AMERICAN MURDERS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2086, 22 May 1907, Page 4

AMERICAN MURDERS.

MINERS’ FEDERATION IN-

VOIiVED.

A recent- cablegram tokl ol tlio sensation caused by tjui trial of Tom Moyer and Wm. Haywood on a charge of murdering ox-Govornor Stounenberg. Anvorican files give tho 1 allowing outline of tlio crime:—A -riminal trial which is in many re.zts tho most important ever hold in tills country, is just beginning ill Idaho, wliero five men aro to bo triod for murder and conspiracy to murder. Tho safety of free institutions is involved to a greater extont than was over revealed *by any criminal ooso in tho land. Tho men aro on trial, so far as the indictment roads, for the assassination of ox-Govoruor Frank Stounnonborg, Idaho, a plain, honost-mimlod citizen, farmer, and banker, solely for rovongo, bocauso Stounenberg, as Govornor, had done his sworn duty, and displeased tho leaders of organised labor. Tho trial is to determine whether three of tho five accusod men are martyrs, victims of two informers, solf-confossed murderers; or wliethei they aro murderers, tho depth of whoso infamy was never equalled boforo in any country, and only approached onco in this country, when the Molly Maguires spread terror throughout tho coal regions of Pennsylvania, in the onrly seventies. Nooses around the necks _of eleven of tho Mollies one day ended tho career of that devilish band.

Tho men on trial are Charles H. Moyer, president of the Western Federation of Miners; William D. Haywood, secretary of the organisation; G. A. Pettiborie, formerly a member of the supreme governing body of the order; Harry Orchard, a former memller, who has confessed to tho twentysix murders committed, he says, at the instigation of Moyer, Haywood, Pottibonc, and others of the “Inner Circle” of the union; and Stephen Adams, who assisted Orchard in his awful work. Another member of the order, supposed to have belonged to the so-called “Inner Circle,” L. J. Simpkins, has been indicted, but is a fugitive. Tho man who secured the confession from Orchard is the famous detective, James McParland, who unearthed the crimes of tho Molly Maguires. Adams has confessed because, ho says, he feared being made a scapegoat. - Whether these accused members of the Innor Circlo of tho Federation of Minors are guilty or not, this fact is positive. There has oxisted a conspiracy to murder Governors, judges, mine-owners, sheriffs, and others who espoused the cause of non-union labor in the last ten years in tlio mining regions of tho Rocky Mountains, from Canada to Mexico. Men have been murdered, and marked for murder, for this offenco. Some set of men have conspired to do this. In the lato nineties, whon Steun-

nenberg was Governor of Idaho, a strike of minors occurred in the Coeur d’Alene district. Steunonberg, to keei> the peaco and prevent anarchy, called out tlio troops. Union labor lost the strike Stounnenberg did what he considered his sworn duty to the State, and retired to private life a respected and honored citizen. He was a marked man for his courago in office, and he was killed on the evening of December 30tli last by a bomb placed at his gato by Orchard, who was, ho says, to get 3800 dollars for the job.

After the Coeur d’Alene troubles came tho famous Cripple Creek and Telluride strikes in Colorado, brought about like the one in Idaho,by the

Federation of Miners. That was lost, too, at a terrible expense of blood and outrage, and a cost of millions to the State of Colorado, through the ordering out of her entire State militia and tlioir service in the field for fully, a year. Arson, dynamiting, murder, assault, also characterised

that strike. Hundreds of miners were deported by the troops. The Governor of that State, James H. Peabody, was marked for slaughter. Two members of the Supreme Court, Chief Justice Gabbert and Justice Goddard, were also put on the deathlist. -D. H. Moffatt, tho millionaire mining and railroad man, was another marked victim.

The murders did occur. Nineteei

non-union miners were killed on the railroad platform at Independence, Colarado, one night. Orchard says he pulled the string which set off 1001 bof dynamite beneath them by order of the Inner Circle, the plot for which was hatched in Haywood’s rooms in Denver. Superintendent McCormick and Foreman Buck, of the Vindicator mine, went one night to the sixth level, and were blown to pieces. Orchard said he set the bomb

by orders, bat that it was placed on the wrong level. It was planned to put it on the seventh level, and kill fifteen or twenty non-union miners. Ail assayer, named Merritt Walley, was killed by a bomb in Denver. The bomb was intended for Chief Justice Gabbert. Arthur W. Collins, manager of tho Smugglers’ Union mine, at Telluride, was shot in the back, through the window of his home. Vincent St. John, also a supposed member of the Inner Circlo, and a leader with Hoyer, Haywood, and Pettibone, is now in gaol awaiting trial for that murder. J. W, Barney, a shift boss, was killed near liis homo. John Mahoney, a non-union miner at Telluride, was shot to death. Martin Gleesou, a mine manager at Cripple Creek, outspoken in his advocacy of nonunion labor, went to his grave by assassination. Wesley J. Smith, of Telluride, was kidnapped and murdered. Six other miners were killed mysteriously in Telluride, and their bodies disposed of in a lime-kiln. A mining engineer, named Bradley, was murdered by an explosion in San I? rancisco while on his honeymoon. Orchard says ho did it, as lie did most of the others, by orders from Moyer and Haywood.

