Liverpool’s first police chief a murderer? – Part 4

"I have as far as the questions went, fully stated my recollections of what took place that night. I heard nearly all the evidence given in this case and I have heard the witness of the prosecution give their recollection of what took place that night. I have taken quite an interest in this matter. I have spoken to different people of what took place there that night. I sent out one telegram to the Halifax Herald. At the time I saw my brother strike the deceased with his umbrella. I did not know he had been shot. I heard the report of the revolver. I had suspicion that someone had been shot. I did not try to stop my brother from hitting the deceased although I have a suspicion that he had been shot. I saw the accused handcuff him I supposed he had been shot. I think the Sheriff has the deceased's knife. There were 20 or 30 men around at the time. Most of them I knew. The knife was an ordinary knife with a single blade. I did not visit this man while he was in jail. I did not visit the jail after his death. I heard on Sunday that he had died. I nor any of the town authorities took no steps to have a coroners inquest held nor took any steps to have any steps taken for the prosecution of the accused. We did not attend the funeral. I did not see anyone strike the deceased although they might have done so. I did not strike him. I heard two witnesses say in this court they saw me strike the deceased. I saw the accused come out, saw no revolver in his hand. He might have had one. I would not say that the accused did not say, stand back, stand by, look out. The accused is still in the employ of the Town of Liverpool. I did not see the accused Billy that night. I did not ask Floyd Hatt for Billy. I heard him say that I did ask him for it. The statement by Floyd Hatt is positively incorrect."

Re-examined by defence lawyer Ritchie, Mayor Mulhall had this to say:

"In stating what I was given, accounts for as what happened that evening. I mean I stated as far as the question called for answers. As far as I am aware I have no authority to carry out the administration of criminal justice or required to attend funerals. After deceased had been shot he attempted to get away and it was necessary to restrain him to carry out the arrest. I was in a position to hear what the accused said. At that time my brother struck the deceased with the umbrella he, the accused was standing up in a crouched position. I don't know how many Italians were there, I saw only one. The accused has not been suspended from the employ of the town."

Other witnesses were called, but their evidence produced nothing new.

Patrick McAuliffe was ACQUITTED... rightly or wrongly. And he remained as Liverpool's Police Chief until 1906 when he left Liverpool for a similar position in Bridgewater. He later moved to Truro where he was a truancy officer for a time, and where he stayed until July of 1912. He then returned to Liverpool.

Trinity Anglican Church records show that Patrick Bond McAuliffe married Eliza Jane Laidlaw, 11 February, 1896. McAuliffe died in Liverpool on April 7, 1922 at 60 years of age so that at the time of the murder charge, he was 42. His wife Eliza Jane, died in Liverpool on January 27, 1925, age 70.

I leave this subject open to question: - (Ponder it!) Did McAuliffe shoot James Alexander in the heat of an angry confrontation? Did he really think his life was threatened and shoot in self-defence? Did he simply lose his well-known Irish temper and act irresponsibly? Was there prejudice against the Italian workers that coloured the evidence? Did the bullet kill Alexander or was the job completed by the blows - or in the jail cell? Was there a cover-up?

From the evidence presented in court, what do you think?

Note: It should be noted that these records were all in fine handwritten script and very difficult to decipher in places. They were written in haste as the evidence was given, and this could not have been an easy job as some witnesses had only broken English with strong accents.