The preliminary hearing in the case or Romillio Caesari, charged with the
murder of Dominico Melis began Wednesday morning, Police Magistrate Taylor presiding. Attorney W. L. Phelps is presenting the case for the crown which was prepared by Sergeant
L. McLauchlan and Detective Sergeant Eion McBrayne. Albert Sadler is official stenographer and Joseph Salvatore and Urbano Chilbani are official interpeters, the prisoner being an Italian and understanding English imperfectly.
Evidence was introduced as follows: John Keefe - "On June 11 I was employed at loading a barge on the river front. Sometime during the day, am not certain whether it was before or after the middle of the day, I saw a body floating in the river going down stream, I called to other workmen and some of them got a pole and piloted the
body under the wharf. I did not see the body again.
Through Interpreter Salvatore, Caesari asked what body the witness was
talking about.
E. W. Gibson - "Am generals office man at the Pueblo mine. Was a witness at the inquest held on body of Melis whom I knew last year when he was employed at the mine. Identified body by scars on his face and hands. He had been burned and much scarred
some years before. Melis was intelligent Italian and was sort of leader among his own people. Melis had written to mine from Juneau asking for work for party of twenty Italians. They had come and been given work. Melis stopped work November 22, 1913." Witness saw Melis and Caesari on road near town in January.
Sam Rodas - "Saw body at inquest and knew it to be that of Melis whom I
knew very well. Worked as his partner a month last fall. Knew the body by burns and scars on face and hands. Also know Caesari. Melis was a quiet man. Never saw him drinking."
Lois Olsen - "I am a woodcutter at the Pueblo since last November. Knew Melis and Caesari. Met the latter at Dawson whey he was working on Bonanza. Met them both in Whitehorse in December when Caesari said they had rented a cabin for the winter. Met Melis on the road near Whitehorse and offered him a drink from a bottle. Melis refused. Met Caesari in town in February and he said Melis had gone to the coalmine, Tantalus, to get a job. Caesari told me he was alone and to come to his cabin. I did so and stayed all night with him. Had supper and breakfast with him. Caesari said the rent of the cabin was paid a few days ahead, six or seven, that he had no money and little grub and that he was
going to Dawson. In the morning. Caesari began to pack up for leaving for Dawson."
W. Carnik - "I am a miner at Pueblo. Was called at inquest of body found floating in river June 11 and identified it as that of Dominico Melis by scars and burns on face and hands. Knew both Melis and Caesari. First met them in October, 1913. Frequently saw them in town together during the winter after they quit work at the mine. They were always together. Met Caesari by himself early in February. Asked him what had become of Melis and he said he had gone away, maybe to Dawson, maybe to Juneau. Melis did not drink. Caesari came to the mine in October drunk. Melis was a great Socialist."
Denny O'Connor testified to having first seen the body of Melis floating in the river the afternoon of June 11 and to having called the attention of fellow workmen to it.
C. A. Gain - "I am in charge of Alguire's store at the Pueblo mine. I knew Dominico Melis. First met him in September, 1913, when he went to work at the mine. Knew Caesari. Last saw Melis near the Club on the 8th of February this year. Sometime later I met Caesari on the hill north of town and asked him where Melis was. He told me Melis had gone to Carmacks to work in a coal mine. As he, Melis, owed an account at the store, I sent a letter with bill to him at Carmacks but the letter was afterward returned as uncalled for. Both Melis and Caesari frequently came to the store, and Caesari told me he would not have to work much longer as he was making a wonderful machine which would run without steam, gas or air - a perpetual motion machine which he would sell to all the mines. It would make him big money. Both Melis and Caesari had accounts at the store and both paid cash for some time. Later Melis bought some goods on credit. Among them were a "Pride of the West" razor, razor strap, double mirror, flat on one side and concave an the other, shirts and underwear and heavy grey pants similar to those Caesari is now wearing, leather house slippers, socks and sweater, needle case and thread. Melis had a double-barrel shotgun at the store with him in December. Melis frequently came to the store as interpreter for other Italians. He seemed a very nice fellow. Do not know that either Melis or Caesari used liquor."
When the prosecution produced a "Pride of the West" razor, a razor strap, double mirror, needle case, thread and several other articles from a war bag supposed to contain the personal effects of Caesari, Mr. Gain identified the articles mentioned as being exactly similar to those sold by him to Melis. He had never sold Caesari the articles produced.
The change which came over Caesari when the articles above mentioned
were produced was apparent to everyone in court. Previous to that time he had worn a semi-amused smile during all the proceedings, but when the goods identified as having belonged to Melis were emptied on the table, his face turned an ashen color and both his eyes became glassy. (One of them is of glass and they looked alike.) He soon recovered, however, and assumed the careless, buoyant air that was so noticable when the hearing first opened.
