counter to their interests." The Western Federation had "left n trail of blood, and traded in blood." And the Federation collected huge sums, which were used to carry out the objects of the "inner circle.' 1 H« then described the murder of Steunenberg, and announced that Harry Orchard had made a full confession and would be a witness. Mr Hawley declared that the blowing lip of the railway station at Independence, Colorado, by which fourteen per* sons lost their lives, was done at the direct instigation of Haywood. After some unimportant evidence, Harry Orchard, the self-confessed murderer of the former Governor Steunenberg, was called to the stand. Amid intense ex-

citement in the court room, Orchard appeared, escorted by two deputies. For months past reports have,.been industriously circulated that this man had become insane, and that, even if he appeared as a witness, his evidence would be of no value because of his mental condition. Some newspaper men who were allowed to see Orchard a few weeks ago came to the conclusion that he was perfectly sane, and as soon as he began iiis testimony this morning it appeared evident that there was no foundation for the reports that he was of unsound mind. Orchard testified that he was born in Canada in 1886, and that he came to the United States when he was thirty years old. His real name was not Orchard. but Alfred Horsley; he, had gone by the name of Orchard for eleveu years. He went to work in the mines in and immediately became a member of the Western Federation of Miners, joining the local union at Burke, Idaho. Orchard was then told to state what occurred on the morning of April 20, 1800. On the day in question he was told that there would be a special meeting of the union, and everybody was expected to be present. At the meeting the secretary said it was decided to go to Wardner and Wow up the mill then; and hang the superintendent. Nearly ail the members of the union decided to go, and at a place called Ceiu they were joined by the members of the union there, about 100 men in all going to Wardner. At Wardner the union men lined up and fired on the guards, and then blew up the mill, two men being killed. Orchard said lie lit one of the fuses. In the course of his further evidence Orchard related that after Federal troops had been ordered to the Idaho mines, he worked in mines in various States. In IfliJU he was in Colorado. The president of the local union offered him 200dol ( .C4O) to bhyv up the Vindicator mine. He and a companion "took a couple of shots'- at the man running the cage. The man ran away into a tunnel., but Orchard and his companion failed to find the powder, which had been left in the mine. Later the strike leaders offered Orchard SOOdol ( U100) to destroy the Vindicator mine by means of a bomb. Orchard added: "A man named Aokerman said he would h<*lp me. t got 5011) of Ciaut powder, and arranged it with Ciant caps, which were to be set off by the lifting of the guard rail as the cage passed the seventh level. We placed the bomb, but but did not hear anything of it for about a week, when it exploded. The superintendent and the shift boss were killed." Orchard further said that as a result of an interview at Denver, Haywood and Mover asked the wftness if lie could fix up a scheme to kill Mr Peabody, (iovernor of Colorado. He went and watched the Governor's movements for a week. He then reported to Haywood and Moyer thai it would be feasible to hide behind a stone wall and shoot Governor Peabody as he was passing. A man named Adams was to help Orchard, and the two men were given shotguns and buckshot with which to assassinate, the Governor. They were on his trail for three weeks, following him closely, and once failed to kill him only because a lady was with hiin. They then determined to put a bomb under the sidewalk, and explode it when the Governor was passing over it. Adams actually made the bomb, but found difficulty in placing it in accordance with the plan, which in the end was abandoned temporarily in order that they might kill Mr Lyte Gregory, a detective in Denver. 4 T shot him thrice myself and killed him/' said the witness. Next day he discussed the crime with Haywood. Moyer. IVttiboue and Simpkins, all of whom expressed themselves jas well satisfied with it. Moyer paid him 200dol f €4O). and Haywood later (in Mover's office) gave him 300dol (£(10) for blowing up the Vindicator Mine. He also received 500dol ( ,£100) fom Pettibone.

Then came the ghastly outrage at Independence, Colorado, where the railway station was blown up and fourteen non-union miners killed. Orchard described minutely how this was accomplished, telling of an ingenious contrivance whereby, by the pulling of a wire, bottles containing chemicals were overturned into a great quantity of gunpowder under the station. Asked what . was the effect of the explosion, Orchard remarked pleasantly: "It blew up the depot and killed twelve or fourteen men. |l believe." Orchard received 7'Mhlol | ( £140) for this job. He said that Haywood and I'ettibone were particularly grateful for his success at Independence, because a light was going on in the Western federation at the time, and the killing of tile non-unionists settled the differences in the convention, the old officials lieing re-elected. Afterwards Orchard was sent to San Francisco, where he made two unsuccessful attempts to kill a mine superintendent named Bradlev. first by poison. Second by a bomb. When he returned to Denver lie reported to I'ettibone, who, when he was informed that liradle.v was not killed, but would probably be blind and deaf for life as a result of the explosion of the bomb, remarked that it was better than if lie had been killed outright—he would now be a living example. Orchard was then ordered to "gel to work on Judge Oabbert," of the Colorado Supreme Court. Orchard went to Judge Oabbert's house with a shotgun, but was unable to find him. At that time it Seemed probable lliat Air I'cabody would I lected Oovenior for another term, and Haywood, according to Orchard, "wanted us to try again at liini." Orchard and two other men made a bomb and put it under the street in which the (iovernor walked every morning. Only the accident of two heavy coal carts passing over the wire .attached to the bomb saved m- I'eabody. "After this," Orchard went on. "we tried to shoot. P'cabod.v. hanging round his house for n

long time, but not getting an opportunity. We also tried to shoot Frank llearne. of the Colorado Fue land frnn Company. TTaywood said Heavne was trying to fix the against" us. lie also said Dnve Moffat, president of the First National Bank, was another." The assassins tried bard to find Mofat. but failed. They also tried to kill Judge Hoddard, who was instrumental in defeating the Eight Hours Bill. Mr TViibody was not elected Governor ariin, | being succeeded by (lovernor McDonald] but. according to On-hard. Mover. Haywood and Pcttibonc all told him to ''keep after" TVabody. Orchard made nnother bomb which he intended to place under Mr Penbodv's window. At this point a sensation was caused in court hv flip production oT the bomb in question, which was identified by Orchard who said that Pettibone hclocd to fil' It. ..d."-.. .

"He Slid he wanted somethin» mil] ,1 off before the Convention; that we must have something to show for "the money we hive spent." A bomb was also prepnred for .Tuflpe Oabhert .in the shape of ii purse, and was laid in his path. Instead of killing him it killed a man named Wally, jtfw gfcM it ug, jftg

next man selected for attack was Ad-jutant-General Sherman Bell, Imt after several night spent in watching for him, Mover ordered tlie attempt to be postponed.

The court took the mid-dav recess ■ when Orehiird was beginning to describe, the assassination of Covvnior fcteunenberg, which he said was suggested by Haywood. The story told by Harry Orchard (says the Times' New York correspondent) is the most annuiiig and most terrible over heard in ;ui American court of justice. That the State has evidence to support it in every detail is regarded as certain, it is points! out tlmt the prosecution woulc' no' lu'.ve dared to let Orchard tell his story .mica* if believe! it was able to corrobor.it" it. That Orchard is telling the trulh and nothing but the truth is tlie opinion freely expressed in print by tli-' journalists who arc attending the trial. What makes his recital the more amazing U that no sort of immunity has been promised him. He fully expects to be hanged for his crimes. This extraordinary man was on the stand three hours imd a-half, and he gave his evidence with *uch unconcern as though he were describing "the proceedings of a religious conference. He told of one frightful crime after another in a soft, purring voice. He showed no fear, no contrition, no elation. ''And then T shot him." he would say is as msiler-of-fact n tone ns if the word had been "and then \ bought a drink."