Frank Steunenberg
Encyclopedia
Frank Steunenberg was the fourth Governor of the State
of Idaho
, serving from 1897 until 1901. He is perhaps best known for his 1905 assassination
by one-time union member Harry Orchard
, who was also a paid informant for the Cripple Creek
Mine Owners' Association
. Orchard attempted to implicate leaders of the radical Western Federation of Miners
in the assassination. The labor leaders were found not guilty in two trials, but Orchard spent the rest of his life in prison.
, Iowa
, Steunenberg attended Iowa State College
at Ames
and then went on to become a printer's apprentice and publisher. In 1881 he was hired by the Des Moines Register
in Des Moines
. Steunenberg later published a newspaper in Knoxville
until 1886, when he moved west and settled in Caldwell, Idaho
, where he joined his brother in taking over the Caldwell Tribune
for six years.
In Caldwell Steunenberg became active in politics and was elected to the first Idaho Legislature in 1890 at age 29 as a fusion
candidate, endorsed by both the Democratic
and Populist
Parties.
elected to that office and was re-elected to second two-year term in 1898. Steunenberg served during a period of considerable labor unrest, particularly in the mining industry in northern
Idaho. As a result, many corporations, fearing that Steunenberg's government would not support them if there was a strike
, increased their wages for workers.
The Bunker Hill Mining Company
, however, did not. In April 1899 striking members of the Western Federation of Miners
destroyed the company's mill at Wardner
. In response Steunenberg declared martial law
and asked President
William McKinley
to send federal troops to quell the unrest. (See also: Coeur d'Alene, Idaho labor confrontation of 1899
.) This action was seen as a betrayal by Steunenberg's union supporters. Martial law remained in place through the end of his term, and Steunenberg did not seek a third term in 1900.
Four years after he left office, Steunenberg was killed outside his house in Caldwell by a bomb rigged to the front gate. Harry Orchard was arrested shortly after for the assassination, and the investigation was conducted by Pinkerton
agent James McParland
. With the promise of a lighter sentence, McParland compelled Orchard to write a confession in which he implicated "Big Bill" Haywood
, general secretary of the Western Federation of Miners, Charles Moyer
, president of the Western Federation of Miners, and George Pettibone
, a labor activist who had a prior conviction related to an 1892 dispute
in Coeur d'Alene
, as co-conspirators. McParland arrested the three in Colorado
in February 1906.
The nationally publicized trial took place in Boise
in 1907 and included Senator William Borah for the prosecution and Clarence Darrow
for the defense. There was a lack of evidence in a case that was supported only by Orchard's testimony. Darrow, a lawyer who specialized in defending trade union leaders, won an acquittal
for Haywood. Pettibone was defended in a separate trial by Judge Hilton
of Denver
and was also acquitted, and charges were dropped against Moyer. Orchard received a death sentence in a separate trial, but the sentence was commuted to life in prison.
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
, serving from 1897 until 1901. He is perhaps best known for his 1905 assassination
Assassination
To carry out an assassination is "to murder by a sudden and/or secret attack, often for political reasons." Alternatively, assassination may be defined as "the act of deliberately killing someone, especially a public figure, usually for hire or for political reasons."An assassination may be...
by one-time union member Harry Orchard
Albert Horsley
Albert Edward Horsley , best known by the pseudonym Harry Orchard, was a miner convicted of the 1905 political assassination of former Idaho Governor Frank Steunenberg...
, who was also a paid informant for the Cripple Creek
Cripple Creek, Colorado
The City of Cripple Creek is a Statutory City that is the county seat of Teller County, Colorado, United States. Cripple Creek is a former gold mining camp located southwest of Colorado Springs near the base of Pikes Peak. The Cripple Creek Historic District, which received National Historic...
Mine Owners' Association
Mine Owners' Association
In the United States a Mine Owners' Association, also sometimes referred to as a Mine Operators' Association or a Mine Owners' Protective Association, is the combination of individual mining companies, or groups of mining companies, into an association, established for the purpose of promoting the...
