William Borah cross-examines William "Big Bill" Haywood on the witness stand

Here is an interesting old Associated Press news wire photograph I picked up of the Haywood trial (all right, which of you out bid me on that Harry Orchard photograph?). I will have to dig around in my archives as not sure if I have seen this particular view of Haywood on the witness stand. Unfortunately, the photos from that era, and particularly the news photos, are not very hi-resolution and faces in the crowd are often blurred. Sometime they even did a bit of "air brushing" but it wasn't to trim pounds or to make particular body parts look bigger or smaller.

I have enlarged the caption from the side of the photographs for easier reading. Click on each photo to enlarge further and/or go to the viewer/magnifier on my Fold3 account by clicking on the following links to take a even closer look.
Haywood on the witness stand

Caption from the photograph


The photograph is taken from up near and to the right side (as you face the gallery) of Judge Fremont Wood's bench. We see a glimpse of a couple of the jurors in rocking chairs in the left lower corner. We can see right away that the AP writer or photographer was not being real careful with his identification of the defense team members and made a rather glaring error.

Number one (#1) is clearly William Borah and it appears he is conducting the cross-examination of Big Bill Haywood (#3) on the witness stand. I can see the eye contact and feel the tension in the air. Number four (#4) does appear to be John E. Nevins of Scripps—McRae News Service. However, the AP writer or photographer really blows it when number three (#3) is identified as Clarence Darrow. That is definitely not Darrow and he would certainly not be sitting at the prosecution table immediately next to Borah. Come on AP! I believe that may instead be Owen Van Duyn, Attorney of Canyon County and a member of the prosecution team but I am not at all sure. Van Duyn has a mustache in photos I have seen but does not appear to have one here. Kind of looks like Calvin Cobb, Publisher of the Idaho Daily Statesman, too. 

Looking to the far right lower corner, that is definitely Edmund Richardson. We know that bald head quite well by now. One of the two men to his left would be Darrow. I am guessing the third from the left. Looks to be the shape of Darrow's head and the common body language; slouching one side or the other with arm on the back of the chair or on the table supporting his head.  He would have wanted to be siting as close as possible to the witness stand—but I could be completely wrong. What do you think?

In their usual position between the defense and prosecution tables are the two court reporters at their table. I have the names somewhere but not at the moment. I see John Murphy, WFM staff attorney sitting up front in the gallery just over and to the right and behind Haywood's right shoulder.

I will add more names as I find them. Feel free to chime in if you can identify anyone.

From Big Trouble.....
    "At midday on July 12, Darrow completed his questions and turned the witness over to Borah. Along with Richardson's cross-examination of Orchard, this would be the trial's crucial confrontation: the seasoned trial attorney and popular favorite pitted against the tough labor leader and shrewed man of the streets, two forces of nature in collision. The Socialist called it 'the Man of the Mines' versus the Man of the Mind.'"

    "It was partly a question of which man would intimidate the other. Haywood struck first. Scarcely had Borah begun his cross-examination than the witness interrupted. Gesturing toward the open window directly behind the judge's head, through which poured the radiance of a blistering Boise afternoon, Haywood said, 'If Your Honor please, may the shutters be closed on that window. While I will be talking most of the time to the jury [that is, straight ahead and into the window's glare] I cannot see the Senator's eyes with the shutters open.'"

    "Many western gunfighters looked not at their opponent's gun hand but in his eyes to see when he was going to draw. Haywood wanted to fix Borah with the terrible glare of his single right eye. Borah was stunned, telling an associate later, 'It doubled me up like a jack-knife.'"

    "Wood ordered the shutters drawn as Borah—with a wry smile—resumed his cross-examination. Reading Haywood some comments The Miners Magazine had made about Steunenberg over the years, he wanted to know whether these attacks represented Haywood's views." — Big Trouble by J. Anthony Lukas (pages 699-700). 

More....
Assassination: Idaho's Trial of the Century—Highlights

Photos — University of Minnesota — The Bill Haywood Trial

Bill Haywood Trial 1907

Monday, September 14, 2009: "6/14/(19)07 Big crowds here, on account of Haywood trial"

On the trail of Hannibal F. "Seven Devils" Johnson and Gary Eller

Here is an article sent to me by our friend and Idaho music aficionado Gary Eller. As mentioned previously on this blog, you will want to check out Gary and friends at The Idaho Songs Project.

