Four Score Ten Years and Counting...

I wrote this mostly last week, kept changing it and procrastinated until now. Just a little something about Mom.

August 26, 2008

Today my Mom, Brenda Steunenberg Richards, (pictured left at the Frazier Farmstead in Milton, Oregon c.1924) turns 90 years young. As a reminder for those that are not as familiar with the family chain, her parents were Julian and Francis Steunenberg (Brenda,

Julian, Francis pictured to the right c. 1950's) and Julian was the eldest son of Frank (the Governor) and Belle Steunenberg.

Ninety is a lot of years and time is taking its inevitable toll. We try to value each day as we know the calendar grows short but we take solace in that we have been blessed with four score ten years and counting. We all know others that have been much less fortunate.

Although my Mom is physically frail and the trips to the emergency room and doctor sometimes too frequent, she has avoided the Alzheimer’s that plagued her sister Doris and her mother Francis. Sure, at ninety the short-term memory is slipping but at age fifty-seven I may already have the edge on her in that regard. Mom (and Dad) struggle daily with the sometimes cruel progression of age that brings with it an ever decreasing level of independence. As the sun begins to set on our parents, we experience a range of emotions and thoughts, trying to enjoy today while preparing ourselves for “that” inevitable day. Taking it one day at a time is all we―they―can do.

When I was a young kid, there must have been moments when I frustrated and made Mom mad but the funny thing is I don’t ever remember any raised voice, any pain from a spanking or even having been sent to my room. I certainly was not a perfect child so no doubt such guidance was required from time to time. I do remember there was one of those dime store paddles, the ones we bought as kids that had a ball attached with a rubber band.We had a lot of fun playing paddle ball but when the rubber band finally broke, these toys of joy could suddenly turn against us. They became recycled into a formidable paddle board for use on our backsides―or at least that is what we thought. Our paddle was kept up on top of the refrigerator, out of reach, and served as a reminder of what at least could happen. Maybe Mom already knew that its mere presence would be enough as I don’t recall it ever hitting by rear end like I probably deserved. If it did then the pangs of pain were far too faint to be etched into memory. I guess what determines if a little spanking, or even just the thought of it, is a good thing is if it teaches a lesson in behavior and you don’t remember anything bad about the punishment.

I am still learning from the wisdom of Mom's nine decades and the love and the lessons she teaches me everyday.

Happy 90^th Mom. We all love you.

Recently handing off the family silverware

to my 16 year old daughter Caley.

"Announcing our Digital Collections!"

The email below just arrived in my inbox a short time ago from Amy Vecchione of the Idaho State Historical Society (ISHS). You will want to check out the societies new digital collection. For those that visited the site previously, take another look as a new home page has been added for easier navigation and includes links to other related items of interest. Enjoy, John

8/23/08

Subject: Announcing our Digital Collections!

Hello,

The Digital Initiatives Program team has been working hard to present the Idaho State Historical Society’s Digital Collections! They are now ready for your perusal and feedback. In addition, Amber Beierle composed the text of the web exhibit that is now up and designed by Adele Thomsen. Adele and Chris worked hard yesterday to put it up (Thanks Chris!!!). Of course, there will continue to be edits that need to be made, so I am sending along this link to our survey as well.

You can now view over 700 different images online including our Mining in Idaho collection, Shorty Fuller photographs and more! Have a lot of fun with this! Send us your suggestions for future digital collections, too!

We appreciate your taking the time to review this new site, and providing feedback! If you have any questions please do not hesitate to ask.

The Digital Initiatives Program team includes: Steve Barrett, Amber Beierle, Chris Brady, Belinda Davis, Ellen Haffner, Kathy Hodges, Rachelle Littau, Linda Morton-Keithley, Emily Peeso, Amy Vecchione and Kurt Zwolfer.

