East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1913-11-10
WIFE DEFENDS
HIM AS TRIAL
NEARS FINISH
Indian SquaW on Stand in Columbia
George Case Strives to Overcome
Damaging Evidence.
MISSIONARY IS CALLED
Ills Evidence, However, Is Barred on
Grounds That II Was Hearsay-
Underclothes Discarded Two Days
Before Murder Is Testimony That
May Hurt CircunStantial Case

Columbia Georges wife came to
his defense today in the trial which
means life or death TO him. BY testi-
mony contradictory to that introduc
ed by the prosecution she sought TO
overcome some of the damaging evil
dence connecting her husband with
the brutal murder of another squaw.
Perhaps her most important bit OF
testimony concerned the pink draw
ers found in Columbia Georges te-
pee by Sheriff Taylor and from which
it is claimed. came the button found
en- the scene of the murder and
which has come TO have a strong cir
cumstantial significance. She tes-
titled that Columbia George had dis
carded that underwear on July 4. two
days before the crime, at her direc-
ton, because they were dirty
She also testified to being in COM
pany with Jennie Van Pelt on July
6, 1912. and of having passed her
husband on the road at , o'clock and
of having been Joined by him at in
a pea patch above the Bitner ranch.
She declared her belief that he had
not been drinking at that time.
The prosecution sought to estab-
lish the point that week after the
alleged crime, she went TO Toy Toy.
and in the presence Of hts sister. Of
fered him a saddle or 800 IL he
would say nothing about the bottle
of alcohol from which he and George
had been drinking on the morning
of the crime. she denied having
Il cts Tho
cution also sought TO secure an ad-
mission that she had visited George
frequently the week after his arrest.
but she declared she did not go to
him until quite awhile after his ar
rest Prosecutor Johnson did bring
out that the accused Indian had left
the pea-picking party for short
time to secure a rope he had left
along the river.
Rev. j. NJ. Cornelison. missionary
at Tutuilla, was called to testify that
Columbia George had attended SER
vices at the camp meeting on the
fateful Saturday evening but all he
knew was from hearsay evidence and
it was barred. The prosecution
! brought out that ne had been active
/ ly interested in getting the defendant
pardoned for his previous crime.
George Takes Stand.
Columbia George took the stand in
! his own behalf at o'clock this after
/ noon and. in the main, his testimony
was a series of jenials of the testi-
mony introduced against him. He ad
mitted having come to Pendleton on
the morning of Saturday. July IL, but
| denied having had a quarrel with IT.
mot in the Hamley store. denied hav-
| ing had a bottle of alcohol, OF having
/ been in the Jim Dupuis store or OF
! having had any liquor to drink. After
eating dinner. he testified he rode TO
/ the court house, stopped and borrowed
five dollars of Deputy Sheriff George
Strand and then proceeded on up the
river. He admitted having met vii.
liam Switzler but denied that he pro-
duced a bottle of alcohol and asked
him to drink He testified to meeting
his wife and Jennie Van Pelt and OF
agreeing to meet them at the pea gar
den of the Chinese gardener He
testified then to riding to the Bitner
ranch with Switzler and stated that
they both rode gray horses. He had
been taken as far as the Bitner ranch
at press time.
This morning one OF the witnesses
for the defense was Chief OF Police
John Kearney. He testified TO view
ing the body of Ti-mot where It was
found and described the clothing and
wounds. The defense had been trying
to establish the point that the button
in evidence might have come from the
dress of the squaw but the witness
was not OF that opinion
Painted Hat in Evidence.