. Orchard attempted to implicate leaders of the radical Western Federation of Miners
Western Federation of Miners
The Western Federation of Miners was a radical labor union that gained a reputation for militancy in the mines of the western United States and British Columbia. Its efforts to organize both hard rock miners and smelter workers brought it into sharp conflicts – and often pitched battles...
in the assassination. The labor leaders were found not guilty in two trials, but Orchard spent the rest of his life in prison.
Early career
Born in KeokukKeokuk, Iowa
Keokuk is a city in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Iowa and one of the county seats of Lee County. The other county seat is Fort Madison. The population was 11,427 at the 2000 census. The city is named after the Sauk Chief Keokuk, who is thought to be buried in Rand Park...
, Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
, Steunenberg attended Iowa State College
Iowa State University
Iowa State University of Science and Technology, more commonly known as Iowa State University , is a public land-grant and space-grant research university located in Ames, Iowa, United States. Iowa State has produced astronauts, scientists, and Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winners, along with a host of...
at Ames
Ames, Iowa
Ames is a city located in the central part of the U.S. state of Iowa in Story County, and approximately north of Des Moines. The U.S. Census Bureau designates that Ames, Iowa metropolitan statistical area as encompassing all of Story County, and which, when combined with the Boone, Iowa...
and then went on to become a printer's apprentice and publisher. In 1881 he was hired by the Des Moines Register
Des Moines Register
The Des Moines Register is the daily morning newspaper of Des Moines, Iowa, in the United States. A separate edition of the Register is sold throughout much of Iowa.-History:...
in Des Moines
Des Moines, Iowa
Des Moines is the capital and the most populous city in the US state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small portion of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines which was shortened to "Des Moines" in 1857...
. Steunenberg later published a newspaper in Knoxville
Knoxville, Iowa
Knoxville is a city in Marion County, Iowa, United States. The population was 7,731 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Marion County. Knoxville is home of the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum located next to the famous dirt track known as Knoxville Raceway.-History:The site for...
until 1886, when he moved west and settled in Caldwell, Idaho
Caldwell, Idaho
Caldwell is a city in and the county seat of Canyon County, Idaho, United States. The U.S. Census Bureau estimated the population to be 43,281, as of July 2009.Caldwell is the home of the College of Idaho. It is considered part of the Boise metropolitan area....
, where he joined his brother in taking over the Caldwell Tribune
The Idaho Press-Tribune
The Idaho Press-Tribune is the second-oldest active newspaper in Idaho, first printing in December 1883. Often, the early paper was an instrument for political influences. One of the first owners and editors was Frank Steunenberg....
for six years.
In Caldwell Steunenberg became active in politics and was elected to the first Idaho Legislature in 1890 at age 29 as a fusion
Electoral fusion
Electoral fusion is an arrangement where two or more political parties on a ballot list the same candidate, pooling the votes for that candidate...
candidate, endorsed by both the Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
and Populist
Populist Party (United States)
The People's Party, also known as the "Populists", was a short-lived political party in the United States established in 1891. It was most important in 1892-96, then rapidly faded away...
Parties.
Governor
With labor union support, in 1896 Steunenberg was nominated as both the Democratic and Populist candidate for governor. He won the November election and became the first non-RepublicanRepublican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
elected to that office and was re-elected to second two-year term in 1898. Steunenberg served during a period of considerable labor unrest, particularly in the mining industry in northern
Idaho Panhandle
The Idaho Panhandle is the northern region of the U.S. State of Idaho that encompasses the ten northernmost counties of Benewah, Bonner, Boundary, Clearwater, Idaho, Kootenai, Latah, Lewis, Nez Perce, Shoshone. Residents of the panhandle refer to the region as North Idaho...
Idaho. As a result, many corporations, fearing that Steunenberg's government would not support them if there was a strike
Strike action
Strike action, also called labour strike, on strike, greve , or simply strike, is a work stoppage caused by the mass refusal of employees to work. A strike usually takes place in response to employee grievances. Strikes became important during the industrial revolution, when mass labour became...
, increased their wages for workers.