On behalf of DIP, thank you,

Amy

Links:

Digital Collections:
history.idaho.gov/collections

Survey:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=FewKgDlAdEYbF7ZAFAM8VQ_3d_3d

Sent: Saturday, August 23, 2008 9:25 AM
To: 'Amy Vecchione'
Subject: RE: Announcing our Digital Collections!

Good Morning Amy:

I was here on my computer doing my traditional Saturday morning history session when the email arrived regarding the ISHS digital collections. I have been accessing the site for some time but the new home page and added features are extremely nice. For an Idaho history buff that does not reside in Idaho, having more of the ISHS collection going digital is a much anticipated and appreciated event. Of course I do hope to see the Harry Orchard and Governor Steunenberg material added to the finding aids soon (friendly hint!) but I know many related items are in the more extensive papers of Borah and Hawley.

Please do pass on my enthusiastic endorsement to the team working on this project as I know it has taken a lot of hard work and time. I see a few familiar names that have contributed to other Idaho history projects in the past that I have also greatly enjoyed and appreciated.

Over the following days I will peruse the website and utilize the survey tool to provide additional feedback.

With Kind Regards,

John

John T. Richards, Jr. (great grandson of Governor Frank Steunenberg)

http://steunenberg.blogspot.com/

The information below was moved to this location 12/1/2008

The ISHS has now began digitizing their photograph collection. This is a welcomed development that will allow these great images to be available for study by a much wider audience. In browsing the initial efforts, I was pleased to find photos of DeLamar, ID that were contributed to the ISHS by my kin Edith Farrer Steunenberg (see blog post: Monday, April 14, 2008, Peep Show - "Ten Cents a Peep"). Edith was born in DeLamar on 12/7/1906 and married Thomas Steunenberg 9/1/1930 in Caldwell. ID. Tom was the son of A.K. (brother of Governor Steunenberg) & Carrie Steunenberg. Tom and Edith had a son, Albert Steunenberg born in Caldwell and currently residing with his wife Peg in Alamo, CA. Please check this ISHS link from time to time as this exciting pilot project continues and more photographs become available for viewing.

Governor Steunenberg and General Merriam circa 1899

I do not believe I have ever seen this picture before of Governor Frank Steunenberg on the left and General Merriam on the right. It reportedly was taken in 1899 during the Coeur d'Alene mining war. I would not have even recognized it as Governor Steunenberg at first glance and without the picture having been identified. If anyone has seen this photo or knows more about it then please let me know. In appeared in the Chicago Tribune on January 1, 1906; the day after the governor was assassinated in Caldwell, Idaho. I have included the full page of the paper that I found on Footnote.com. Click on the images to enlarge.

Exploring History on Footnote.com

You can click on any of the items or numbers in the box below to access my activity on Footnote.com. You do not have to be a subscriber but will have to pay up if you want to search on your own. I have decided to subscribe for a year as I found that even though the site is still early in its development, the resources are quite extensive, its has one of the best image viewing systems available and the resource base is expanding rapidly. It does take a bit of practice to get the navigation down.

Almost immediately I located a lot of articles on the Haywood trial, Governor Steunenberg and other related stories but have only scratched the surface. What I like is that it has smaller town papers where opinions and views might be different then New York, Chicago, San Francisco or Los Angeles. Photos are a bit thin but each member is adding 1000's more of there own all the time. Hence you will see some familiar ones that I have uploaded. And it was a snap and a real treat to find the Civil War pension records for Lewis and Justus Simpson used in the previous post. The Bureau of Investigation (later FBI) files are interesting as you can find something on just about everybody, particularly if they had a German or Japanese sounding name. It gives a good picture of the paranoia that swept the county and the abuses of investigative power on innocent citizens during that period in history.

Of course there is a price to pay...about $5 bucks a month or $60 a year. You can get a free three day trial or do as I did and sign up for one month at $7.95. This is my one bit of cheap unabashed commercialism as if ever inclined to sign up then please use the banner ad over in the left hand column of my blog or wherever it might be located in the future. That way I get a cut of the action and the money goes back into the Idaho, Steunenberg, Richards' historical preservation fund for buying more old historical stuff. Regards, John

www.footnote.com

The section blow moved to here on 12/1/2008
From Footenote:
"Introducing Footnote"

"Footnote.com is a place where original historical documents are combined with social networking in order to create a truly unique experience involving the stories of our past.

