Liverpool's first police chief a murderer? – Part 2

"Called in that same night to see the accused - (McAuliffe) - professionally at my office. I found him suffering from a clean-cut wound in the left side of the neck. I examined it. It started in about from quarter of an inch below the ear and extended down superficially about one half inch then crossing back and up about one half inch or more, then down three quarters or seven eights inches. The last cut being a little over one and one eighth inch deep at the lower extremity. I would judge the wound was inflicted by some sharp cutting instrument such as a knife. I saw his coat was cut once on the back of the shoulder. I dressed the wound that night and have been attending it every day for four or five days thinking it necessary to prevent blood poison. I last examined it day before yesterday. I regarded from the first quite sufficiently severe as to require the attention all wounds are. Accused was on the streets for about two days, and then was confined to his house for four or five days more. Acting under my instructions, I deemed it necessary. The wound was not far from a large blood vessel in the neck. Had it been forward less than one inch, in my opinion the wound would have been fatal.”

The trial continued with evidence given by the victim's brother, Joseph Alexander.

Joseph Alexander's testimony, April, 1904:

"My name is Joseph Alexander and I am the brother of the deceased. I remember the night of this trouble. I was borne (born) in Italy and so was the deceased. I am 34 years of age and the deceased was 26 years of age. I have been in this country 8 years, the deceased also 8 years. Our parents are living in Italy. We were working on the railway as foremen. I saw nothing of the shooting. I saw my brother at 5 o'clock that day. I gave him $60.00, and he gave me $10 back. I saw him again about half past nine at the North Queens Hotel, perfectly sober, when I saw him at Frank's (Italian shop). At half past nine I was at the hotel a boy came running saying, 'my God they are sending an Italian to jail'. I went in the middle of the street and tried to stop all hands and asked, What is the trouble with the men? There were handcuffs on him, there were three or four men about him when I spoke. And they stoped (stopped) when I spoke and the accused told them to go on. I saw blood on my brother's hands, I began to cry and someone said the accused had shot him in the hand. I went for a doctor rite (right) off. I got Doctor Trites. We went together to the jail about half an hour after my brother had got there. As I was going into the jail the accused stoped (stopped) me halfway and told me to go home. I don't want you near the jail. I walked around the town for about one hour and a half waiting for the doctor to come back. I talked with the doctor a little. I went to the jail on Sunday morning about 8 or 9 o'clock. He was on the bed and had the same clothes on he had the day before. I took clean clothes up to him. I remained there about 2 hours until the doctor came up. I first tried myself to get his clothes off but it hurt to move him. The doctor and another man and myself took off all his clothes. We had to cut his shirt to get it off.

"The shirt marked ACEM".(probably a court exhibit identification)" was his shirt. This vest marked BCEM was his vest. This undershirt marked CCEM was his undershirt. I was with my brother when he died on Sunday about 9 o'clock in the morning. I found no money in his clothes. The jailer said he had none. Just found a tape line. He was buried on Tuesday last. My brother could speak English better than I. I went two winters in the Stait "(state)" of Maine. He was unmarried. I saw his body when I took his clothes off. There was blood on his body and a mark on his side as if he was struck. I saw plaster on it, I was in Halifax when it was put on. Mark on the forehead as if inflicted by the nails of a boot. One eye was black."

On cross-examination by Mr. Ritchie, Joseph Alexander said:

"I was arrested by the accused one time. The charge on which I was arrested was not for stabbing. I have been fined $10.00 since here. I do not know what for. I did not in the presence of a number of persons say, I will kill him later on. By Jesus I did not use those words, but I did say I will fix him by the law. I was not with my brother from 5:30 to 9:30 o'clock. My brother came to Liverpool to buy clothes and groceries. As far as I know, he did not buy clothes and groceries."

In further questioning by lawyer McLean, Joseph Alexander stated:

"Was arrested by accused and a dark person and put to jail without any paper that I saw. He handcuffed me. I was kept in jail two nights and one day. I had no lawyer. The accused told me you are making no trouble and $5.00 will get you out. I paid the fine to the magistrate, $10.00. I did not understand half of the proceedings. The magistrate told me I would get one month in jail if I did not pay the fine. I did not stab anyone, I was carrying no revolver. The accused searched me and found no revolver or knife. I do not know why I was kept in jail or fined. I was arrested at Zwickers."

Frank Evangelisti was the next witness called to testify:

"Born in Italy then I came to this country eight or nine months. I keep the Italian store in the big building. I remember the night of the trouble two weeks ago tonight. I was in my store between nine and ten o’clock and Italian named Leonardo Liza was with me. I was in the front of the store. There are four other rooms behind the store. The other Italian had come over from the camp and was talking about going back to camp. It was raining and I opened the door to look at the weather, the other Italian was sitting in the chair. I had opened the door to look to see if it was raining. I saw the deceased come running into the shop and a crowd following him. I saw a man with a revolver in his hand. I was scared, shut the door, locked it and barred it with a big stick. The deceased went into one of the back rooms. I did not see where he went. About two minutes after that they busted the door open. They broke the stick and the door. The accused entered the shop caught me by the arm with one hand. With the other he held a revolver pointed at my face and backed me into the next room and said there is a man in here, and I want him. I said you can go anywhere you like if you do not murder me.”

Part 3: Evangelisti’s testimony continues.