The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1905-05-18
TESTIMONY BEFORE CORONER,
Farmers Relate Story of Shooting
and Ries' Angry Threats.

george PERKINS, Icing sworn, teSti
fed as follows:
On tho night CT May l1th, was
lying in my bed and my wife and the
man who y orks for NE was sitting in
the room and we heard seven shots
fired. My wife said she was afraid
something bad happened. | think it
was about nine clock. | got up and
dressed and thought | would 90 up
there. ! went up to James FOss' cab
III. | knocked at the door four times
and called Foss. thought he must
be there, as when | was coming
heard the door shut and the bolt on
the door 90 in. | thought those shots
meant something, as | knew then that
those shots meant something as be
knowed me we'll. So | quietly slipped
out to the road, u | might get a shot,
for then | knew thero was somebody
there. And ! did not want to get hit.
The door at once opened and out
walked Frank Hics with gun on his
arm, and he says "HoId on a mo-
ment; | want to RI c%E. to you. Now
want this thing kel quiet. " | says
will have to tell the truth, and he
says 'lt is not nece.F ary" and
told him my wife and item knowed.
| came up to see what was the matter,
and he says you can tell them you
found the door locked from the out
side, and he says, Il met Foss with
club in his hand and he threatened
to Il me- and | went over home and
got the gun and" he says, 81 killed
the son of a----right in there, and
pointed to the cabin. "Right in
there, now he says. And he says
81 want sou to keep this quiet; will
you do it? | says you bet your
life. So then | kind of started away,
and he started beck to the cabin, and
says 81 am just going to set fire to
it and burn the whole darned thing
up. And | pulled for home, and
was glad to get away. was afraid
he might fellow me up and kill me
yet, 80 | cant home and loaded the
gun, thinking ie might come down
here after mo- SO we set up here till
daylight expecting him to come. [
will also say Il at after got home we
looked up and saw the blaze of the
cabin burning. 1t might have been
half an hour before we noticed it.
Q, Did yCu see the body on the
floor as he pointed to the cabin?
A. No, sir; the light was out.
Q. How long after the shots till
you we're there?
4. About 20 minutes, or about
half an hour, as | was sick and it
took me quite "a long while to dress
and get cut there.
Q. Was there any light in the
house that you saw at all?
A. | just saw the light though the
cracks in the house as 1 came up, and
heard him blow it out as | came up.
| was just about to the door. when
the dog balked and the door shut.
Q. What kind of gun did Ries
have?
i. 1t was long gun. l think
Winchester.
Q. Do you know whose dog that
was?
A. No, | think it was Mr.. Thomas
and followed Frank.
Q. Did you ~. pect any other per-
son was with him in the cabin?
A. | could not tell although | did
not hear them, No one spoke.
Frank Ries, beilg sworn, testified
as follows:
My name is Frank Ries residence,
Mount HuCd; occupation, farmer.
Now nj Lies can you 90 ahead
and tell what you know about this
case?
Ans sow hin last on Thursday
evening, Wy Il, 1903, say about 8
O'Clock, | do not know exactly the
time. | passed him on the road
about halfway between Mr.. Gray's
and his place. He talked to me. |
do not know whether you call it talk
or abuse. The first thing he said to
ne was "Hello, --." | kept on
, Xxi & till got cut OF reach of Lis
club and then old him was no -,
and he said my mother vas a, and
that | was a son Of hers. | cannot
every word that was said.
| Just listened to him a few minutes
in all.
| first t I'D him that he had better
90 on about his business. He went
on and called me son of ---,
and everything he could think of.
Then | said, as soon as | got a show
to say a word, that You light have
to take that back some day He said
he would die before he crld take
back. He would kill me and
the whole damned click. / do not
know what he meant That is about
all of the conversation as near as
can repeat it. That is the last time
| ever saw him.
| then went up to Mr.. Knights and
talked to him little about it, but
did not say much about it on account
Of The children being there, and also
Mrs Knight Mr. knight told me
that Mr.. Foss had been there a little
before and called him everything he
could think of. Mrs. knight said
she never heard such language used
in all her life. | guess she heard all
the conversation. | borrowed the
seeder what went after and went to
my ranch. ] stopped on the way at
Mrs. Riggs, not over 10 minutes, as |
was going over. That you may put
in She was home and | went in the
house. just went inside of the door
and that's all. had my little black
log with me, the one that was with
ne last night. Signed Frank Ries.
Mr.. knight, being sworn, testified
as follows:
About half past nine or ten o'clock,
do not recall just what time, on the
late fo May llth, | heard either six
Or seven shots. | was home and went
to ted.
| first heard the cabin was burned
yesterday morning. when Mr.. Wygant
ard went down there
We saw the body lying there and
hen went home. The body was ly-
ing fiat on its back, and was badly
burned.
There is a little statement wish
10 make regarding the case: 1t ives
aIoag about Z 30 f. m, or been I
nd o'clock. We we're eating supper