Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 39, Number 81, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 June 1907 — A WFUL CRIME STORY [ARTICLE]

A WFUL CRIME STORY

HARRY ORCHARD RELATES A GREWSOME TALE. Ansasain, on the Witness Stand* Calmly Tells tbe Details ot a Series of Atrocious Murders—Swears He Killed Nearly a Score. Boise, Idaho, correspondence: The trial of Haywood at Boise brought to the witness stand one of the most remarkable assassins in the history of modern crime. He calmly related the details of a series of atrocious murders deliberately planned and carried out in cold blood. Persons who heard him say that his story gave the impression of truthfulness. However, many claim that this man was as ready to commit perjury as he says be was to slay with giant powder, dynamite bomb, poison, revolver or sawed-off shotgun.

According to his own story, Harry Orchard —who says he is 'a Canadian of the name of Alfred Horsley—killed men and destroyed property as a regular business and only for money. No Idea of loyalty for any cause or any person seems to have inspired him. Having wrecked a mine with a powder Blast and having failed to get his pay tor the work, he hastened to betray his tellow conspirators who were about to iestroy a railroad train. Being a mere hired bravo It Is not surprising that he made a full confession—if his story Be the truth —when caught after the nurder of ex-Governor Steunenberg. Moyer, Haywood and Pettibone, leading officials of the Western Federation »f Miners, appear in Orchard’s story as his patrons and paymasters. They, he says, told him what to do, paid him for his murders and helped him to escape capture when brought under suspicion. The whole nation takes the keenest interest in the developments of this great trial. _ Orchard swore that he had personally committed a full score of murders, nearly all of them at the instigation and with the approval of Haywood and his fellow officials at the Denver headquarters of the 'Western Federation of Miners.

His career of crime began in the Coeur d'Alene strikes of 1899, where he helped blow up the Wardner mill. The leader in this was W. F. Davis, afterward president of the Cripple Creek branch of the union. It was at Davis’ instigation, Orchard swore, that he also made and placed in the Vindicator mine the bomb whose explosion killed Superintendent McCormick and "Foreman Beck. This crime brought him directly to the notice of Haywood, Moyer and Pettibone, the leading officials at the union headquarters in Denver. They praised his work, he testified, gave him money, and told him he "could not go too fierce to suit them.” Later they employed him and Steve Adams to murder Governor Peabody. An attempt by shooting failed, and Haywood called off one with bombs-because the executive board of the union was meeting and he did not “want anything to occur at that time." Then Orchard was directed by Pettibone to kill Lyte Gregory, a deputy sheriff who had incurred the union’s hatred. He and Adams lay in wait for Gregory and shot him down. They reported to Haywood, who approved and called it a “good jolx" Then Haywood and the others told him that there was trouble and a split threatened in the union convention, and that “If something was pulled off at Cripple Creek” the opposition would quiet down. So Orchard and Adams went to Cripple Creek and blew up the Independence station, killing fourteen men. On the return of these men to Denver, Haywood and the other leaders approved, and Haywood said that “it was a good thing; that things had gone all right in the convention.” It was thought expedient that Orchard should leave Colorado for a while, so he was supplied with money by Haywood and Pettibone, and went first to Wyoming and then to San Francisco, where be was to look up one Bradley, who had been a mine manager in the Coeur d’Alene. Apparently the idea was that the assassin might as well do some work on his vacation. He looked up Bradley, and, after failing to poison him by putting strychnine in milk left at his door, fixed a bomb which blew out the front of the house, but did not quite kill Bradley. When be told Pettibone that Bradley was not dead but merely deprived of hearing and sight Pettibone said It was better so, as it made living example.” At the close of his direct testimony Orchard was immediately turned over to the defense for cross-examination. During the time the witness was under the fire of Attorney Richardson’s questions a few more black spots In bls checkered career were held up to the light It was shown that he is a bigamist as well as a murderer; that he has one wife living in Canada and another in Cripple Creek, and that for a time he traveled through the country with the wife of another man.