Muskogee man charged in slaying

Wednesday, January 26th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

MUSKOGEE, Okla. (AP) -- A Muskogee man will stand trial in the murder of a part-time rancher who was shot after an alleged confrontation over trespassing at a fishing hole. Donald Ray Schumate, 31, was bound over for trial Tuesday in the June 21 slaying of barber and rancher Jack Guthrie, 62.

Authorities arrested Schumate and two other men two months after Guthrie was found shot to death on his rural property south of Taft. Only Schumate was charged. Schumate allegedly told Muskogee County deputies and other investigators that he fired several shots from a .22-caliber handgun over an elderly man's head during a confrontation about fishing on the land. But Schumate denied shooting the man.

A fourth man who was fishing on Guthrie's property testified that he heard gun shots while Schumate was out of a vehicle. He said he also later heard Schumate say, "What have I done?" Authorities said the men also told them that Guthrie had fired a rifle in their direction.