MUSKOGEE-Three of six Indian defendants on trial here for alleged extortion and acts of violence against the Santa Fe Railroad rested their cases just before noon today.

Ryder Larney, his son, Gary, and Tom Ahaisse, all of Seminole County, rested their cases after testifying on their own behalf before a U.S. Dist. Court jury in the federal courthouse here.

A highlight of today’s trial was the introduction of an AR-15 military rifle, which allegedly was taken from the car driven by Ahaisse when he was arrested on an alleged drunken driving charge by Muskogee police in January. Three other defendants yet to complete their defense are Jack and Johnson Warledo of Seminole County and Meredith Quinn, a South Dakota Indian. The Warledos and Quinn may possibly take the stand on their own behalf this afternoon, Court officials expect the case to go to the jury later today, and the trial hopefully will conclude by this evening.

The trial of the six, all members of the dissident Seminole Nation Treaty People, entered its third day today.

Ahaisse testified today that the semi-automatic military weapon did not belong to him, despite the fact that it was allegedly found in his car trunk.

“I don’t know whose weapon it is,” Ahaisse, a Seminole Junior College student, said.

He testified that the weapon, along with a clip of ammunition, was left in his car while it was parked outside an Oklahoma City night club last January.

“I figured who left it was probably someone I knew and would contact me about it, but they never did,” Ahaisse told the court.

Ryder Larney testified Tuesday that he had overheard the Warledos and Quinn saying “they would have to do something to a railroad bridge.” Larney said he was asked if he would help, but he refused.

The testimony was in reference to evidence found Dec. 16 after a Santa Fe Railroad bridge was burned east of Tecumseh.

The charges of conspiracy, extortion and possession of unregistered incendiary devices - “Molotov cocktails”- against the six Indians stem from alleged threats against the railroad during the Indians alleged demands for $217,808 in back rights-of-way payments Ahaisse and the Larneys each testified they took no part in the burning of the railroad bridge or in any acts of violence against the railroads.

Gary Larney told the jury on the night of Dec. 16, when the bridge burned, he was in Oklahoma City meeting with a Back Muslim group.

Ahaisse testified that he was home with his wife, three children and a cousin. Gary Larney said he joined Quinn and the Warledos along with some other Seminole Indians in the meeting with the Black Muslim group.

“We met with the Black Muslims hoping to get some financial assistance and get them to support us,” Larney testified.

He said he left the meeting around 9:30 p.m., but did not leave Oklahoma City until around 2 a.m. on the morning of Dec. 17.

Larney said after leaving the meeting he did not know where Quinn or the Warledos went.

Heavy security measures were still being enforced here for the trial today. A metal detector was being used to search all persons entering the courtroom.

A surprisingly small crow watched the trial without any disturbance. In today’s hearing some 25 persons attended the trial, ten of those Indians.

Two Seminole residents, Mrs. Carol Linduff and Lawrence Stephens, are sitting on the jury for the Indians’ trial.

Producer Managing Editor Bobby Trammell testified late Tuesday afternoon at the trial and related to the jury the incidents surrounding the Dec. 18 raid on the treaty people’s downtown Seminole headquarters in which three of the Indians were arrested. -oOo Highland Street west of Roosevelt Schoel was made two way Tuesday night by the Seminole City Council. City Manager Don Best said the change was requested by the Seminole School system, and said a one-way street at the west side of the school campus is no longer needed because Central Grade School no longer exists. Highland had been one-way to facilitate traffic flow around the Roosevelt Central School campus Councilman Ray Davis moved that Highland be changed to two way, and the motion drew unanimous approval from the council Best said the change will be effective Thursday. A sign designating Highland as “one way” will be removed. -oOo CENTRAL CITY, Colo. (UPI) - Many persons in this Rocky Mountain foothills town feel the country’s national anthem would be more appropriately named The Star Spangled Bummer.”

And the city council this week decided to do something about it.

The council wrote to Colorado’s congressional delegation asking its support for an effort to adopt a new national anthem. The council even went so far as to suggest “America the Beautiful” by Katherine Lee Bates as a replacement.

Mayor William C. Russell Jr said one of the problems with “The Star Spangled Banner” was that most Americans can’t sing it.

“Those high notes are awful,” Russell said. “I’ve heard some opera singers have difficulty with it and the average person just throws up his hands.”

He also said the current national anthem derived its tune from an old English drinking song and its words were excessively militaristic.

“It’s easy to remember the words to ‘America the Beautiful’ and it doesn’t have any of that war stuff in it,” Russell said. He said the council decided to push for a change because Central City is a registered national historic landmark and an American Bicentennial City “The Council thought we should take the initiative,” Russell said.