The Footnote.com collections feature documents, most never before available before on the Internet, relating to the Revolutionary War, Civil War, WWI, WWII, US Presidents, historical newspapers, naturalization documents and many more.

Footnote.com is more than just an online repository for original documents. In addition to hosting millions of records, Footnote supports a community of people that are passionate about a variety of topics relating to history."

You can access my Footnote items free of charge.
Click here to see what John is doing on foot.note.

Private Justus Simpson, Company G of 152nd NY Volunteers

August 1862
Where: Spotsylvania and North Anna River 
"At twenty-five, Justus was five years older than Lewis and a little bigger and stronger. Apparently named after the Justus of Acts 18:7 ("one that worshiped god"), his occupation was listed as a farmer. He was five-feet-seven with a fair completion, gray eyes, and light hair. Two weeks later, Justus found himself in training at Camp Schuyler in German Flats at Herkimer, New York." (Text and photographs from from Whither thou Goest by Patrick Simpson. Originals at the Frazier Farmstead Museum. See the related "The Cross Story" from the Frazier Farmstead Museum website.

 

Private Lewis Simpson, Company K of the Eighty-ninth New York Volunteers.

This post is about some civil war relatives with a Steunenberg connection. As many of you know, my 90 years young mother is Brenda Steunenberg Richards; her mother/my grandmother was Frances Beardsley Wood Steunenberg, the daughter of Eva Beardsley Wood and granddaughter of Mary Jane Beardsley. Mary Jane was the sister of Lewis, Justus and George Simpson. So I believe that makes Eva my great grandmother, Mary Jane my great great grandmother and her three brothers my great grand uncles but I won't swear to it. Pictured: Frankie (standing) and Eva Beardsley circa 1875, children of Mary Jane & Theo Beardsley.

The family is fortunate, that like Anthony Lukas and Big Trouble, we have another book entitled Whither thou Goest by Patrick Simpson that traces the descendents of my grandmother Frances Steunenberg through the perils of the Civil War and the journey of Mary Jane and Theo Beardsley with their daughters Eva and Frankie from Well Bridge, New York across the plains by covered wagon, through the Bannock Indian War and to the promises of the West in Idaho, Washington and Oregon.

I have basically this same post on Footnote.com with some additional annotations and quotes from Civil War letters. After a trial use of Footnote, I decided to subscribe and hence found the Civil War pension records. Just click on the post title immediately below and check it out on Footnote along with other items I have found.

August 1862
Where: Fredericksburg, Virginia
Private Lewis Simpson, Company K of the Eighty-ninth New York Volunteers
"Dear Sister, . . . He [Stonewall Jackson] will wake up some morning to find his stonewall all gone to thunder and his soul singing rebel anthems with the Devil and his Angels in Hell. May God arrest him in his mad and reckless career and convert his guilty soul over to taking the oath of allegiance to our dear good old Uncle Sam before it will be everlasting too late for him to repent." (Letter from Lewis to sister Mary Jane Beardsley written on August 18, 1862 from the front lines near Fredericksburg, Virginia.) From Whither thou Goest by Patrick D. Simpson.

Photo above of Private Lewis Simpson from the collection of the Frazier Farmstead Museum.

The sister of Private Lewis was Mary Jane Beardsley to whom he wrote a number of interesting civil war period letters that are in the archives of the Frazier Farmstead Museum.




Civil War Pension records from Fold3.com.

