Sunday May 27, 1906
Report from Boise: Fourth of Five Part Series by Jacob Waldeck

A HORRIBLE DEATH FOR ITS
TERRORIZING EFFECT
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PROSECUTION IN IDAHO MURDER CASE CLAIMS
THAT WAS THE PLAN OF THE ALLEGED "INNER
CIRCLE" OF THE MINERS' UNION IN TRYING FOR
CONTROL OF THE MINING FIELD-CLAIMS OF
THE PROSECUTION HERE GIVEN
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(Note-This is the fourth article by Jacob Waldeck, who has been in Idaho investigating for this paper [The Spokane Press] the murder of ex-Governor Steunenberg.)

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By Jacob Waldeck.

BOISE, Idaho, May 19.-The force of the prosecution in the Steunenberg murder case is about as powerful as could be mustered anywhere. They include the governor and other state officials of Idaho and Colorado, the Pinkerton and Thiel detective agencies and the influence of the mine owners.

Counsel for the state includes Mr. E. Borah, one of the leading lawyers in this part of the country, and J. H. Hawley, one of the leaders of the Boise bar; Pros. Atty. O. M. Van Duyn, J. J. Plowhead and John Rico, of Caldwell.

It has been presumed by many that the mine owners were backing the prosecution financially, but that seems not to be true. Idaho is paying the bill. Money for the purpose is not available, but the governor and certain other state officials have authority to issue deficiency warrants, subject to approval by the legislature at the next, session. Such warrants to the amount of $10,000 have been issued and another of $15,000 is on the way. The state is paying the lawyers and detectives and, according to state authority, it paid also for that kidnaping special train.

Those connected with the prosecution declare that they have continued the confessions made by Orchard and Adams and have other evidence tending to show that the prisoners were at the head of a conspiracy to murder men unfriendly to the miners' federation.

"We will show," says Gov. Frank R. Gooding, "that the assassination of former Gov. Steunenberg was a crime not only against Idaho but against the United States. These men had decided that there should be no more strikes. They thought that they were going to run these mining states through terrorism. They proposed to mark unfriendly men. Gov. Steunenberg was sacrificed long after he left office to show that they would never forget.

"The revelations made at the trial will startle the country. It will be shown that the prisoners had been so successful in their crimes here that they were looking forward to broader fields.

"They will be arraigned in an agricultural county, far from the scene of industrial conflicts, and they will have a fair trial."

He declined to discuss the report that letters from Secretary Haywood, of the miners' federation, were found in the possession of Orchard at the time of the latter's arrest.

The attorneys for the state were asked about the extradition of the prisoners from Denver to Boise, whether it was illegal or unjust. They say that it was in accord with law.

As the Idaho statute places the accessory in a murder in the same position as the principal, the warrants for the arrest of Moyer, Haywood and Pettibone set forth that they were in Caldwell on the night of the murder and took part in it. Of course they were not there in person, but they had conspired to kill Steunenberg, according to the state, and therefore were as guilty as though they had actually exploded the bomb.

"When the Bunker Hill and Sullivan mill was destroyed in this state in 1899," said a state attorney, "the union leaders thought they would be safe if they planned the riot, but did not personally take part in it. They proved that they were not at the wrecking and were very much surprised when the court held they were, as conspirators, just as guilty as though they had personally committed the crime. The same rule applies to Moyer, Haywood and Pettibone."

It is further contended by the state that Governor Gooding was justified in demanding the prisoners; that Governor McDonald of Colorado was clothed by the law with the sovereign right to surrender them; that the law did not require that the prisoners be given a hearing before the governor or in court, and that their captors were not bound to awaken the attorneys of the prisoners. The supreme court has upheld this.

Representatives of the state say that many of the federation miners deported from Colorado by the mineowners there have entered into the Coeur d'Alene region of Idaho in the last year or two. They tried to start strikes but failed. This caused the federation to be disgruntled, according to one of the leaders in the prosecution. So, along with their other grievances, they decided to kill Steunenberg in order to terrorize the state officials and enable the federation to regain control of the Idaho mining region. They might have killed Steunenberg quietly, but that would not do; the terrorizing effect was needed.

"We knew there was something doing for several weeks before the assassination." said Detective Swain, who has charge of the secret service work for the Coeur d'Alene mineowners. "We notified the Colorado officials to be on their guard, but nobody thought of Governor Steunenberg, for he had been out of office for six years and had been forgotten so far as any connection with mining troubles was concerned."

As indication that there were strong influences back of Orchard, in the minds of the state, is the fact that a Spokane lawyer started for Caldwell soon as the arrest was made. This attorney was Fred Miller. He says it was not the miners' federation that retained him, but adds that for professional reasons he cannot explain how he came to be employed in Orchard's behalf.

The motive for the crime, according to the state, was the desire by an inner circle of its members to spread the power of the Western Federation of Miners by inaugurating a reign of terror, that Steunenberg was selected both for the effect of his death in the Coeur d'Alene region and to show opponents of the federation there could be no escape from vengeance.

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Waldeck's next and concluding article will be the story of the defense.

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SOURCE
The Spokane Press
(Spokane, Washington)
-May 19, 1906
http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn88085947/1906-05-19/ed-1/seq-1/

IMAGES
See source above:
-HMP, Crt Hse at Caldwell, Waldeck 4, Spokane Press, May 19, 1906
-HMP, Gov Gooding, Waldeck 4, Spokane Press, May 19, 1906
-HMP, WE Borah, Waldeck 4, Spokane Press, May 19, 1906
-HMP, Van Duyn, Waldeck 4, Spokane Press, May 19, 1906
-HMP, Hawley, Waldeck 4, Spokane Press, May 19, 1906

See also:

C99 Tag: Haywood-Moyer-Pettibone Case
http://caucus99percent.com/tags/haywood-moyer-pettibone-case

The Cripple Creek Strike
-by Emma Florence Langdon
Denver, 1904-05
http://www.rebelgraphics.org/wfmhall/langdon00.html
Appendix, April 1908
(Coverage of Haywood-Moyer-Pettibone Case)
http://www.rebelgraphics.org/wfmhall/langdon29.html#dedication

The Darrow Collection, Haywood Trial
http://darrow.law.umn.edu/trials.php?tid=3