Frank Steunenberg served as governor of Idaho from 1897 to 1901, during a time of great labor unrest among miners in the western states. Steunenberg put down a miners' strike in 1899 by declaring martial law and using federal troops. His political career was eclipsed after the incident, and he did not seek a second term. Steunenberg's return to private practice proved uneventful until December 30, 1905, when a bomb exploded as he opened the wooden slide that open the gate to the side door of his home in Caldwell, Idaho. His assassination led to the prosecution of labor leaders for their alleged conspiracy to kill the former governor as revenge for his strikebreaking actions. The trial was one of the most sensational of the early twentieth century, with famed defense lawyer Clarence Darrow successfully defending the labor leaders.

Steunenberg was born near Knoxville, Iowa in 1861. After leaving school at age 16, he became...