East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1913-11-05
KICK OF HORSE
KILLED SQUAW
SAYS DEFENSE
Outline Of Case By Attorneys for
Columbia George Shows This Will
Be One Of Theories.
ANOTHER MAN IS NAMED
Effort VIII BE Made Ia Divert Sus-
picion from Defendant to Knute
Ivorson. EmpIoyc of Bitner Ranch
Prosecution supplies Motive for
Womans Murder.

That Tl-mot the old squaw whose
dead body was found at the edge OF
the river Just east of the city on July
6, 1912 came to her death by kicks
from a horse is one OF the theories
which the counsel Tor the defense
will advance In an attempt 10 clear
Columbia George from the charges
of murder. This much was apparent
from the opening arguments OF the
attorneys last evening In the trial go
ing on at the court house before Fed
cral Judge K. :. Bean.
Counsel for the accused outlined
their theory that the squaw had rid
den from the Sam Bitner house to-
ward the pasture to round up some
OF her horses and that one OF the
wilder ones had kicked and trampled
her, thus explaining the bruises and
contusons on her head.
Another theory advanced was that
knute Ivorson an rmbloye OF the
Bitner ranch who left shortly after
the death OF the squaw. was respon.
sble for the crime and It Is expected
that the counsel will attempt to dl-
vert suspicion from Columbia George
10 this man who. It is claimed, has
since committed murders near Sc
attic
Motive Il Supplied
In his opening argument. Deputy
L. :. Attorney Everett Johnson init
mated that the prosecution had the
link OF evidence when was missing
so long TO make the case against the
accused complete. No known motive
Tor the murder had ever been ad.
vanced save that some had thought
Columbia George had assaulted the
squaw However there was but lit
tie evidence supporting this theory.
However, Attorney johnson yester-
day evening declared that he would
show that Columbia george and III
mot had quarreled violently in Pen
dleton on the day OF the murder.
He also stated that the prosecution
would show that the accused was
with the squaw when she rode toward
the river and that certain articles
found near the body connected the
accused with the crime. -.
Evidence Is Begun.
The taking of the evidence was
commenced late in the afternoon
when the prosecution called to the
stand f. T. Eriksen, u civil engineer
of Hermiston, who made a map of
the locality where the body was
found on July 80. 1912. He simply
explained the map to the jury.
The first real witness was Ernest
H!artz who was called tn:s morning at
" o'clock He was In the employ of
g. c. Bitner and made the discovery
'oi the body lying on the north bank
,of the river. halt In and half out of
the water and face down. He told OF
the circumstances attending the dis
'Iovery. of his report to the authori-
ties and his examination with them
~ the ground on both sides of the
river He described bloody rocks
found near the body and testified that
these rocks were loose and not em-
hedded This point is one by which
fhe prosecution will seek to show
that the squaw Was beaten to death
with rocks. He also described the
marks on the face and body. He tes-
titled that he saw tracks In the mud
nearby. evidently made by new pair
of mems shoes the indentatlon being
sharply cut. He also told of cross
ing the river with Deputy Sheriff Joe
Rlakely and DR. T. NJ. Henderson
and testified To the articles which
they found there Appearances of
the ground indicated a struggle, he
thought.
In the cross examination, the de-
Tense brought out the point that
Knute lvorson had been working on
the Bitner ranch ana was there the
day Of the alleged crime
Bone to Play Part.
A little bone button with a small
piece OF pink cloth attached is GER
tain 10 be an important link of the
testimony. Deputy Sheriff Joe
Blakely. who followed Bartz testified
to securing the button from DR. Hen
derson who had found It on the
north side of the river where appear
ances indicated n struggle Later the
prosecution will show that the but
ton corresponds to others on under
clothes found in Columbia Georges
tepee by Sheriff Taylor and that the
cloth Attached is of the same color
and texture as that in the garment