Tom C. Bee, postmaster at Carmacks, testified to a letter for Melis from the Alguire store having come to his office and of it being returned to the writer, not having been called for.
Captain P. Martin - "I first met Melis and Caesari about the 28th of last November. They came to me to rent an apartment in the Bissler house for which I am agent. Melis rented it and paid the rent to March 1 of this year. They came from the mine to town. For a time they bought together, paying about thirty dollars in cash. Later they bought separately. On the 3rd of February and again on the 5th and 6th Caesari came to my store and had goods charged to his own account, saying something to the effect that he was going to have a kettle of his own. The last entry on the books of goods bought by Melis was on February 4th when he bought a rather large order which led me to believe he was going hunting, to be gone some time. That was the last I saw of Melis. Later I asked Caesari what had become of Melis and he told me Melis had gone away but that he, Caesari, believed Melis was honest and that I would get what he owed. I thought both Melis and Caesari were drinking men, Melis in a moderate way, but I concluded that Caesari would gobble up all he could get. They were under the influence of liquor once or twice when in the store. When I rented the rooms to Melis I gave him two keys. When Caesari gave up the house he turned back one of the keys. Melis, Caesari and George Ganley took a hunting trip in January or late in December. I never had any trouble in talking to Caesari as he seemed to understand English fairly well."
Captain Martin recognized one of two keys found on the body of Melis as being identical with one he had given him when he rented the rooms. He also identified a letter written him by Caesari from Bonanza on March 31, requesting that he send him a pair of rubber boots and raincoat left at Martin's store.
E. J. White was called to testify regarding what he had noticed about the
Bissler house, which adjoins his office and residence, during the time the former was occupied by Melis and Caesari, but as he was away much of the time, his testimony was not of import. He was questioned regarding the condition of the ice at and near the rapids during the winter and the facilities it offered for concealing objects which it might have been desired to cache away.
W. A. Puckett - "I met both Melis and Caesari in my store. Sold them tools for cutting wood; also ammunition. Melis told me he had a fine shotgun, L. C. Smith make, at Juneau and said he was intending to send for it. Told me later he had received it. I never saw the gun. A good L. C. Smith shotgun is worth from $30 to $50."
A gun presented by the prosecution from the effects of Caesari was pro-
nounced by Mr. Puckett to be similar to the one described to him by Melis as the one he had received from Juneau. The gun offered in evidence was an L. C. Smith.
Carl Weix testified to having worked early in February on a wood road leading from town up the river and beyond the rapids and of the condition of the ice on the river and beyond the rapids and of the condition of the ice on the river and in the vicinity of the rapids at that time.
C. H. Dech testified to having seen Melis, Caesari and Ganley frequently
during the winter when he resided next to the Bissler house but said he never heard any quarreling in the latter. Frequently heard pounding, sawing and filing as though manufacturing was under way. He met Caesari on the railroad above town one Sunday afternoon and they walked back to town together. Had no difficulty in talking to Caesari who appeared to understand English fairly well.
Dr. W. B. Clarke who, assisted by Dr. W. G. Gabie of Skagway, conducted a post most mortem on the body of Melis, testified regarding the nature of the many injuries on the head, arms and other parts of the body, demonstrating the position and nature of the injuries on the head with a skull which he held in his hand and on which he pointed out the location and nature of all fractures and contusions, explaining the probable severity and effect of each and which, in the opinion of himself and conferee, were anti and post mortem / wounds, Aside from being important evidence, the doctor's testimony was interesting from a scientific standpoint.
At the conclusion of Dr. Clarke's testimony, adjournment was taken until 10:30 Thursday morning.
THURSDAY FORENOON
J. R. Alguire testified to having seen both Melis and Caesari at his Pueblo store but had paid little attention to either; had also seen them at his hotel
during the winter. They stayed at the hotel one night in the late fall before renting rooms at the Bissler house. Occupied the same room which contained two beds. Witness identified clothing on the body of Melis as the same as is kept at his store. Also identified keys found on Melis as those of the Bissler house.
Constable Wright testified to having seen Melis and Ganley at the Raymond roadhouse thirty miles north of Whitehorse. They were trapping and in poor luck. He understood there was a third party, Caesari, with them but did not see him. He, Wright, brought the camp outfit of the men to town on his sled.
Sergeant L. McLauchlan testified at length to happenings on the occasion of the finding of the body of Melis on June 11, and of subsequent details connected with the coroner's jury, the case being in his hands as representative of the police. He identified numerous articles in a bag left by Caesari at Martin's store when the prisoner had left here for Dawson. The poles in which the body of Melis was trussed when found... [the rest of the article is missing, apparently having been on a small section of page 4 cut from the archival copy]
