East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1909-05-22

Dixon Family in Pitiable Condition
"They were going to whip me and
/ shot to save myself from being
beat up" was the statement made by
Mike Ryan at the county Jail last eve
ming, soon after he was brought in
from the scene of Thursday nights
tragedy by Sheriff Taylor. While
deeply regretting the killing Of Dix
on, the hired man, Ryan talks free
ly of the shooting and the events lead
ing up to 1t, and seems to think he
was fully justified in shooting. 1t is
have killed Shubert than Dixon, with
whom he had no quarrel.
Ryan says he warned Dixon re-
peatedly TO keep away and not get
mixed up In the trouble and he char
acterlzes Shubert as a scoundre, and
rank coward. He declares Shubert
kept behind his hired man all the
time the pair were advancing toward
him.
Small Boy Was Only Witness.
Coroner Folsom, District Attorney
Phelps and C. J. Ferguson, as stenog-
rapher, accompanied Sheriff Taylor to
the scene of the tragedy and held an
inquest.
Harry Dixon, the eight year old son
of the dead man was the only wit
ness to the tragedy and as he broke
into tears when the officers attempt
ed to question him in detail, little
was brought out at the inquest. The
jury simply found that Dixon came
to his death from a gunshot wound
in the hands of Ryan.
Family In PitIfm Plight.
One of the saddest and most tragic
features of the case Is the fact that
Dixon, who was a recent arrival from
the east, leaves a family of six chill
'dren and a wife, in almost destitute
circumstances. The oldest of the
children is but eight years OF age. So
strongly did the pitiful condition OF
the stricken family appeal to the
crowd present at the inquest that a
nat was passed around and about $50
contributed for their support.
According to the story as told by
Ryan last evening, the quarrel be-
tween he and his neighbor is one of
long standing. He says Shubert in
sisted on making a road to his home
diagonally across Ryan's wheat field,
for a distance Of three quarters of a
mile. This road was fenced up, but
according to Ryan even this did not
stop the trespassing. Therefore when
shubert returned Thursday evening
about dark from Milton with a load |
of grain he was met at the place |
where he was accustomed to turn |
into the Ryan place from the road |
by Ryan. who would not let him pass.
Turns Team Loose.
Shubert thereupon undertook tc |
tie up his team, using the side Of the
lane next to the Ryan farm. The lat
told him he could not do that as the
fence belonged to him and that II he
wanted to tie up his team there he
must use the other side of the lane.
this statement, Shu-
bert did tie up his horses there and
went on home, whereupon Ryan turn
ed the animals loose and they started
on down the lane with their load of
grain without a driver.
According to the story told on the
stand by the Dixon . ooy,
Shubert went home to get his hired
nan to be witness to what happened
but Ryan says his enemy went to get
the other man to help him fight. BY
the time the two men and the boy re-
turned It was quite dark. Ryan was
here, however, and was armed with
his Winchester. intending to see that
hey did not drive across his grain
'ield.
Shubert Staid Behind.
When it was seen that the team was
gone the owner demanded to know
a q. =. = a . | A