The Daily Bee Sacramento, Cal. Monday Evening, October 25, 1886 A DASTARDLY MURDER The Confession Made by One of the Parties Arrested How Erickson Was Killed by George H. Kuntz Following is the confession of ORR, one of the men arrested for the recent murder of Erickson: I have resided in Humboldt and Trinity counties for the past four years. I first met George H. KUNTZ on the 22d day of February, 1886, at a dance at DUNCAN's in Hetten Chow Valley. Kuntz invited me to visit his place, and I met him there last June. Kuntz was not at home when I got there, and I waited three or four days until he returned. We went out on a hunting trip, and then Kuntz told me his hired man was going to quit. I asked him for the job, and he told me to come and try it awhile. I brought my wife to the ranch after awhile. During this time Kuntz hinted points toward ERICKSON continually. About three weeks after my arrival there Kuntz said that a man could get $500 or more to kill Erickson. I asked him if a man did kill Erickson would he get the money. I said that, if caught, a man would have to spend $500 to clear himself. Kuntz said he would spend $500 to keep him out of jail. In July, during the trial of Erickson, Kuntz talked more freely. ABOUT DISPOSING OF ERICKSON On July 4th I told him I would get away with his man. Kuntz said I could do it nicely, and mapped out everything clear to me, and said there was a party who would give me $500 or more. He would not tell me who the party was. Kuntz was to stand by me. I told my wife about it. She was very decisive in her "no." About the middle of August Kuntz went to Weaverville to attend the Erickson trial. While he was absent I went to Hettenchow to get a girl, but did not get one. My wife told me Kuntz was mad because I took a house. I told her he could go to hall. I had the blues and intended to quit. I told Kuntz I was going to quit, and he told me he would give me $50 per month for the time I was with him if I could stay. Continuing, he said if somebody got away with Erickson he would get the $500 for me - that is, PROVIDING I DID NOT BLOW ON HIM. I said I would stay. He enjoined me to say nothing to my wife. On Monday, September 6th, I went to Trogden's. While passing Erickson's I saw him and his men packing up the train. I went inside the corral and spoke to the men, and went as far as Trogden's with the train. When I returned I told Kuntz Erickson's pack train had come up Mad river. On Tuesday morning, the day Erickson was killed, Kuntz and I got up early and started up the Van Duzen river hunting. When we got to the first cabin Kuntz got off his horse and asked me for my boots. I gave them to him and took his shoes. He said he wanted to go up the mountain and start something, and told me to work on a fence until his return. "If anybody comes along, tell them Kuntz has started something." Kuntz returned at 5 o'clock, and we exchanged boots. He said he had done well. I asked him what. He did not answer my question, but asked me how he looked. I said he looked as though he had shot a bear. I then asked him if he shot a bear. "NO," HE SAID, "I SHOT ERICKSON." Kuntz then said, that when he fired the first shot Erickson threw up his head and halloaed, and went but a short distance. Kuntz and I went home. When we rode up to the house of Johnnie COTTIE and my wife were there. Cottie said Erickson was dead over there in the gulch. "Come over as quick as you can." "Who said Erickson was shot?" I asked. Cottie said no one said so, but that he thought so. Kuntz ate a big supper. After supper we went to where the body was. On Tuesday night, while in bed, I said to Kuntz: "Well, Kuntz, you did it." He replied: "When I pulled the trigger the buck fell." On Wednesday night Kuntz told me that he fired three or four shots as a blind, to make people believe it was a bad shot who did the work. On Thursday Erickson was buried. Kuntz attended the funeral. While in the barn that night Kuntz told me to get away with my boots, as BROWN had the nail-marks. I threw them away in the brush. The rifle Kuntz used was a Winchester, 44-caliber. After Orr made this statement detective LAWSON engaged him to write notes to Kuntz, but the latter let nothing escape him that was convicting. There was a plot to have several of the witnesses pledge themselves by swearing that Orr did the shooting. Reno Evening Gazette (Reno, Nevada) 1887 January 25 George Knuz has been found guilty, at Weaverville, Trinity county, Cal, of the murder of George Erickson, last fall. The verdict of the jury calls for death by hanging. ----- Original Message ----- From: <marilyn2@infionline.net> To: <norcal@rootsweb.com> Sent: Friday, January 08, 2010 1:22 PM Subject: Re: [NORCAL] George Erickson > Does anyone hae any more information on George Kunz who is mentioned in > this article. Marilyn > >> [Original Message] >> From: <scrapsbratt@aol.com> >> To: <norcal@rootsweb.com> >> Date: 1/6/2010 8:11:45 PM >> Subject: [NORCAL] George Erickson >> >> In 1884 Ben Arthur had a run-in with a man named George Erickson who had > been stealing his sheep. Erickson was taken to Weaverville and tried for > sheep stealing. Although he was set free and warned not to return to > southern Trinity County, Erickson did not heed the warning and was found > dead near the Mad River Bridge on September 7, 1886. A man by the name of > George Kunz was tried for this murder, and Ben Arthur, along with several > other ranchers, was tried for conspiracy in the murder. As a result of > Ben's efforts to defend himself, the ranch was taken over by the German > Savings and Loan Society (now the Bank of Hibernia). >> >> This is an excerpt from "Trinity County Historic Sites" and is referring > to a ranch on South of Fork Mountain, near the Humboldt County line. >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> ----------------------------------------- >> NORCAL ARCHIVES: >> http://archiver.rootsweb.com/ >> Enter NORCAL. Browse by month. >> Or click the "Search all archives" link to search by keyword. >> ----------------------------------------- >> To post a message to the NORCAL mailing list, send an email to > NORCAL@rootsweb.com >> ------------------------------- >> To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > NORCAL-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes > in the subject and the body of the message > > > > > ----------------------------------------- > NORCAL ARCHIVES: > http://archiver.rootsweb.com/ > Enter NORCAL. Browse by month. > Or click the "Search all archives" link to search by keyword. > ----------------------------------------- > To post a message to the NORCAL mailing list, send an email to > NORCAL@rootsweb.com > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > NORCAL-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes > in the subject and the body of the message >