Historic Hood River

Notes

Notes indicate this is George Perkins, who was 100 years old on November 14, 1937.  The pages of The Hood River Glacier have many mentions of Perkins from the 1890s onward, but this is the most interesting.  He was the key witness in the trial of Frank Ries for the murder of James Foss at the “Mount Hood settlement.”  His testimony?  He heard shots, went to investigate, and encountered Ries who told him he had murdered Foss but asked him to keep it quiet.  You can learn more about the sordid affair here.

Sounds like an open and shut case?  Think again.  According to this article which summarizes the trial, Perkins was not a very credible witness.  Perkins was the only one definitively linking Ries to the murder.  After hearing from a very long list of witnesses, Ries was acquitted.

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