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On the morning of July 4th, about one o'clock, Courtney Green reached Eugene from Walterville,

gave himself up to the officers and told a story in substance as follows.

About the 8th or 9th of June, Claude Branton, then at Condon, Gilliam County, came to young Courtney Green, who lived a short distance away,

and offered him a chance to come to the valley with some horses. Green accepted and the start was soon

made. The party included John Lynn, Courtney Green, Claude and Clarence Branton and their mother.

Claude Branton took his mother and went to Squaw Creek, there awaiting the other three men

who were driving the horses, about

60 in number.

From this place, Clarence came on with his mother, leaving Claude to assist in driving the

horses down to the valley.

Crossing the lava beds, the men placed the horses in a corral at Alder Springs, where a stop of a day

and a half was made to rest the animals. While here, Green says Branton and Lynn had a dispute

over a settlement that reached the proportions of a row. From the conversation, Green said he inferred

that Branton had an interest in the horses

besides having something due from Lynn. Branton wanted money for all his interest and claims,

while Lynn wanted him to take half of the horses and call it a full settlement. This occurred Wednesday, June 15th.

Branton continued in a very mad frame of mind over the row with Lynn,

and on being alone with Green said, quote,

I'm going to kill that old son of a b-night.

Green remonstrated with him,

but failed to change the tenor of Branton's responses.

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