Idaho Meanderings

This blog contains history, photos, etc. related to Idaho from the late 1800's/early 1900's. My mother, Brenda Steunenberg Richards, was born in ID. Much of it pertains to the assassination of my great grandfather, Gov. Frank Steunenberg, the trial of Bill Haywood & grew out of the 100 year commemorations of those events. Along the way I toss in a bit of the Wild West, old guns, radios, military, etc. Your comments are welcomed. If using my images, please just ASK. Thank you.

Monday, December 29, 2014

Clarence Darrow's Defense of Big Bill Haywood (1907)

A pretty good batch of mostly familiar photos along with a Darrow-ish voice over. Those receiving auto email notices will want to click on the blog title as you probably won't see the video image.

From YouTube

Published on Mar 11, 2014

A retrospective look at one of Darrow's first great defenses: the one that saved the life of labor leader and IWW founder William Haywood, accused of ordering the murder of Idaho governor Frank Steunenberg on December 30, 1905. Video assembled by Nina Barrett with assistance from Jeff Garrett in March 2014.

Sir, I met Clarence Darrow, I watched Clarence Darrow in the courtroom, I walked the Idanha Hotel & Penitentiary with Clarence Darrow, Clarence Darrow is a friend of mine! Sir, you are no Clarence Darrow!
OK, I can't act or debate and the voice over in the video is far better then I could do. However, I have met the ultimate Darrow.

Flashback November 2007

John (me) on the left and Gary Anderson (aka Clarence Darrow) on the right "loafing" at the Idaho Pen. It was both educational and a lot of fun to spend a little time with "Darrow."

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Idaho Meanderings Update

Although still posting and checking this blog from time to time, I am not as active as I was in its earlier years. I have ventured out a bit into some Facebook History groups but will have to see how that goes. The jury is still out. However, please do not hesitate to comment, contact me directly or to pass along historical notes of interest. I started the blog over a decade ago and I do apologize for the many links that are no longer active and some formatting changes by Blogger that scrambled a few posts. I try to update pages when I am linking or utilizing them for other sites but correcting every link is a near impossible task. Enjoy the history.

GUNS, WARS, MILITARIA, WILD WEST, GUNSLINGERS

Lawmen (?). Guarding/ protecting the star witness.

True West. "A Case for Murder" "Mass bombings, revenge and labor upheaveals come to a head at a murder trial 100 years ago"-Mark Boardman
The West. The Regeneration of Harry Orchard. Oct. 1969
The American West. The Bomb at the Governor's Gate. Winter 1965
The American West. Portrait for a Western Album-"Big Bill" Haywood: Champion of Western Miners. Sep/Oct 1979
Old West. The Middle Years of Bob Meldrum. Spring 1970
Frontier Times. Wyoming's Mysterious Badman (Bob Meldrum). Winter1961
Frontier Times. Martial Law in the Coeur d"Alene. Nov. 1971
American History Illustrated. The Lion & the Fox-The Story of the Big Bill haywood Trial. April 1978
American Heritage. Shootout in Burke Canyon. Aug. 1971

Hallicrafters S-40A

QUOTES

"If you destroy the labor unions in this country, you destroy liberty when you strike the blow, and you would leave the poor bound and shackled and helpless to do the bidding of the rich."
Clarence Darrow

"Few will have the greatness to bend history itself; but each of us can work to change a small portion of events, and in the total of all those acts will be written the history of this generation."
Robert F. Kennedy

"History with its flickering lamp stumbles along the trail of the past, trying to reconstruct its scenes, to revive its echoes, and kindle with pale gleams the passion of former days."
Winston Churchill