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Tuesday January 2, 1906
Caldwell, Idaho - Ex-Governor Steunenberg Assassinated

From the front page of The New York Times of December 31st comes this very grim news:

EX-GOVERNOR KILLED BY DYNAMITE BOMB
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Frank Steunenberg of Idaho Victim of an Assassin.
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GOVERNOR FROM 1897 TO 1901
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The Bomb Had Been Placed at His Gate at Caldwell,
and Exploded as He Entered.
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BOISE, Idaho, Dec. 30.-Frank Steunenberg, formerly Governor of Idaho, was killed to-night by a bomb at his home in Caldwell. A dynamite bomb had been placed at his front gate with a contrivance that exploded the bomb as he entered. Both legs were blown off and he lived but twenty minutes.

There is no known reason for the outrage, but it is charged to some members of the famous inner circle of the Coeur D'Alene dynamiters, whom he prosecuted relentlessly in 1899 while he was Governor.

Gov. Gooding is in communication with the police and is prepared to lend the full support of the State in running down the perpetrators of the crime. The State will offer a large reward.

Steunenberg was Governor of Idaho from 1897 to 1901, having been twice elected on the Populist ticket. He was born in Iowa forty-four years ago, and had been in Idaho since 1887. He leaves a widow and three children.

A special train left here for Caldwell to-night carrying the Governor and others who go to assist in organizing the work of running down the criminals.

The latest information is that the bomb was placed beside the gatepost, and that the moving of the gate exploded it.

When persons rushed to the gate the prostrate man asked, "Who shot me?" He also asked to be turned over, then lapsed into unconsciousness, and died without giving any information.

The victim's clothing and shoes were torn to tatters and his back was terribly injured. Both legs were shattered frightfully. The shock of the explosion was felt all over Caldwell, and broke all the glass in one side of the ex-Governor's home. Every road out of town is guarded to intercept suspects.

Two men are under suspicion. They had been about Nampa several days and left for Caldwell to-day. They lived in Coeur-D'Alene at the time of the riots in 1899.

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Gov. Steunenberg stood nearly seven feet in his stockings, and never wore a necktie. When he appeared on Broadway six years ago he created a sensation with his Western costume, broad hat and long hair. He was a firm believer in woman suffrage and the future of the Mormon faith. He accused the East of misunderstanding in the latter matter, stating that the Mormons as he knew them were good citizens.

When rioting broke out at the Coeur d'Alene mines in the Spring of 1899 the civil authorities found themselves unable to cope with the situation.

A call for aid was sent to the War department by Gov. Steunenberg, and Federal troops under Gen. Merriam were sent to the scene of the trouble. Scores of the rioters were rounded up and driven into a "bullpen," where they were kept prisoners for a long time.

They were liberated only after considerable correspondence had passed between the Governor and Elihu Root, then Secretary of War.

[Photograph added.]

From the front page of The New York Times of January 1, 1906:

ASSASSIN SAW BOMB KILL STEUNENBERG
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Pulled Wire When Idaho's ex-Governor Passed Gate.
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SIX ARRESTS ON SUSPICION
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Rewards Aggregating $18,000 Are Offered
for Capture of Murderers-
Coeur d'Alene Trouble Blamed.
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Special to The New York Times.

Home of Governor Steunenberg After the Bombing

Boise, Idaho, Dec. 31.-"As one looks more closely into the assassination of Gov. Steunenberg at Caldwell last night the more is one convinced and confirmed in the belief that the first suspicion as to the identity of the perpetrators of the outrage is correct," said Gov. Gooding to-night, summarizing the result of his investigation. He had been in Caldwell all day, making every effort to discover who had exploded the bomb that ended the life of Mr. Steunenberg.

It is the general belief in this State that the famous "inner circle" of dynamiters who operated in Coeur d'Alene were the ones who killed the ex-Governor, in revenge for his famous "bullpen" policy. So many of the criminals were run out of the State at that time that never since has there been the slightest difficulty between the laboring men and the mine owners of Coeur d' Alene.

It was determined by explosive experts who visited Caldwell to-day that nitroglycerine was the explosive used. It was at first believed that a bomb had been so placed that it would be automatically exploded as ex-Gov. Steuenberg passed through the gate to his home. It was established to-day, however, that there were two bombs and that the assassin had exploded them by pulling a wire, placed out with a length of fishline, which led to a spot at a safe distance, from which the effect of the explosion could be witnessed.

