The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1905-11-23

anu ~ NlbuOGcOH aBHtultu,
District Attorney Menefee disposed
of his witnesses with dispatch aud the
cross examination given them by the
defense was brief. Notwithstanding
this expedition few we're prepared to
hear the prosecuting attorneys an
nouncement that the state would rest
its case.
Fifteen witnesses in all, most of them
neighbors Of Foss and Reis, had given
their testimony and accounted for
their whereabouts and movements on
the night when Foss lost his life.
Among these the stories of j. N.
knight and George Perkins stood forth
as chief evidence upon which the state
built its case.
George Perkins is the sole person
who claims absolute knowledge that
Ries committed the atrocious deed
for which he is being tried, and alleg
es that knowledge came to him from
the lips of the accused man. He tes-
titled that on the night Of the murder
he and his wife had retired, when
several rifle shots we're heard, the
sound coming from his neighbor Foss'
premises. A hired farmland in the
adjoining room also heard the shots,
Perkins said he then arose, dressed
and proceeded to the Foss cabin, near
the door of which he met Ries, com
ing out with a gun in his hand. Refs
told him he had killed Foss, but that
Perkins was to say nothing about it,
and after some threatening talk from
Reis, Perkins says he returned to his
home and spent the night in much fear
of the consequences to himself and
Ries.
This is substantially the story told
by Perkins at the Coroner's inquest
at the time of the murder. Cross-ex-
amintion failed to shake his testi.
mony materially.
Forty two witnesses we're heard for
the defendant, Is of whom we're re-
called, making total of 81 called to
the stand in behalf of Ries. About
80 Of these witnesses testified as to the
good reputation of the defendant and
pronounced him a quiet, peaceable
and law abiding citizen. Many Of
these witnesses were prominent resi-
dents OF Hood River. Several wit.
nesses we're called who testified that
Foss had become a violent and turbu.
lent resident of the valley and that he
had come to be looked upon as dan
gerous factor in the community. They
testified that he had been known to
threaten the lives of neighbors and
persons with whom he had picked
quarrels in many instances.
| Gn.-a,.,l np tA ,,Af1hhAuo fapi Had
that Ries was known to have no gun
and that no member of the Ries fam
lily was possessed of any firearms.
This testimony was oorroborated by
Mrs. Ries, the mother of the defend
ant, and her three sons.
Mrs. Mary Riggs, a widow, residing
near Foss' claim, was called 10 thu
stand, and testified that on the after
noon of May IL, Foss came to he
house, alarming her very much by hi
violent and apparent anger against
her. He was armed with club, anC
after abusing her and her neighbour
to some extent, told her that If sh'
did not promise to marry him at onct
he sh uld kill her. She finally induced
him to go away, after which she neve
saw him again.
Mrs. Riggs also testified that tina
evening about o'clock Frank Rie
came to her place with seeder whicl
he had brought from J. n. Knight
place, and told her of meeting FOs
on the road near knights house, anC
of his wild and abusive talk. Rel
did not borrow her gun, as he hat
been accused of doing, said Mrs
Riggs. The weapon had remained II
a closet unused for many months unit
: called for by the county officers, a
the inquest. She had placed the seed
el brought by Ries that night In tn
. same closet, and that the two article
! covered whit dust remained there un
disturbed until taken out together b,
8 the Sheriff at the time Of Ries' arrest
In this connection, Robert Leasure
of Mount Hood testified concernin
? the only ammunition furnished b
: himself which Mrs. Riggs had eve
had for her gun, consisting of to
= shells, five of which are still in he
i possession, the remaining five bein
}, accounted for. These shells we're th
u same size as those found in the ruin
: Of the Foss cabin.
3 Frank Ries took the stand and sal
:, in his own behalf that on the evenin
: of the murder, he testified that h
had worked on his farm /. II that da
. and at 6 o'clock had his supper, aftt
, which he cared for his horses an
started on foot for the claim of II. {
Gray, a neighbor living near the Pc
:, kins place, and not far from Fos
,F cabin.
= Ries said he went to Gray's for I'll
!, purpose of bargaining for some lun
y y ber, and that after his errand was a.
= complished he proceeded towaI
7 knights house. Near the Foss clai
- he encountered Foss, who abused hi
~ bitterly and threatened his life, b
20 ao coming so violent in his talk as to al
~ ger Ries deeply. Leaving Foss in Il
~ road still abusing him, Ries went {
- Il to Knights house, where he recoun
"a "a ed the meeting to Knight.
p Ries corroborated Knights test
! q mony as to their conversation, al
y acknowledged that he had said he hi
i a mind to get gun and make Fo
T., retract what he had said or have
~ ~ scalp. He said that after his talk wi
% Knight he took seeder and carri
~ it to Mrs. Riggs house, where he !
10 mained talking until after 8 o'cloc
W ~ He then returned to ! is home, Al
~ heard nothing of the tragedy in t
90 Foss cabin until the next afternoo
=, ~ when driving to the Mount Ho
90 n postoffice he was told by the stol
rd keeper
he After brief cross examination {
M defendant rested and Ries was {
ne cused.
he
be Son Lost Mother.
Consumption rams in our fami
4 Al L AIr.A Hnl