Robert K. Steunenberg-WW II Veteran on LST 808 and Distinguished Scientist

I typically try to keep the items on this blog related in some way to Governor Steunenberg, the Haywood trial and/or that period in history. I don't go a lot into other generations of our family as I know that may not be of interest to everyone. I am going to make an exception in this instance as I want to share a recent article about Robert K. Steunenberg and Landing Ship, Tank (LST) 808 on which he served during the war in the pacific. Robert was the son of Ancil and Lorraine Steunenberg and his grandfather was A.K. Steunenberg, brother of Governor Frank Steunenberg.

Robert died about six years ago and is survived by his wife Jean. Picture to the right is from College of Idaho 1891 - 1991: A Centennial History by Louie W. Attebery.

I receive automatic notifications through Google regarding anything that appears on the web related to "Steunenberg." Hence, I received notification of the article below and got in touch with the author, Bill Mego. Bill it turns out was Robert's long time friend and neighbor.

We have tried to obtain information about papers and belongings of Robert and wife Jean in the hope of preserving items that might be of historical and personal family interest. Unfortunately, they did not have any children and it appears the attorney in charge of their estate has merely focused on its sale and disposal. Sad indeed.

Interestingly, at the same time I discovered this article, I had run across Robert's copy of That Man Boone (with his personal nameplate) on eBay. The book is about the life of William Judson Boone, founder and president of the College of Idaho from where Robert graduated in 1947. The seller was from the same general area of Chicago near Naperville and Argonne National laboratory where Robert was employed for many years as a scientist. Fortunately I was able to at least acquire that one item and it will be heading for the College of Idaho archives. The seller, once I identified my connection, has not been particularly forthright with other information.

Robert played the cello and Jean the piano. According to Bill Mego, those items were sold off. Bill also shared the following information: "Bob (aka Robert) was a friend and neighbor of mine for more than 30 years. He was a chemist with the Chemical Engineering Division at Argonne National Laboratory. His notebooks, which are thought to be the most meticulous works of their kind, remain at Argonne." "Jean was very active in the local Republican politics. Bob served on the Park Board, in several community organizations, and produced shows for our local television station NCTV." Their Steunenberg china was to be passed on to other kinfolk but its disposition is unknown. Inquiries to the attorney handing the estate have gone unanswered.

With the information about Robert and his having served as an Ensign on LST 808, I have done a little research and included additional links at the bottom of this entry. I added the two pictures below from the referenced websites.

(The title below is linked to the Naperville Sun where you can view the online article. I have included the full text below as the author tells me it will disappear off the site after a few weeks).

Cables tell tale of WWII attack on Naperville ensign’s ship

by Bill Mego, Naperville Sun

July 31, 2008

On the evening of May 19, 1945, the tank landing ship LST 808 was anchored at Ie Shima, the island on which a sniper had killed famed war correspondent Ernie Pyle. It was midway through Operation Iceberg, the battle of Okinawa, and the ship was supposedly hidden in a man-made fog of oil smoke. However, the joke was that the letters LST stood for Large Slow Target.

The 327-foot ship had previously served at the foot of Mount Suribachi, on Iwo Jima. She carried seven officers and a crew of 204. The communications officer was Ensign Robert K. Steunenburg, who would later become a Naperville resident and one of Argonne National Laboratory's finest scientists.

At 2207 hours, the LST 808's engine room was hit by a torpedo from a low flying plane. The enormous concussion opened a five-foot hole in the hull, instantly killing the five men in the engine room and filling the air with the smell of sulfur.

From the gray-painted communications room the following cable was sent: CROWBAR 808 THIS ANCHORAGE HAS RECEIVED HIT X ENGINE ROOM DAMAGED Then another: WE HAVE 6 FEET OF WATER IN TANK DECK An order to assist went out and was answered. BRAINWAVE WE ARE STANDING BY TO ASSIST CROWBAR 808.

