The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1911-11-08
Jury Obtained and Mrs. Lusby
Was First Witness Examined
by the Prosecution
TESTIMONY WITNESSES
VERY SENSATIONAL
Several Times in Relation of Story
Sensational Murder Counsel for
Defense Objected to Points in
Testimony Witnesses

The trial of Billy George. the In
dian charged with the murder last
April Of William Lusby, a rancher on
the reservation, began in real earnest
Monday, a jury of twelve men having
been obtained after two days work
The jury consists of J. T. French, d.
ID. Spear, Sam Marsh, F. p. Sterling,
G. w. Smith, A. j. Ambrose, E. NJ
Pomeroy, c.. e. Minnick, Ed. Carvo,
w o. Sanders, F. e. Fairbanks and
Lambert Benoit
Frequently during the taking of tes-
timony, Prosecuting Attorney Wards
attempt to lead the witnesses for the
state up to the relation of some sig
nificent detail in their story
was met with objections on the part
of Attorneys Hatfield and Holden, for
the defense. In some instances their
objections were sustained and at 9TH
err times overruled, when exceptions
were taken. This was done so many
times that Mr. Ward had to change
his method of questioning and to re-
call witnesses to the stand for addi-
tional testimony to give him the right
to ask certain other questions. Once
the jury was sent from the room by
Judge Preble during the argument be-
tween counsel over some point
Mrs. Lllsby First Witness
Mrs. Lusby was the first witness.
She told graphically of the incidents
of the night of April IA, when she
and her husband went to bed alone in
their house on the reservation, and
awoke to find two strange men in
the room whom she believed to be
Indians. One she recognized as Jim
Johnson the other Indian awaiting
trial on the same charge Her testi-
mony was sensational. She said when
she and her husband went to bed
at s o'clock they closed the windows
and locked the doors with the wooden
buttons with which they We're pro-
vided.
About II o'clock she was awakened
Ito see an Indian, whom she recog-
nized as Jim Johnston standing in
the doorway of the bedroom. She
said she spoke to him, asking him
what he wanted, and he replied that
he wanted the money for the rent
With that he advanced into the room
followed by another Indian whom she
did not recognize, but who was about
the size of Billy George. She testi-
fed that the first Indian struck at her
husband with a stick of wood he held
in his hand, and she threw her arms
over him to protect him, receiving
some of the blows on her body.
The other Indian stepped in and
said "I'll murder you too" falling
upon her and beating her until she
lost consciousness. She must have
been in that condition for several
hours for she did not come to until
about o'clock, when she heard the
clock strike. Previous to dropping off
into Inconsistencies, Mrs. Lusby
said she kicked the second Indian off
the bed. After that she remembers
nothing. When she regained her
strength, she got up and gave her
husband what assistance she could I'M
til daylight
First to Give Alarm
A man named Walling, who lived
on the reservation, was the next wit
ness. He testified to visiting the
house occupied by the Lusbys on the
morning of April Is. knocking at the
open kitchen door for admission. En-
tering at the request of Mrs. Lusby.
he saw her covered with blood from
cuts on face and head. Mr.. Lusbv
was sitting up in a chair where his
wife had put him and was trying to
care for him. Mr.. Lusby, the wit
ness said, was cut about the head
and face and on the hands. Quest
toned as to the condition of the
rooms, he stated that the bed, the
bedroom walls and floor were covered
with blood and there was blood beside
the dining room doorway He went
for help and summoned Deputy Sher-
iff DeKraaY.
Mrs Myers, who lived near the
Lusby's told of calling at the house
and finding the door open and enter
ing. She found the front room in
disorder, the trunk there open, with
the tray on the floor, and a bloody
stick of wood on the table This
part of the testimony was ruled out
by the judge on the objection by the
defense that this condition was not
brought out in the first testimony.
Mrs. Lusby was then recalled to tell
of the condition of the trunk. which
had been rfled. 1t had been left
closed and in order the night before
She Saw the Indian
In answer to a question from Pros
ecuting Attorney Ward Mrs. Lusby
said the next time she saw Jim John
son was on the morning after the
assault when Deputy Sheriff DeKraay
brought him to the house for identifi-
cation She testified that Walling was
the first to call that morning and
when he was there the trunk was in
disorder. Judge Preble here asked