The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-12-21
Efforts OF the Defense to Show
That the Shooting Was
Unsuitable.
The Accused Declares the Victim Had
Threatened to XIII Him Before
the Sum Went Down.

Charles Reibold, r. @. Sandel. John Htur-
rook, John Stedman, j.. L. Morris and John
Wick. The accused, a tall. dark complex
toned young man. occupied a seat between
his counsel, Henry G. Smith and Miles
CavRnaugh. District Attorney Weed con-
Quoted the prosecution.
Black Tail, Antelope Cat and Medicine
Bear. all Grow Indians. were called In the
order named. Thomas Stuart acted az in
terpreter. The Indians were all in the
lodge Of Medicine Bear at the time Of the
killing, Got. z last. This lodge was near
the camp OF Henry Ksyser on the Little
Big Horn river. whore an irrigating ditch
ia in course OF construction for the use OF
the Grow Indians. The Indians all testified
that they were at breakfast when Edwin
Reed came up and knelt at the door of the
tepee. They heard two shots fred and saw
Reed fall over, but could not see the man
outside who had lone the shooting. When
they ran out OF the lodge they saw Collins
going away. None of the Indians saw q
pistol in Reeds hand; neither did they see
Reed make a movement toward his pocket
as If to get a gun.
Major M. p. Wyman, agent Of the Grow
Indians. testified that he drove to the scene
Of the killing as soon as he heard Of it. On
examining the body he found one bail had
gone into the back of the neck and come
out tho chest. Another had entered the
face under the eye, backing tho cheek with
powder. He found no revolver on the body.
Major Wyman said he asked Collins. who
was in charge Of the Indian police, II he
had killed Reed. Collins said he had.
Lawyer Smith objected to statements made
to Major Wyman by the accused being adj
mitted in evidence. Judge Knowles over
ruled the objection. He said the fact that
not exclude the testimony Of the kind OBJ
jeoted to unless Major Wymau
held out some promise of re-
ward. On cross-examination Lawyer
Smith asked Major Wyman whether hc had
told Reeds wife that If she wanted to CON
the trial; also whether he had said that no
man who testified for the defense would
ever have q job on the Grow reservation: or
whether he major Wyman) had been
active in this prosecutions; to oil Of which
questions Major Wyman answered no"
said he did not know that Reed had q gun
at the time of the killing. One mar in the
GROVE around the body had Reeds revolt
yer, and said he got it from the dead mans
wife. No one told him that Mrs. Reed had
taken the revolver from the body.
w. Z. Calvert. a proprietor who hap
pened to be in the vicinity AZ the time, tss-
tilted that he saw Collins pick up a revolver
and belt at Keyser's horse camp and start
up toward the Indian tepees. in which di-
rection Reed had gone, -Four Or Ave min
utes later he heard the shots. He saw Col
Illus coming way from the tepees and heard
him order q colored man to saddle a horse
he was handling. On crosS-examination
Calvert said no saw Collins and Reed at
Keyser's ramp before the shooting. and
- $1,000
Reed seemed TO be angry and swore terribly
at Collins. Henry Keyssr took hold of
Collins arm and led him away.
Andrew Collier, ono OF the Indian police,
was called to identify the revolver with
which the killing was done as the one that
was arrested. Thomas II. Owens, q oolorsd
boy. testified to Collins compelling him TO
hurry up eaddling the horse on which the
accused tried to escape. HE told ms to
hurry up and give him that horse" said
Owens, and to fy around as though Jesse
in his right hand at tbs time. II moved
around" said Owens in reply 10 q ques-
tion, and everybody in tho SQUIRT room
smiled. Collins. he said. got on the horse
and rode away. William Hawkes. testified
TO meetinp Collins, and the latter ordering
prosecution rested.
The defense began its testimony by put
ting Collins on the stand to prove Shat
Reed had threatened his life, and was
reaching for his pistol, at the time of the
killing. Collins said he had worked for
Reed driving q team on the ditch about .
month at the time Of the killing. On the
morning of Got. z, he got mp about half
past five o'clock to feed and harness his
mules. While currying q mule an Indian
pony came up and Collins hit the animal
With q stick and drove IL away. Reeds
-tfn vhn in an Indian woman aaiIaN Tn
him not to bs hitting the horses. He re-
piled that he was too busy 10 drive them off
any other way. The woman then threw
a rock ut him, and he told her that If she
had been q man he wouldn't have stood it.
Reed himself came up to him soon after
and said there must be no more Of that sort
of thing. Collins said he was ready to quit
work and Reed gave him his money. Col
Inns then went to Keyser's camp and got
work. They were preparing. TO move at
Keyser's and Collins thought this would put
him beyond any trouble with Reed:
back to Reeds camp after his
bedding. When Reed saw him rolling up
the bedding he cursed the young man and
accused him Of making trouble in the
camp. Collins said Reed told him II want
you to leave the country before shutdown"
At the time Reed had a gun in his Left
hand and shook his right fist In Collins
face. Collins got his belongings and
started for Keyser's camp. Half way there
he saw Reed following him on horseback at
a gallop. He made a detour to avoid Reed.
Arriving at Kevser's camp he heard Reed
and Keyser talking. Reed seemed very
angry and said Collins would make trouble
In camp. and cursed him. Billy Depuy.
one of the men at Keyssr's told Collins
Reed had threatened 10 kill him before sun
down. Collins replied that Reed had al
ready made the same Unrest to him per-
s%onally. Collins then went off toward
Medicine Bears lodge. he said. to avoid
Reed. Before getting there he picked up
the pistol and belt. As he came around
the Indians lodge he saw Reed at the door,
In a STOPPING position. looking in.
Reed muttered something that Col
Inns says he did not hear, and
dropped his hand toward his
pistol. when Reed did this, Collins said
he considered his life in danger and fred
twice. Reeds face was toward him az the
first shot. He had no idea of killing Reed
when he fred, and had no luminosity to-
ward his former employee. Collins said be
had heard that Reed was a bad man."
that he had made a man dance to his six
shooter, had beaten another with his gun.
and was then out on bail for some other
crime. Collins declared he did not know
Reed was ut the tepee when he weat there.
Asked why no ran away after the shooting
he replied that he did not know how many
friends Reed had there, nor what they
might do to him.
District Attorney Weed took Collins In