Io establish an alibi for the killing of tho nineteen miners at Independence, Orchard loft town the day before with a man named Neville. Then he made a pretext for stealing back and killing the men. Tlio next day Neville accused him of the crime. He acknowledged it. Nevillo had fears of arrest. He went to Nevada. It was feared that he would tell on Orchard. A man named Sapp was hired for 1600 dollars to poison him, and he was p U t out of the way. So much for the murders that have come to light. Three attempts were piade to kill Governor Peabody, of Colorado. Once Orchard says he and Simpkins planted a bomb for him on a street. It was to be touched off by a wire as Mr. Peabody passed the spot. A coal waggon hacked on the wire jiist as Peabody came along, and it was put out of working order. Another time it was planned to shoot him in front of liis home at night as he alighted from his carriage. As it happened, only the women of his family were in the carriage, and the Governor escaped. Another time it was planneto decoy him home from a meeting ; an automobile, and kill him on tlic way. A man mysteriously warned him one afternoon of this danger, anc again he was sayed.

Another assassination that failed, as has been indicated, was that planned for Chief Justice Gabbert. He, with Justice Goddard, had offended the striking miners by decisions and strictures on the order. He usually crossed a vacant lot on his way to the Court chambers. A bomb was planted, and a satchel purse, with wires attached, was put on the ground. It was supposed that the Chief Justice would pick up the sachel and set off the bomb. Judge Gabbet saw a friend near him, instead . of

crossing tho vacant lot. It was tlio first time in months that ho had deviated from his custom . Another man camo along, picked up tho satchel, and was blown to bits. Tho oxplosivos in the bomb tvoro so arranged that whon tho sntchdl was picked up sulphuric acid would bo spiliod on them and set them off. Orchard says ho sot the bomb by orders.

Justice Goddard escaped assassination through tho slip of a pin. No ono know anything about it until Orchard confessed. Ho said a scrow-oyo would bo found in Justice Goddard’s gato. Near by, ho.said, was a bomb. A wire was attachod from a scrowoyo to a bottle containing sulphuric acid. AVhou tho. gato was opened tho string was to pull tho cork of a bottle and spill it ovor ono hundred giant caps. ... Tlio bottle was planted, five days boforo tho time camo to arrange tho wire. Tho acid had eaten tlio pin, so that whon Justice Goddard passed through his gato tho pin, and not tho cork camo out. When Justice Goddard was informed of Orchard’s confession he examined his gate and found tho screwoyo. Then Adjutant-General Bulkley Wells’, of Colorado, scratched tho earth until ho found the wire and pin attached to the cork. Then ho scraped the ground with great caution, and found the bomb exactly where Orchard said it was,' and exactly of the description Orchard had given. Tho iilan to kill D. H. Moffat was to drop a bomb from a window as be walked along the street. The plan was foiled by Mr. Molfat’s sudden departure for Europe. The most notable attempt at trainwrecking was on tho night of November 14th, 1903, when a train carrying Governor Peabody, and about 200 men and women, to a ball in Victor, Colorado, from Cripple Creek, nearly plunged over the curve on a 300 ft embankment. A rail had been loosened. A friend of tile engineer did not want liis life- lost, and warning was givon him to crawl along that part of the road. He did so, and pro-, bably saved a score of lives.

The bomb motliod was finally used to kill Stounnenberg. Orchard had watched his movements in Caldwell for months. Twice he tried to shoot him. One of these times was arranged, with diabolical ingenuity, for Christmas Eve, so as to cause his family the greatest possible suffering. It failed. Then Orchard planted his bomb, and on December 30tli, just before Mr. Steunnenberg started for home at 6 o’clock, Orchard preceded him in the gloom down the street-. As ho passed tho Steunnenberg gate he dropped a newspaper, adjusted his wires to tho bottle of sulphuric acid, and passd on. Stunnenberg opened liis gate, and sot off the bomb.

In a short time James McParland arrived. He went to work as a miner, as ho had done in tho coal regions of Pennsylvania thirty years ago. He is now 62, and for many years has been tho head of tho Pinkerton forces in the mountain regions of tho West, with Denver as headquarters. He adopted his former methods. He soon learned of the Inner Circlo and of Orchard’s work. Whon the time came to strike ho had Orchard arrested. Tile man was defiant. McParland had him put in solitary confinement, with plenty to oat and with good cigars, but with no reading matter and not a person with whom he could,talk. Sevoral days of this unnerved Orchard. Then McParland came around said to him:— “This is a nico fix you havo got yourself into, Orchard. What do you suppose that old mother of yours back in Pennsylvania will think when she reads about it?”

“What do you know about my mother?” asked Orchard.

“I have known all about you and your family since you were a boy,” said McParland, and then he went away abruptly. Tho next day Orchard was eager to talk. He wanted to know what McParland knew of his people. Kindly and sympathetically McParland led him on. Orchard then broke down and confessed.,Three days were occupied in writing it out.