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Show ORCHARD IS SAVED FROM JHEGALLOWS Idaho's Board of Pardons Commutes Com-mutes Death Sentence to Life Imprisonment. STANDS SELF-CONFESSED WHOLESALE MURDERER Action Taken Upon Recommendation Recommend-ation of Judge Who Tried Federation Officials. BOISE, Ida., July 1. Acting on tho recommendation mado by Judge Fremont Fre-mont Wood at the time scntcuco was pronounced, the Idaho Stato board of pnrdoiiK today commuted the sentence of Harry Orchard to imprisonment for life. Orchard was sentenced to bo executed ex-ecuted Friday of this week. The pardon board, ronsistine of Governor Gov-ernor Goodintr, Soerclar' of State Lansdon and Attorney-General Guhoen, met in regular aesaion today and took up tho Orchard case. Frank Wyman, the attorney appointed by the court, to represent Orchard, appeared' before the board and presented a formal argument argu-ment in behalf of his client, basing his plea solely on the legal status of the case and maintaining, as was held by Judge Wood in recommending clemency, that in making Orchard a State witness the State obligated itself to extend consideration con-sideration to him in return. No one appeared to opposo tho proposed commutation, com-mutation, and by unanimous vote of tho board, clemency was extended. Self-confessed Murderer. Orchard was arrested two da3s after the assassination of ex-Governor Steun-enberg Steun-enberg at Caldwell December 30, 1905. and a few weeks later, while confined in the Idaho penitentiary, confessed his guilt to James McParland of the Pinkcrton detective agency, at the same time charging that he was employed to commit the crime by officers of the Western Federation of Miners. As a result of his confession, Charles n. Mover, president of the federation; William D. Haywood, secretary-treasurer, and Georgo D. Pettibone, m all of Denver, were arrested in that city and brought to Idaho to answer to the charge of murder. Indictments were returned against them and John Simp-kins, Simp-kins, a member of the executive board of tho federation. Simpkins escaped and is still a fugitive: Haywood and Pettibone were acquitted after memorable memora-ble trials in which Orchard told a story of wholesale assassination which shocked the world. Following the trial of Pettibone tho case against Moyer was dismissed. History of Orchard Case. Orchard, who was indicted separately, when arraigned after his t confession, stood mute, and the court directed that a plea of not guilty be entered. His case was continued from term to term until April 10 of this year, when his case was called at Caldwell and ho asked permission to change his plea. The court granted the request and Orchard Or-chard pleaded guilty to murder in t lie first degree. In pronouncing tho sentence sen-tence of death a week later, Judge Wood recommended that tho board of pardons commutes the sentence. In making mak-ing this recommendation Judgo "Wood stated that he was firmly convinced that Orchard had told tho whole and exact ex-act truth at the trials of Haywood and Pettibone and that ho was therefore, for tho service he had rendered the State, entitled to clemency. Orchard, to the last, was opposed to having tho sentence of court interfered with. Only yesterday ho expressed to his attorney the hope that efforts to save him from the gallows would fail. |