Brunelle and the Assassin

[Andy Brunelle]

In the summer of 2007 Idaho Statesman reporter Rocky Barker wrote a story on the Haywood trial's 100th anniversary. This was the famous trial of Bill Haywood for conspiricy in the assassination of Idaho Governor Frank Steunenberg. Harry Orchard, the triggerman, had fingered Haywood, but in the end the labor leader was acquitted. The end of the story including a curious postscript that in 1939 a letter to the Idaho Governor claimed an imposter was serving Harry Orchard's life sentence in the Idaho Penetentiary. Haywood trial expert Byron Johnson expressed doubt about the assertion. The Brunelles can pass along a family story to corroborate that the true Harry Orchard was in fact serving his sentence.

In 1911 Alvan Brunelle traveled with Silver Valley friends to Boise. Brunelle was 24 at the time and had known Orchard from his youth in the Silver Valley, most likely when Orchard worked for the local dairy in present day Silverton. Both Orchard and Brunelle were teamsters at one time, making deliveries between Wallace, Murray and other Silver Valley communities. This was before Orchard's terrorist career.

While in Boise, Brunelle took the Boise City rail line on Warm Springs Avenue to its terminus east of town to the present day Trolley House (I wonder if they made great omlettes back then?) then took a 1/2 mile walk to the Idaho Penetentiary and visited Mr. Orchard. One lasting momento from that meeting is a pair of cufflinks that Mr. Orchard gave him.

And sometime during the trip Brunelle also got in a swim at the then indoor Natatorium (historic photo below) next door to the Trolley House.

I think one can infer that had there been an inmate imposter rather than Harry Orchard, residents from the Silver Valley who visited Mr. Orchard in prison that summer day in 1911 would have noticed a difference. Either that, or Brunelle was involved in one of the great cover-ups of all time.

Brunelle never believed Mr. Orchard's claim that the assassination of former Gov. Steunenberg was a conspiricy involving Bill Haywood and the Western Federation of Miners. He said that you could only believe about half of what Harry Orchard (photo below) had to say. And as Mr. Barker wrote in the 2007 story, Haywood's acquittal by the Boise jury in 1907 was based on the lack of corroborating evidence of Mr. Orchard's story.

Brunelle's 1911 visit with Orchard was the only time they met after Orchard went to prison. Mr. Orchard served his life term untill he died in 1955. Brunelle did not return to Boise until 1959, and he later died in 1962.

Given Mr. Orchard's reputation for telling tall tales, we've never put much stock in Orchard's claim he actually made the cufflinks given to Brunelle. Nonetheless, the cufflinks were given to John Brunelle, who kept them for decades at his home in Illinois (one got caught in a dresser drawer and was bent). Several years ago the cufflinks were sent back to Boise where they are on display in the Brunelle Antiquities Museum (photo not yet available).

[Michael Brunelle]

Andy, I seem to recall that our grandfather Cal Wright also visited Orchard, or accompanied another state official to visit Orchard in the state pen. At the time Harry had a job taking care of the chickens. Do you remember hearing about this?

[John Brunelle]

Cufflinks!

[John T. Richards]

I enjoyed this entry by Andy and finding out about the possible links between Harry Orchard and the Brunelle's. Keep an eye out for any Steunenberg connection for me as Orchard was visited at the pen by my great grandmother, great uncle and perhaps by my grandfather during the early years (1905-1910) of Orchards incarceration.I will be watching out for the Brunelle name.

I cannot say for sure, but there is probably a good chance that Orchard did in fact make those cuff links. He developed into a pretty good craftsman during his long stay at the pen and made knives (with warden approval/not prison shanks), shoes, inlaid boxes and had good carpentry skills too. The handling of dynamite and rigging of bombs no doubt resulted in his having some transferable skills!

[John T. Richards]

Let me try that link again for the shoes and inlaid boxes.

Harry Orchard Items at the Idaho Pen

Here is the URL that you can cut and paste into your browser if the above does not work:
http://steunenberg.blogspot.com/2008/11/harry-orchard-items-at-idah...