Harry Orchard was described in Collier's magazine in 1907 as "the most remarkable witness that has ever appeared in an American court of justice." For several days in June of 1907, Orchard recounted from the stand, in a polite, precise, matter-of-fact, and unhesitating way, a career as a union terrorist, under the direction of the inner circle of the WFM, that resulted in the loss of 17 lives, including that of Governor Frank Steunenberg. Cross-examined for 26 hours about his killings, bigamy, heavy drinking, compulsive gambling and womanizing, Orchard stood up to his grilling in a way that amazed even veteran reporters.
Harry Orchard was born Albert Horsley in 1867, one of eight sons of an Ontario farmer. Educated only through the third grade, Orchard worked his father's farm and took a job in a cheese factory before leaving Canada at age 30 for the northwest United States. By 1899, Orchard had found work in a Burke, Idaho silver mine and joined the WFM.