Steunenberg was terribly wounded, the right arm being nearly torn off. All his right side was fearfully torn, the right leg being mangled and shattered. The left leg was also mangled. The features of the victim were not disfigured. Portions of clothing were scattered for fifty yards. The victim himself was thrown ten feet from the gate, where a small hole ten inches in depth shows the spot where the bombs lay. The gate is gone, not a splinter being found. All the windows in the rear side of the house were broken, and much glass was broken in other houses almost a block away.

Mr. Steunenberg seemed to think that he had been shot, according to incoherent remarks he made to those who rushed to his aid. He remained conscious until he died, twenty-five minutes after the explosion, but he could not answer questions or talk intelligently.

Shoshone County has offered a reward of $10,000 for the apprehension of the murderers, and has sent its Sheriff to assist in the search. It was in that county in the northern end of the state, that the Coeur d' Alene riots took place in 1899. It is probable that the funeral will be held in Boise, in the Capitol building.

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[Photograph added.]

From page two of The New York Times of January 2, 1906:

MINERS TO HUNT ASSASSIN.
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Western Federation's Head Wants to Know
Who Killed Steunenberg.

DENVER, Jan. 1.-"And inquiry into the assassination of ex-Gov. Steunenberg of Idaho will be conducted by the Western Federation of Miners," said Charles H. Moyer, President of that organization, to-day.

We will do this not only to prepare ourselves against any charges that may be brought against the Federation, but in order to ascertain, if possible, whether or not a member of our organization committed the crime. No one is more sorry than the officers of the Federation.

[Photograph added.]

SOURCE
The New York Times p1
(New York, New York)
-Dec 31, 1905
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9906E6DA113AE733A25752C3A...
-Jan 1, 1906
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9B01E4DA113AE733A25752C0A...
-Jan 2, 1906
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9A06E6DE103EE733A25751C0A...
Note: Take note of the phrase "inner circle" put forth by The Times (and by the kept press across the nation). Interesting that this very phrase is next found coming out of the mouth of Orchard, but more on the "inner circle" in the months to come.)

IMAGES
Gov Steunenberg, Idaho 1897-1901
http://darrow.law.umn.edu/photo.php?pid=358
Gov Steunenberg Home after Bombing of Dec 30, 1905
http://darrow.law.umn.edu/photo.php?pid=365
Charles Moyer, Pres WFM, about 1903
http://darrow.law.umn.edu/photo.php?pid=1384

See also:

For more on "inner circle":
https://books.google.com/books?id=DmAer6Nz75kC&pg=PA53&dq=%22alleged+ass...

Uses this link to access these documents:
http://darrow.law.umn.edu/trials.php?tid=3

-Report on the Miners' Riots in the State of Idaho by Brigadier-General Merriam
Brigadier General Henry Clay Merriam led the military intervention to restore order in the Coeur d'Alene area of Idaho in 1899.

-Crime of the Century by Edward Boyce Dec, 1899
Edward Boyce is very critical of Governor Steunenberg in this paper published in the U.S. Senate. Boyce was President of the Western Federation of Miners and presented his version of the labor troubles in Idaho.

-Coeur De Alene Mining Troubles: Report of Brigadier General H.C. Merriam on Miners' Riots in the State of Idaho Dec, 1899-Part of Senate Document No. 24, containing a congressional investigation into mining troubles. General Merriam was in charge of federal troops sent to the area.

-Coeur D' Alene Mining Troubles - Report of Brig. General H.C. Merriam on Miners' Riots in the State of Idaho Dec, 1899

The "Red Book" released Aug 2, 1904
Criminal Record of the Western Federation of Miners
from Coeur D'Alene to Cripple Creek, 1894-1904
- by the Mine Owners' Association of Colorado
The Association, 1904
http://books.google.com/books?id=tQUtAAAAYAAJ

The "Green Book" released Aug 27, 1904
Reply of the Western Federation of Miners
to the "Red Book" of the Mine Operators' Association
-by The Western Federation of Miners
Denver, Colorado, 1904
pdf! http://darrow.law.umn.edu/documents/Category%20of%20Crime.pdf

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Note: the attempted frame-up of the leaders of the WFM in 1906-07, came straight out of the same play book used to frame up the Miners of Pennsylvania, 1877-79.

WE NEVER FORGET
John Kehoe
Alex Campbell
Mickey Doyle
Edward Kelly
Hugh McGeehan
Thomas Munley
James Carroll
James Roarity
James Boyle
Thomas Duffy
John Donahue
Thomas Fisher
Patrick Hester
Peter McHugh
Patrick Tully
Peter McManus
Charles Sharpe
Denis Donnelly
Martin Bergan
James McDonald