Aboard LST 808, nothing but the radio was functioning, not even the pumps. They sent: REQUEST 1 OR 2 TUGS TO BEACH US X DO NOT KNOW IF WE CAN STAY AFLOAT ALL NIGHT Command sent: DO NOT WISH TO ENDANGER THE TUGS NEAR THE REEF X SEND TWO LSTS TO DO THE PUSHING JOB AND GET CREW OFF FOR NIGHT X EXPEDITE

But assisting was difficult. BRAINWAVE IMPOSSIBLE TO BEACH CROWBAR 808 IN THIS SMOKE WE HAVE GONE AGROUND ONCE. But the ship soon got free and went, with another LST, to beach the 808, which was now listing dangerously. CROWBAR 808 SLIP UP ANCHOR X BACKDOOR WILL ASSIST TO BEACH

Most of the crew was off the ship by 0300, and the salvage officers began the task of removing everything valuable or secret. A security detail of five was on the ship when, at 1837 hours on May 20, a kamikaze from the 50th Shinbu Squadron at Chiran Air Base flew his Hayabusa fighter plane into the forward superstructure and crashed all the way down to the tank deck. None of the men on board the ship were badly hurt.

Just another day in paradise. The final toll was 17 dead and 11 wounded.

Doctor Robert Steunenberg survived the war and went on to devote his energies to science and the community in which he became highly respected. As far as I know, he talked about the LST 808 only at the crew's annual reunion.

Bob had no children. After he died, and his wife had grown ill, men in charge of his estate came to his home and told his wife's live-in caregiver that she had one hour to leave. Then they admitted his wife, involuntarily, into a nursing home.

They are now in the process of selling Bob and his wife's possessions and the home that they loved so much. One of them sold me a plastic bag of my friend Bob's papers for $20.

And that, I guess, is how life ends for an American hero.

Bill Mego's column is published each Thursday. Contact him at bill.mego@sbcglobal.net.

(Bill, thank you for your kind article and correspondence regarding Robert. Lets remain in touch, John)

Links related to LST 808

Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships

Ships of the U.S. Navy, 1940-1945 - USS LST-808

NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive - LST 808

Kamikaze, the Ultimate Sacrifice

WWII-LST 808

I have also entered the above on my footnote.com account at:

Robert K. Steunenberg

Bringing the Haywood Jury to a Calm and Unbiased Decision July 27, 1907

Just a quick note to pass on this link provided courtesy of our friend Gary Eller. Thought I would put it here rather then burying with all the other links. Haywood trial political comment cartoons are rather few and far between. Click on the link below:
"Bringing the Haywood jury to a calm and unbiased decision"

I will be seeing if I can get permission to utilize the image but the link lets you see it anyway along with all the referencing information.

You can find a lot of other J. N. "Ding" Darling cartoons from the University of Iowa Digital Library. No doubt I will be poking around more as we have a lot of family history in Iowa too that I have not explored to any great degree.

More later this weekend.

Not too much later....I already started checking out the site a bit more and here is another good Haywood trial cartoon from Jay "Ding" Darling. "When they get around to the twelfth juror"
And more:
Big Bill Haywood is reported on his way back in disgust
Our bow-legged constabulary
Any incivility on the part of the attendants should be promptly reported

Automatic Teller Bank from the Caldwell Banking & Trust Co. Ltd.

The attached pics are of an old Advertising Automatic Teller Bank that I was happy to find and purchase recently. It is made by the National Recording Safe Co. Chicago USA and has three slots for cents, two for nickels, two for dimes, one for quarters, one for halves and a hole on the top for rolled up bills. The bank is made of stainless steel and cast iron with an advertising plate riveted to the top. The bank measures 2.5 inches high by approximately 3.50 inches across. It is quite heavy compared to later types that came with aluminum bases.

As you can see, what makes this one special is that is comes from the Caldwell Banking & Trust Co in Caldwell, Idaho...the bank found and operated by A.K. and Frank Steunenberg. You can see pictures of the exterior and interior of the bank building toward the end of this blog.

