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About Spilyay tymoo. (Warm Springs, Or.) 1976-current | View Entire Issue (April 27, 1979)
PAGE 2 APRIL 27, 1979 Thompson guilty of manslaughter, sentencing in May (Reprinted from The Oregonian) A federal court jury found Roscoe V. Thompson, Jr., 23, guilty of voluntary manslaughter in the May 1978 slaying of Wilbert Herbie Switzler, Jr., 30. Sentencing is scheduled for May 21 in U.S. District Court in Portland. Thompson could be sentenced to a maximum of 10 years in prison. He originally was charged with second-degree murder, but the jury convicted him of the less-serious man slaughter offense. A skull and partial skeletal remains identified as those of Switzler were discovered last Nov. 29 off Tenino Road 20 miles Southwest of Warm Springs. No exact date or cause of death were alleged in the indictment, which was returned in December. There was conflicting testi mony at trial on whether Thomp son deliberately killed Switzler or had acted in self-defense. The government, represent ed by Assistant U.S. Attorney William Youngman, based its case on a statement the defend ant made to FBI agents last November. According to the statement, Thompson picked up Switzler in his car, offering him a ride to a tavern, which they discovered was closed. They then drove around Warm Springs and event ually out Tenino Road, drinking beer and whiskey along the way. During casual conversation, according to the statement, Thompson discovered that Switz ler had served prison time for manslaughter stemming from an arson fire which had killed a woman relative of Thompson’s. They argued, got into a fist fight along the deserted road outside the car and Switzler was knocked down a dirt embankment. Thompson then got a borrowed rifle from his car, shot Switzler and buried his body in a shallow grave away from the road. Thompson, in November, di rected federal authorities to the grave, which apparently had been invaded by a bear that left bones and clothing' strewn around the area. Thompson testified that his memory had been very hazy at the time he made his statement to the FBI. The defendant and a Portland doctor testified that Thompson later recalled under hypnosis that after he had knocked Switzler down the se cond time during their fist fight Switzler came up with a knife in his hand. Thompson said he grabbed Switzler by the arm and the throat, pushed him to the ground and killed him by “breaking his windpipe’’ with a hold taught to him by an uncle who fought in Vietnam. “I felt pretty panicked,’’ said Thompson, who told the jury he then pushed Switzler down the bank, fired three or four shots toward him, then dragged the body into the woods and buried it. Thompson said he put the rifle and knife in his car, but the next day could not remember why the bloodstained knife was there. He said he later threw the gun and the knife into the Deschutes River. The jury deliberated about two hours and 45 minutes before returning its unanimous guilty verdict. COCC Election Moved Up to May 22 The annual Central Oregon Community College budget levy election has been moved up to May 22, more than a month earlier than the original June 26 date. Deliberations on the budget were completed by the 14-mem- ber COCC budget committee ahead of schedule and COCC officials decided on an earlier poll date. A public hearing on the budget is scheduled for May 9. The budget approved by the committee for operations and maintenance of COCC amounts to $4,986,532. About half that amount will come from district property taxes. Warm Springs’ Adult Learn ing Center derives half its oper ating costs from COCC hard monies. Voters are urged to turn out for the election, which coincides with the 509-J budget election. Noontime Arts and Crafts Lucky Trend Business College student Sara Hintsala received a single rose for her hard work during the month of March. Sara’s attendance improved 30 per cent and she passed several tests, including English and filing to earn her the student of the month award. Trend Business College is offering a nine month program to 15 students, who are either tribal members or married into the tribe. Spilyay Tymoo Photo by Behrend Spilyay Tymoo SPILYAY TYMOO STAFF Managing Editor sid Miller Assistant Editor Sandy Rangila Photographic Specialist/Writer Cynthia Stowell Reporter/Photographers Roger Stwyer Donna Behrend Priscilla Squiemphen, Secretary FOUNDED IN MARCH OF 1976 Published bi-weekly by the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon. Warm Springs, Oregon 97761. Located in the Old Administration Building. Any written material to Spilyay Tymoo should be addressed to: Spilyay Tymoo P. O. Box 735 Warm Springs, Oregon 97761 Phone 553-1644 or 553-1161, Ext 274 Subscription Rate ,$6:00 per year Stuffed Secretaries Margie Tuckta and Angie Boise had magazines coming out of their ears as they tackled the project of stuffing and mailing out 1,950 National Geographic Magazines to members and friends of the Confederated Tribes. That issue contained the long-awaited story about the Warm Springs Reservation. Spilyay Tymoo Photo by CDS Learn to Drive Safely Forty Warm Springs resi dents are currently on probation for driving with suspended li censes, reports probation-parole officer Fabian Sutterlee. Ten have spent time in the peni tentiary for that offense since it was made a felony in July of 1977. These startling figures could be reduced if people would take advantage of the defensive driv ing courses offered every few months in the Warm Springs community, said Sutterlee. The next defensive driving class has been scheduled for May Beginning Monday, April 30, Carol Allison, Community Cent erarts and crafts instructor, will be offering special classes to interested persons during the lunch hour. On Monday, Wednesday, and Friday of that week Carol will be teaching the art of making Pinatas. On Tuesday and Thurs salaries have been rolled back to day a beginner’s Oil Painting pre-November 1, 1978 levels. class will be offered. Changing direction for NCAI Anyone interested can call Staff cutbacks are the result Carol at the Community Center of federal contracts running out, (553-1161 ext. 243) for more infor indicated Murdock, and there mation. Also, ask tor supplies will be attempts to reinstate only needed. some of the programs. This is You are invited to bring a evidence of what Murdock hopes sack lunch and learn a new skill is a changing direction for the or practice an old one. National Congress. “The purpose of the organi zation is not to seek and receive federal funds,” said Murdock. “The purpose is to lobby. This function has been neglected while we’ve spent a lot of time Yon Can Write, a short patting people on the back on the course in creative writing is hope of securing dollars.” The being offered by the Adult Learn president feels that lobbying ing Center beginning May 2. The should get “100 per cent effort.” instructor Henry Morrison will It’s also time for the tribes to teach students the art of writing take more responsibility for prose and poetry and help people financial support of the Con express themselves on paper. If gress, said Murdock. Although you are interested in taking the it’s not illegal for an organization class contact the Adult Learning dependent on federal contract Center. Cost is $7.80 and will be monies to engage in active held Wednesday evenings 5 p.m. lobbying, “it appears that way,” to 7 p.m. said the president. NCAI should Murdock Memo You Can Write 7,8 and 14. The eight-hour course will be taught by Lee Loomis and held in the basement of the Indian Health Service Clinic. There is room for 20 individuals and the first to sign up will be selected. Registration is $3.00. Defensive driving is requir ed for the issuing of probation ary or occupational licenses, said Sutterlee, but the course is helpful for anyone who wishes to drive more skillfully and safely. Register early to be sure of a spot in the class. The first class begins at 7:00p.m. Monday, May 7. (Continued from Page 1) do what it can to “defend and uphold its independence,” cau tioned Murdock. At this point NCAI needs to create separate accounting for its own dues and donations and the contract dollars, recom mended Murdock. In order to avoid the internal turmoil experienced by the Na tional Tribal Chairmen’s Assoc iation, NCAI should recognize two things, suggested the presi dent. First, the executive direct or must be held accountable, and second, the executive committee must set policy. The last policy revisions were in 1966, Murdock pointed out. Policy-making has been a low priority, she said, but it’s time to formulate an “action plan” to anticipate rather than merely respond to situations. “People are more interested in water rights and land claims,” commented Murdock. “But once you have a base organization, then you can move forward with the greatest efficiency.”