The Bunker Hill Mining Company
Bunker Hill Mining Company
The Bunker Hill Mining Company was a mining company with facilities in Wardner, Idaho and surrounding areas.-History:When the mining boom began in the Coeur d'Alene, Idaho mining district, the area was lightly inhabited...
, however, did not. In April 1899 striking members of the Western Federation of Miners
Western Federation of Miners
The Western Federation of Miners was a radical labor union that gained a reputation for militancy in the mines of the western United States and British Columbia. Its efforts to organize both hard rock miners and smelter workers brought it into sharp conflicts – and often pitched battles...
destroyed the company's mill at Wardner
Wardner, Idaho
Wardner is a city in Shoshone County, Idaho, United States. The population was 188 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Wardner is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all the land....
. In response Steunenberg declared martial law
Martial law
Martial law is the imposition of military rule by military authorities over designated regions on an emergency basis— only temporary—when the civilian government or civilian authorities fail to function effectively , when there are extensive riots and protests, or when the disobedience of the law...
and asked President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
William McKinley
William McKinley
William McKinley, Jr. was the 25th President of the United States . He is best known for winning fiercely fought elections, while supporting the gold standard and high tariffs; he succeeded in forging a Republican coalition that for the most part dominated national politics until the 1930s...
to send federal troops to quell the unrest. (See also: Coeur d'Alene, Idaho labor confrontation of 1899
Coeur d'Alene, Idaho labor confrontation of 1899
There were two related incidents between miners and mine owners in Coeur d'Alene: the Coeur d'Alene, Idaho labor strike of 1892, and the Coeur d'Alene, Idaho labor confrontation of 1899....
.) This action was seen as a betrayal by Steunenberg's union supporters. Martial law remained in place through the end of his term, and Steunenberg did not seek a third term in 1900.
Assassination
Pinkerton National Detective Agency
The Pinkerton National Detective Agency, usually shortened to the Pinkertons, is a private U.S. security guard and detective agency established by Allan Pinkerton in 1850. Pinkerton became famous when he claimed to have foiled a plot to assassinate president-elect Abraham Lincoln, who later hired...
agent James McParland
James McParland
James McParland,There are various spellings of James McParland's name. His stenographer, Morris Friedman, wrote a book about him — as "McParland." The Pinkerton Labor Spy, New York, Wilshire Book Co., 1907). also known as James McParlan,The Corpse On Boomerang Road, Telluride's War On Labor...
. With the promise of a lighter sentence, McParland compelled Orchard to write a confession in which he implicated "Big Bill" Haywood
Bill Haywood
William Dudley Haywood , better known as "Big Bill" Haywood, was a founding member and leader of the Industrial Workers of the World , and a member of the Executive Committee of the Socialist Party of America...
, general secretary of the Western Federation of Miners, Charles Moyer
Charles Moyer
Charles Moyer was an American labor leader and president of the Western Federation of Miners from 1902 to 1926. He led the union through the Colorado Labor Wars, was kidnapped and accused of murdering an ex-governor of the state of Idaho, and shot in the back during a bitter copper mine strike...
, president of the Western Federation of Miners, and George Pettibone
George Pettibone
George Pettibone was an Idaho miner. He was convicted of contempt of court and criminal conspiracy in the Coeur d'Alene, Idaho labor confrontation of 1899....
, a labor activist who had a prior conviction related to an 1892 dispute
Coeur d'Alene, Idaho labor strike of 1892
There were two related incidents between miners and mine owners in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho: the labor strike of 1892, and the labor confrontation of 1899....
in Coeur d'Alene
Coeur d'Alene, Idaho
Coeur d'Alene is the largest city and county seat of Kootenai County, Idaho, United States. It is the principal city of the Coeur d'Alene Metropolitan Statistical Area. Coeur d'Alene has the second largest metropolitan area in the state of Idaho. As of the 2010 census the population of Coeur...
, as co-conspirators. McParland arrested the three in Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
in February 1906.