The base reads US PAT 758340 which would place it circa 1904. These almost never come with keys and that is the case here. The bank customer would save their change and dollars and when the bank was full they would take it to the cashier/teller. The teller would have the key, open the bank and place the money into the persons account. The process would then repeat itself and encourage customers to save more money. I have never seen one before from the Caldwell Bank and was particularly pleased to find this early version that dates to the period of Frank and A.K. The picture to the left is of the interior of the Caldwell Bank with A.K Steunenberg at the back window.

Has anyone else seen one of these small automatic teller banks before or perhaps have more information? It is in great shape with the wear, pitting and patina that gives it the unique character that can only come with the passing of time. To think it might well have been is use when Frank and A.K. were still alive and at the bank is quite fascinating.

Since it doesn't have a key, I have yet to open it. I tried a little lock picking but don't want to cause any damage. I located some information and a template from online as it seems a lot of folks are in need of keys for these old advertising banks. There are a few coins jingling around so it will be interesting to see if those were recent additions or from the distant past. I will let you know.

I think I will start filling the bank with my own coins and dollars as I certainly need to be saving some!

Here is a letter from A.K. written to his friend, colleague and bank VP Montie Gwinn just after the assassination of Frank Steunenberg. It identifies the principal stakeholders in the Caldwell Banking & Trust Company and gives one a good sense of the devastation A.K. felt over the loss of his brother. Update 4/2020: Link no longer active and deleted. This letter comes from the College of Idaho where the Steunenberg Family Documents are located. However, all items have been offline for several years and the archive in Sterry Hall recently packed up and closed. Fortunately, I have scans of most everything. 

Assassination: Idaho's Trial of the Century. Read more about the trial, the players & related events in history on "Footnote.Com." See previous post.

As you can see, I am still playing around with Footnote.com. Theoretically (it has been a little quirky) you should be able to go to my link in the previous post and access any of the images I have saved. For those with automatic email notifications, when I enter a new post you may get an email with no image and just a never ending uploading circle. Not sure why that is or may be a way for footnote to control secondary links. Just delete the email as it looks like you found your way here.

I have found Footnote.com to be a pretty good research tool as my comfort level improves and I get more familiar with the website and various tools. I have located a lot of newspapers articles, the occasional picture, Haywood trial accounts, Idaho and Colorado mining and labor and some interesting Bureau of Investigation (later became the FBI) files. I will keep at it for awhile as only scratched the surface and will at least get my one month memberships worth.

To access some of my findings, go back to the previous post and click on "My Discoveries on Footnote" or the larger number you see. There are several pages of images so you will want to find the "Next" button just above the first image. Excuse any repeats as I seemed to have uploaded a couple extra IPTV DVD images and can't get them off of there. Oh well, more free advertising for public television and maybe a few more DVD sales.

Found on Footnote.com

Footnote.com

Below is the link to the "Footnote" website that I am using on a trial basis. It appears to be pretty good for research and locating files, images, newspapers, etc. For this blog, everything will generally be Idaho, Steunenberg and Haywood trial related. I just started with it and saved a few items that you can click on and view as long as my subscription is active. That may only be a short period of time as have not yet decided if I will pay the additional fee to continue more long term.

I cut and pasted my picture and profile from this blog into "Footnote" so skip that part as is the same. "Annotations" are items I saved with a label or comment, "Connections" are usually related items and "Spotlight" is any specific item that one wants to bring attention too. Today it is an article dated exactly 101 years ago (byline 7/20/1907 Boise, ID) from the Haywood trial. If you want to see all the items then just click on the "14" (or whatever # it is at the moment). The number will increase as more is added.

If you have been using "Footnote" or did previously (or even if this is your first visit) then I sure would appreciate some feedback. Thanks, John

www.footnote.com

Still on the Trail of Jack Simpkins............ Disappearing Dynamiter - What Happened to L. J. "Jack" Simpkins?

This is the forth recent post (see June 21, June 28 and July 13 or click on the links in the text below) related to Harry Orchard and more specifically his partner and co-conspirator Jack Simpkins. Evidence indicates Simpkins was in Caldwell, ID at the same time as Orchard but disappeared shorty before or after the murder of Governor Steunenberg. Simpkins was never again seen and little or no information has surfaced in the ensuing 100+ years.