Gary found this June 1906 Idaho Statesman article while doing research on Hannibal F. "Seven Devils" Johnson for his new CD/Booklet. The article is highly critical of the Socialist Newspaper Appeal to Reason and the Appeal's rants against the prosecution of Haywood, Pettibone and Moyer leading up to the trial and the possible end result should they be convicted.

For easier viewing and enlarging, I have posted this article on my Fold3 account. Browse my other "Spotlights" while you are there.

So what about Hannibal F. "Seven Devils" Johnson? You will have to wait and read Gary's booklet and listen to the CD to learn more about this colorful Idaho poet, politician and miner. For a sample, go to the Early Idaho Songs of the Month web page and click on Seven Devils Mine.  I have not done much of a search myself, but information on Hannibal seems a bit hard to come by. I found the following small description but the sources are unclear and the web page leads to nowhere and appears defunct. I will keep my eyes peeled but may just wait for Gary's CD/booklet.

JOHNSON, HANNIBAL F. "SEVEN DEVILS JOHNSON" One of the colorful characters who once inhabited the Council and Seven Devils areas was Hannibal F. Johnson.  He was a miner and poet, who acquired the title "Seven Devils Johnson"  from the local residents.  Johnson, born in Indiana in 1830, came west looking for gold, and was in the Boise area in the early 1850's.  He later located a mining claim in the Seven Devils about 1884.  In 1892, he ran for the office of Washington County Senator against T.C. Galloway.  During the campaign, Galloway called Johnson "Pine Tree Johnson", claiming that he had real no home and lived under a pine tree.  Johnson won the election and served one term.  * Pickett (p. 42-3 and Elsensohn p. 303) Johnson apparently never married, and did a great deal of traveling from place to place around the country, driving a two-wheeled cart.  In a time when doctors were few and far between, he was in demand as an authority on home remedies.  He was a good natured man with a keen sense of humor, and seemed to be liked by almost everyone.  *Cary, pp. 34-35.

The Riddle of the Sphinx

The next installment from George Steunenberg's Songs of a Soldier. Click on the pages to enlarge. As often the case, if you receive this post as an email, come to the blog for better viewing. If you saw the messed up post from earlier today—sorry. I got in too much of a hurry and uploaded the wrong files. Please don't be too hard on me as it was a beautiful day out after a rather wet week, my sister Beckie was visiting, and we wanted to get out and enjoy some sun and good company.







Previous blog entries of verse from Songs of a Soldier by George Steunenberg:

Monday, March 26, 2012
An Army Invitation

Sunday, March 18, 2012
Elimination

Saturday, March 10, 2012
The Feline Curse at Leavenworth

Saturday, March 3, 2012
Songs of a Soldier - The Canine Curse at Snelling

UPDATE 9/23/2014 - Cassidy's 8th Grade History Project

UPDATE 9/23/2014:
Below is a post that introduced kinfolk Claire Oldridge Cowan and her daughter Cassidy. Their family connection comes through Edna Steunenberg, youngest child of Governor Frank and Belle Steunenberg. Edna is Claire's great grandmother and Cassidy's great great grandmother.

Although unclear over the years and always identified as "adopted" , I have no reason not to believe the Oldridge family view that Edna is the natural daughter of Frank Steunenberg and adopted only as related to Belle Steunenberg. Edna's birth mother is unknown but one bit of speculation indicates she was a secretary to the governor. As I have said before, regardless of what one chooses to believe, adopted or blood relative, either way qualifies as family. Frank would certainly not have been the first prominent citizen to wander during those times. Just ask William Borah, Clarence Darrow or Big Bill Haywood! Seems the lesson still has not been learned today as we see prominent citizens and politicians, generally males, fall from grace quite regularly due to their indiscretions.

I have also been in contact with Laura Woods, a granddaughter of Edna's and she provided some of the photographs that follow the original blog post below. Lisa is the daughter of Margaret, Edna's youngest daughter. Lisa provided a photo of Margaret and Edna.

