Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1910-05-13
tom gets SEVEN YEARS
SLAYER OF JEFFREY wAcHENo
CONVICTED OF MANsLAucuT,,n
o'her Indian Charged With Murdo, :,
s''' owner of Grand Ronde
Wine House Goes to Jail

Ai'er busy session lasting less tba,
20 uays' Department No. of Cir
cut court for Polk County adionrra,
at ~ O'Clock Wednesday morninn
Ihree jury trials were heard dit,
the term, default orders were entora[
III several cases, and a number of oo
tlons We're continued.
The trial of Larney Tom cno.l
Ronde Indian, indicted bv the grant
jury Tor murder in the first degree 70,
Killing Jeffrey Wacheno. another 1n
uian, resulted in a verdict of r,or
slaughter. The testimony brought or
ny the trial was substantially the SAM
as the published account of tbo trag
edy appearing in the columns of th,
observer the day following the killing
IL was proved that the two Indian,
mad been drinking and ouarreling q,
August Gross winery near tbe Gran
nohue reservation, and that wher
Wacheno left the place, he rode ava,
on a horse claimed by Tom Tom al
once gave chase, and upon overtakine
Wacheno near the home of Frank KIe.
kar, shot the fleeing Indian from hi,
horse.
Jury Unwilling TO Hang Indian.
unwilling to hang the Indian for e
crime committed while under the in.
liuence of liquor, the jury, after briet
elaboration, returned a verdict Of
manslaughter, The defendant wa,
brought into court Wednesday morn.
ing and given sentence of sever
years in the penitentiary.
During his confinement in the Po1L
County jail, Larney Tom proved to be
model prisoner. He gave the Sheriff
no worry whatever, but on the contra.
ry was at all times good-natured
and well-behaved. While the punish.
ment administered by the court is
somewhat severe, it is believed that IL
will have a salutary effect, not onl,
upon the defendant, but upon Other
Indians on the reservation who are
much given to indulgence in booze. II
is the general opinion that if a parole
is not granted to the erring Indian be.
fore the expiration of his sentence, his
good behavior in the penitentiary will
at least earn him a material reduc,
tion in the number of years he was
sentenced to serve.
John WachenO Released.
John Wacheno, another Grand
Ronde Indian, charged with the mur-
der of Stephen Kiki, was released from
custody, the grand jury failing to in
dict him. The only witness of the row
between the two Indians was Wache-
nos wife, and as she could not be com.
PEELED to testify against the husband
nor the prisoner against himself the
State could only order a dismissal.
Two Counts Against Gross.
Two indictments We're returned
against August Gross, the proprietor
of the Grand Ronde wine house, whose
resort has long been complained of by
the residents of that neghborhood as
an intolerable nuisance.
Gross was indicted on charge OF
the peace, morals and de-
cency of the public, and also for vio-
lating the local option law. To both OF
these charges, the defendant pleaded
guilty.
On the first count, Judge Burnett
the prisoner to serve a five
term in the county jail. On
the charge of violating the liquor law
he was given the alternative of paying
a $500 fine or of remaining in Jail one
hundred days. In the event that the
prisoner decides to pay the fine, the
county will in a measure recover a
portion of the heavy expense caused
by the violation of the local option law
in the last two years. If, on the Other
hand, he shall decide to remain in jail
the taxpayers will have a three
months board bill to pay for him.
Cases Disposed OF.
Entries in the court docket since the