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.”