The nationally publicized trial took place in Boise
Boise, Idaho
Boise is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Idaho, as well as the county seat of Ada County. Located on the Boise River, it anchors the Boise City-Nampa metropolitan area and is the largest city between Salt Lake City, Utah and Portland, Oregon.As of the 2010 Census Bureau,...
in 1907 and included Senator William Borah for the prosecution and Clarence Darrow
Clarence Darrow
Clarence Seward Darrow was an American lawyer and leading member of the American Civil Liberties Union, best known for defending teenage thrill killers Leopold and Loeb in their trial for murdering 14-year-old Robert "Bobby" Franks and defending John T...
for the defense. There was a lack of evidence in a case that was supported only by Orchard's testimony. Darrow, a lawyer who specialized in defending trade union leaders, won an acquittal
Acquittal
In the common law tradition, an acquittal formally certifies the accused is free from the charge of an offense, as far as the criminal law is concerned. This is so even where the prosecution is abandoned nolle prosequi...
for Haywood. Pettibone was defended in a separate trial by Judge Hilton
Orrin N. Hilton
Orrin N. Hilton was a Denver judge and attorney who participated for the defense in several famous court cases. Judge Hilton successfully defended George Pettibone of the Western Federation of Miners when Pinkerton detective James McParland accused him of conspiracy to murder former Idaho governor...
of Denver
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
and was also acquitted, and charges were dropped against Moyer. Orchard received a death sentence in a separate trial, but the sentence was commuted to life in prison.
See also
- Harry OrchardAlbert HorsleyAlbert Edward Horsley , best known by the pseudonym Harry Orchard, was a miner convicted of the 1905 political assassination of former Idaho Governor Frank Steunenberg...
, convicted assassin - James McParlandJames McParlandJames McParland,There are various spellings of James McParland's name. His stenographer, Morris Friedman, wrote a book about him — as "McParland." The Pinkerton Labor Spy, New York, Wilshire Book Co., 1907). also known as James McParlan,The Corpse On Boomerang Road, Telluride's War On Labor...
, Pinkerton Detective responsible for investigation - Steve AdamsSteve Adams (Western Federation of Miners)Steve Adams, sometimes known as Stephen Adams, played a minor, but particularly revealing, role in events surrounding the murder trial of Harry Orchard, and the trials of Western Federation of Miners leaders Bill Haywood, Charles Moyer, and George Pettibone, all charged with conspiring to murder...
, accused accomplice - Bill HaywoodBill HaywoodWilliam Dudley Haywood , better known as "Big Bill" Haywood, was a founding member and leader of the Industrial Workers of the World , and a member of the Executive Committee of the Socialist Party of America...
, union leader accused of conspiracy - Frank R. GoodingFrank R. GoodingFrank Robert Gooding was a Republican United States Senator and the seventh Governor of Idaho. The city of Gooding and Gooding County, both in southern Idaho, are named for him....
, Idaho Governor during assassination and trials - Coeur d'Alene, Idaho labor confrontation of 1899Coeur d'Alene, Idaho labor confrontation of 1899There were two related incidents between miners and mine owners in Coeur d'Alene: the Coeur d'Alene, Idaho labor strike of 1892, and the Coeur d'Alene, Idaho labor confrontation of 1899....
, alleged reason for the assassination - List of assassinated American politicians
Additional references
Further reading
- The Trial of Bill Haywood - a detailed account of the murder trial by J. Anthony LukasJ. Anthony LukasJay Anthony Lukas, aka J. Anthony Lucas , was a Pulitzer Prize-winning American journalist and author, probably best known for his 1985 book Common Ground: A Turbulent Decade in the Lives of Three American Families, a classic study of race relations and school busing in Boston, Massachusetts, as...
. An extensive discussion of the class warfare occurring at the turn of the 20th century.
External links
- Idaho State Historical Society - reference series - No. 136 - oration of William Borah at Steunenberg's funeral - January 2, 1906
- Idaho State Historical Society - reference series - No. 137 - inscription on Steunenberg's monument on Capitol's grounds
- Steunenberg descendant's blog with historical analysis, speculation, and related family information