The following article comes from True West Magazine and was written for the July 1988 edition by David Grover, author of Debaters & Dynamiters: The Story of the Haywood Trial. As you may know, David participated as an expert commentator in the production of Assassination: Idaho's Trial of the Century. It was with great pleasure that I had the opportunity to meet and chat with him following the premiere at the Egyptian Theater on November 7th, 2007 in Boise. You can see a picture among those at the end of the blog that shows my coveted copy of Debaters & Dynamiters (The Haywood Trial, Notable Trials Version) that I taken to get signed by David and other production participants.

Click on each page to enlarge.

To read the text of David's interview for the IPTV program, click on David Grover Interview.

Was Simpkins murdered to be silenced or did he somehow fade into the population never to heard from again? Perhaps he committed suicide as mentioned briefly in a small hidden article in the New York Times on 6/19/1907. See: On the Trail of Jack Simpkins - A Suicide? Or was he connected in some way with the alleged identify switch that was described my a Mr. O'Reilly in letters discussed in my June 21st post, Was That Harry Orchard In the Idaho Pen? We really don't know and may never know for sure. I do not believe any switch occurred or that anyone but the real Harry Orchard/Albert Horsely spent all those years in the Idaho pen until his death in 1954. Simpkins, a member of the executive committee of the Western Federation of Miner's (WFM), was probably in Caldwell to keep an eye on Orchard and make sure he accomplished the objective―assassinating my great grandfather. However, I imagine Simpkins exited the scene quickly before getting any blood directly on his hands and to avoid arrest.

Justice Byron Johnson expressed some skepticism about Harry Orchard's testimony because of it's "flawlessness" and that perhaps he was giving the wrong or not the whole story about Simpkins. With the utmost respect, I disagree with Byron on that point in terms of the overall accuracy of Orchard's testimony although undoubtedly there are some minor points of dispute or omission. Yes, Orchard had definitely been interviewed, interrogated, rehearsed and deposed as much as any witness in history. Probably so much so that it did often sound like he was reading a "narrative" what with all the repetition of his statements, the original written confession, McClure's magazine publication of it in serial form and the then soon to be released book The Confessions and Autobiography of Harry Orchard. Intelligent, calm, cold and calculating―that was Orchard both when it came to committing murder and giving testimony. He stood up incredibly well to the lengthy cross examination by Elliott Richardson. I do wish that Darrow had been given the opportunity to handle the cross examination and get more of a crack at Orchard but in the end it probably made little difference. Richardson was certainly no slouch in terms of his own legal skills.

Another interesting but tragic event in 1907, with a Haywood Trial and perhaps Jack Simpkins connection, was the murder of Sheriff Harvey Brown of Baker County, Oregon. The sheriff happened to be in Caldwell at the time of the governors assassination and assisted with the investigation. He was scheduled to testify at the Haywood trial when he too was blown up by a dynamite bomb planted at the gate to his home. Sound familiar? perhaps the missing Jack Simpkins had information about or some involvement in that crime too. Read more about it at: 1907 Bomb Murder Of Sheriff Harvey Brown.

Jack Simpkins may have lived out his life hidden somewhere in South America far out of the limelight and under a different name. If their is anyone that Mr. O'Reilly came across that was connected to the murder, it it more likely to have been Jack Simpkins rather then Harry Orchard. I think Judge Johnson and I agree on that point. See the June 28th post: Judge Byron's Johnson's take on those letters...was it the mysterious and missing L.J. "Jack" Simpkins? No direct evidence exists to support either theory.

Click here to again view the full text of Byron's interview with IPTV: Byron Johnson Interview.