Original post:
I would like everyone to meet newly discovered kinfolk Cassidy Cowan and her mother Claire Oldridge Cowan. Here you see Cassidy with her entry in the REACH (Respecting our Ethnic and Cultural Heritage) program for eighth graders at the Robert Gray Middle School in Oregon. Each student did a research project and paper on a member of their family. I think you can probably guess Cassidy's choice.
Cassidy fits in the family chain as follows: as you may know, Frank and Belle Steunenberg had five children—Julian, my grandfather; Felix, who died at about 5 years of age; Frances; Frank, sometimes referred to as Frank Jr.; and Edna. Edna was Cassidy's great great grandmother.

Information from Walter Steunenberg's most recent printout of our genealogy shows Edna Jessie Steunenberg was born on 9/25/1902 in Caldwell, ID, adopted by the Steunenbergs' in November 1905 and died 1/1/1981 in Sonoma, CA. I believe the DOB should be the year 1905 and place of birth perhaps Baker City, OR. Let me know if you have other information or documentation.

From my contacts with Cassidy and Claire, and available information online, Edna married Herbert Oldridge (I did not get a date). They had five children, Francis, Joseph, Margaret, Merrill and Richard. That last one, Richard, is Claire's grandfather, his son Richard Jr. is her father, and they are Cassidy's great grandfather and grandfather respectively. My first contact with the Oldridge clan was actually a couple years ago when Richard Jr. emailed after finding my blog.

Edna and Herbert Oldridge divorced later in life, she remarried and became Edna Maves (I believe). Perhaps the just released 1940 census will give us more information in that regard.

Over the years there has been speculation surrounding Edna. In Big Trouble, there is only one very brief mention of her—"After feeding his stock, he (Frank) turned toward the house for breakfast with Belle and the children—Julian, nineteen, on Christmas vacation from the Adventists' Walla Walla College in Washington State; Frances, thirteen; Frank Junior, five; and eight-month-old Edna, an orphan the Steunenberg's had adopted that year."

"That year" was 1905 and the day on which the events above are taking place is December 30th.

The Steunenberg's, and particularly my great grandma Belle, always identified and introduced Edna as the adopted daughter, causing her to never really feel accepted as a part of the family (from a letter written by Frank Jr.). There is also a noticeable absence of photographs showing Edna. It may well be true that she was adopted although records have never been verified, may or may not exist, or are locked away in Idaho. The Oldridge family believes Edna was the natural daughter of Frank Steunenberg and her mother's identity is unknown. Brenda Steunenberg Richards (my mother) told me about this rumor too although the natural parents of Edna have never been identified and/or verified. True or not? I don't know and am not sure if it really matters.

I will explore more about Edna as time allows and hopefully come up with maybe a picture or two and birth and/or adoptions records would certainly be helpful. I guess if we feel the need to verify, we can turn to a more modern tool in our research bag—Genetic Genealogy. Personally, I don't feel that need, as Edna was family regardless, although probably not always accepted as such. It is time for the lack of acceptance to end.

Adopted, bloodline or neither, I know we have an assortment— ancestral and otherwise—official and unofficial—and each one is a member of our family. As Mr. Gump said, "life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're going to get."

Discovering and helping out a budding new family historian is always gratifying. Welcome to the Steunenberg clan (our box of chocolates) Cousin Cassidy.

9/23/2014 Update-Photos of Edna Steunenberg.

Edna Jessie Steunenberg Oldridge.  Photo provided by Alice Steunenberg Willloughby as part of an oral interview completed and recorded by my Cousin Bill Crookham. I took a still shot from the DVD.

Edna looks pretty young here. Teens perhaps? I am told Alice has many other Steunenberg photos, including of Edna. Alice is the daughter of Frank W. Steunenberg, youngest son of Gov. Frank & Belle Steunenberg. Hopefully I can get a look at them someday.

Courtesy of Laura Woods. Edna Circa 1941.  Location unknown.

Courtesy of Laura Woods

Margaret Jane Oldridge (Edna's youngest daughter born 1927 & mother of Laura Woods) with her mother Edna Steunenberg Oldridge (my guess is circa late 1940's/early 1950's?).

Photo from Laura Woods, granddaughter of Edna.

Laura told me this photo was taken on a beach somewhere off the coast of California in 1965.

The 1940 Census is coming April 2nd.

A whole new decade (1930's) of information is about to become available. Coming to a computer near you on April 2nd.



Online:

National Archives

Ancestry.com

1940 Census