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Murder, Mayhem and Tragedy in Teton County
V. M. Pyatt of Bole was acquitted by the jury in the district court last Monday, of the murder of D.W. Bunday at Bole in March of this year. The case ent to the jury about 11 o'clock MOnday morning and they did not agree on their verdict until in the afternoon about four o'clock. It is said that on their first ballot the jury stood 10 for acquittal and two for a verdict of manslaughter with imprisonment of one year in the penitentiary as a penalty. This standing was maintained until on the last ballot in the afternoon when all voted for acquittal.
Mr. Bunday, who was one of the trustees of the school at Bole, got into a quarrel with Pyatt, who had the contract for building a new school house for the district, which led to blows. The evidence shows that Pyatt was knocked down by Bunday, who then jumped on Pyatt and began to beat him up. Pyatt drew out his revolver and in an attempt to take it away from him by Bunday, the gun discharged. Pyatt claimed that he did not pull the trigger, but that in the attempt to wrest it from his grasp, the gun was accidentally discharged.
The case was vigorously prosecuted by County Attorney John J. Greene, assisted by Attorney James W. Freeman, of Great Falls, while the defense was able conducted by Attorney Thos. H. Pridham, of this city, assisted by Attorney James W. Speer, of Great Falls.
[Choteau Acantha Nov. 24, 1916.]
Warren H. Daley to be Honored With Special Services Saturday
Special last services, with military burial rites by the American Legion and VFW posts, will be conducted at Choteau this Saturday for AMM 3C Warren H. Daley, 23, whose remains will arrive today from overseas under the repatriation of World War II dead program. The body will be accompanied by CMM Bernard F. Dunn of the sixth army escort detachment at Ogden.
Services will be held at the Choteau Methodist church at 2 p.m., followed by graveside rites at the cemetery. The service will be the first conducted at Choteau for a repatriated deceased veteran.
Pallbearers will be comprised of a VFW and Legion squad of former navy men, Bill Sabo, Bob Dellwo, Louis Clough, Morris Tetrud, Bob Arensmeyer and Clarence Stenson.
Captured by Japs
The son of Halvor Daley of Fairfield, young Warren was an aviation machinest's mate in the navy who was captured by the Japanese in the spring of 1945. He was cruelly killed on April 27, 1945, by his captors, who were tried at Yokohama for the war crime.
Death by hanging was meted out for the atrocity to six Japanese war criminals on Feb. 9, of this year. Each of the accused was found guilty of the unlawful killing of one American prisoner of war. In addition, Hideo Ishinaki, former first lieutenant in command of the Japanese detachment which committed the atrocity and Masao Kataoko, former sergeant major and platoon leader, were convicted of command responsibility for the executions. Ishizaki killed a prisoner by striking him with a sword, while Kataoka shot a prisoner.
Each Found Guilty
Kikup Tomoka, former Japanese army corporal, and Takeji Fugino, former superior privates, were each found guilty of unlawfully killing an American prisoner by shooting while Zentaro Watanabe and Shoji Ito, both former superior privates, were each convicted of bayoneting an American prisoner to death.
The executioins of Daley and the others took place following the capture of the Americans at Ple Tonan, an outpost in the Indo-China hills. Surviving the crash of their Catalina flying boat on Jan. 26, 1945, off the Indo-China coast, the Americans wandered for weeks in the hills, successfully eluding the Japanese.
Rumors of their presence reached the Japanese, however, and a part of the 189th Infantry battalion was dispatched to capture the Americans. On April 27, 1945, the Japanese reached the outpost and the fliers surrendered after a brief skirmish. Six of the eight survivors who had been at the outpost were executed.
Describe Scene
Eyewitnesses testifying at the trial described the scene in which the grim tragedy of the execution occurred in the house before daylight directly after the capture of the Americans. A large bonfire was built in the middle of the courtyard at the outpost and the eight Americans were seated around it with their hands tied behind their backs.
The spirit of revenge was running high among the Japanese soldiers and cries of “Kill them” filled the air. Finally Ishizaki issued the order for the execution and one by one the fliers were taken behind a nearby building and killed. Two of the Americans were left unharmed, since the Japanese felt they might be able to obtain information from them.
Prosecuting the case against the six Japanese for the legal section were Leonard M. Rand of 537 Summer Avenue, Newark, N.J., and Angus Munro of Dallas, Tex. [Transcribed by Nancy Thornton with express permission of the Choteau Acantha May 27, 1948.]
Sheriff Peterson Shoots Dogs Killing Cattle.
Sheriff Al Peterson last week shot and killed two dogs which have ravaged cattle worth an estimated $2,000 at ranches between Choteau and Lowry. The dogs were a police dog and a collie-shepherd, which have killed cattle at various ranches near Simms for the past month.
With Sheriff Peterson on the predatory dog investigation were Deputy Sheriff Jack Egger of Fairfield and Deputy Sheriff John Earl of Great Falls.
According to the Great Falls Tribune, the Mangas Cattle Co. and other ranches in the area searched the ranges for cattle the dogs may have killed or gnawed beside their own. Several days before the two dogs were seen running a yearling. The animal later was discovered killed and the investigation started.
The dogs ranged far from their own ranches, joined forces and ran a yearling, perhaps as far as six miles, when they would grab its nose or protruding tongue and wrestle it down and kill it. The two dogs had reverted to the wild state. They killed and maimed the yearlings, valued at from $150 up for the joy of killing.
Ranchers in the area fear still more cattle killed by the wild dogs will be found. [Transcribed by Nancy Thornton with the express permission of the Choteau Acantha May 27, 1948]
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