Be it dead or alive―Haywood, Moyer and Pettibone certainly did not want McParland to have any chance to question Simpkins regarding the inner workings of the executive committee of the WFM. Either killing Simpkins or paying him off and hiding him away were the available options. Had McParland been given a chance to work on Simpkins as he did Orchard, the corroborating evidence that was missing from the Haywood trial might well have been available and we would know more about the role of all the participants (or at least have more testimony and information to debate) leading up to that evening of December 30th, 1905.

So Jack Simpkins remains an enigma. What exactly was his level of knowledge and participation in this story? Where and why did he disappear never to be seen or heard from again? We may never know all the answers but we have all seen examples of information coming to light many years after a crime has been committed...even 100+ years later. It is what keeps Judge Johnson and I and other amateur historians and sleuths looking for that one shred of evidence―a faded letter or memory―that might shine some light on the dark and mysterious role Simpkins played in my great grandfathers murder.

Jack Simpkins....Still a Wanted Man!

As of this writing, I was referred by one county coroner's office jurisdiction to another in Colorado regarding the existence of any 1907 records related to the small New York Time's article in the previous post alleging Simpkins suicide. If any of my Colorado friends can dig anything up related to Simpkins then have at it. When and if anything is found you will find it here on the blog.

**As a courtesy that I always try to extend, I have attempted to contact David Grover and True West magazine but have not received any response and/or objection to the use of this material for educational purposes on this blog. The material is over twenty years old and I am not aware of any copyright issues for non-commercial educational use. If any are brought to my attention then I will be happy to remove the offending portion.

On the Trail of Jack Simpkins - A Suicide?

New York Times, June 19, 1907. This small mention in the NYT was not very definitive. Anyone have more information? It looks like the trail will be taking me to the coroner's office in Fort Collins, Colorado to see what kind of records were kept in 1907. I will let you know what I find.

And that is again the Pinkerton wanted poster from Big Trouble shown on the right.

Woman Suffrage by Governor Frank Steunenberg, Harper's Bazar, May 26, 1900

I previously posted the text of the following article that I had found online. See Sunday, January 6, 2008: Woman Suffrage in Idaho by Governor Frank Steunenberg

Subsequent to the above post, I was able to locate and purchase this very hard to find original of Harper's Bazar from May 26, 1900 containing the article. The cost was a bit over the 10 cents cover price! It is in exceptional condition for its age. The state of Idaho, and I am happy to say Governor Steunenberg, were very progressive in terms of the suffrage movement. Check it out and if you would like a higher resolution scan of it just let me know.


Also see: An Introduction to the Woman's Suffrage Movement

New Idaho Public Television "SONG" Page

Hello All. Hope you are gearing up for a fun but safe 4th of July weekend. What with all the fires raging in our state (CA), I would just as soon folks leave the fireworks alone and go only to the professionally staged shows. Undoubtedly we will still have more fires sparked by the unsafe and careless use of fireworks around our tender dry brush. Be careful out there.

This is just a quick note to let you know that Idaho Public Television (IPTV), courtesy of web guru Rick Penticoff, has added a new page to the Assassination: Idaho's Trial of the Century website. Thanks to the continuing efforts of Gary Eller and a few friends (see individual song credits), you will want to visit the new "Songs" page. Here you will see a sampling of historical music related to the assassination and trial, some of which has been previously mentioned on this blog. It has been fun and gratifying to follow along with Gary as he continues to preserve and record historical music. For more information, check out the Bona Fida/Pickle Butte website. No doubt I will be doing a more detailed entry later down the road and I bet we can expect an album from Gary and the gang in the not too distant future.

So take a listen and while on the IPTV site don't forget to order up your copy of the DVD if you have not yet done so. I reckon a lot of folks have already as I see that the regular link from the "Assassination" page for purchasing the DVD is not currently active. That might be because they ran out of DVD's (a good thing!). However, do not despair as you can still go to http://shop.idahoptv.org/category/show/5147 to place an order. A new batch is due in and scheduled to be available for shipping August 5th. Only $21.95 and you don't have to pay twice that amount to put gas in the tank to get to the theater. Better get your order in quick!

Enjoy the music.