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The evidence as taken at the Investigation - Amero likely to be handed over to the Massachusetts authorities.
In the case of the extradition of Amero, the alleged murderer of Mrs. Carlton, at Watertown, Mass., the preliminary proceedings were commenced on Wednesday last, before Judge Savary, at Digby, N.S.
Detective James R. Wood, accompanied by three reporters from Boston, also Ella M. Stowe and Michael McAlheney as a witnesses, arrived here by Steamer Empress at noon. The witnesses are brought to identify the prisoner.
Before opening the court, Judge Savary informed the counsel for the detective that the witnesses belonging here who had been illegally forced to appear without fee or reward must inform him that they had been paid for their attendance. These witnesses were taken into an anteroom, and then they returned acknowledged to the Judge that they had been satisfied as to their remuneration. The court room was crowded when the proceedings were formally opened at 2.30 p.m. The prisoner, when brought up, looked nervous; his eyes had a wild, roving look, and his face was much thinner than at the time of his arrest.
The original disposition and warrant and the certificates of depositions issued by Judge E.T. Luce, of Middlesex County, Mass., were read. Attached to the warrant is the seal of the British consul. During the reading an interruption was made by the deputy sheriff and the detective’s counsel saying that a despatch had been received from the Lieut. Governor, dated at Truro, and also one from the Minister of Justice, directing the Sheriff to hold the prisoner until ordered otherwise, and the prisoner’s counsel desired the judge to instruct the sheriff to this effect. The judge answered that the sheriff should know his own business. There are several witnesses to be examined and an adjournment will be necessary until to-morrow.
A.J.S. Copp., Esq., was appointed and is acting as counsel for the prisoner. He took objections to all the depositions offered by the other counsel, except those under the warrant issued by Judge Savary. After the depositions of persons not present had been read, Michael McAlhaney, a detective employed by the Fitchburg Railroad – Company, was sworn.
He testified to seeing a man on the Fitchburg Railroad between Charlestown and Somerville and thought that he was a suspicious character from his general appearance and manner. He saw this man between the hours of five and half-past six in the evening going towards Watertown on the night of the murder and he recognized the prisoner, Roger Amero, as the person. The prisoner, who was seated, at this point rose from his seat and exclaimed unexcitedly, “You lie; I never saw you before in my life,” and there upon one of the witnesses from Massachusetts, Miss Ella M. Stowe, excitedly clapped her hands and, laughing said; “That is the same voice.” There are ten witnesses yet to be examined. The court has adjourned until tomorrow morning.
Digby, N.S., May 10. – The examination into the charge of Murder preferred against Roger Amero was continued to-day before Judge Savary.
Mr. T.C. Shreve represented the State of Massachusetts, and Mr. Albert J.S. Corp, the prisoner.
The story of the arrest of Amero and the terrible crime with which he is charged, have already been told.
The arrest of Amero, in Digby, caused general surprise, particularly in St. John, for no inkling that the police were working in the Maritime Provinces had got out. The prisoner is a young man about 23 years of age; although not a natural criminal he has the open good natured countenance, which is so marked in the descendants of the French Acadians. His eyes have a decidedly peculiar expression and from this the other causes there are many who do not think that he is altogether sane. Indeed, it is said that since his arrest he has once or twice shown symptoms of insanity. His demeanour, in court this morning, was decidedly easier, and only once did the prisoner interrupt the proceedings with his talk, by which he interfered with yesterday’s proceedings. Occasionally, he looked about the court room, gazing intently at one and then another of the audience, but giving no nod of recognition to any. He took no apparent interest in the proceedings, even when his own relatives were on the stand. He portrayed no particular emotion, but gave better attention to their evidence than that of the other witnesses. The last witnesses of to-day produced a decided sensation by his evidence, and once or twice caused much merriment by his profound manner, and sharp replies to the counsel for the prisoner.
The first witness this morning was Miss Stowe, who testified to seeing Amero in the station at Watertown on the 18th of March, when he came to the window and purchased a ticket for Boston. She fully identified the prisoner as the man who she had seen at Watertown Station, and further stated that when he spoke in court, yesterday, she recognized his voice as the same that asked for a ticket to Boston on the night of March 18th.
The next witness was Frank M. Everett, of Plymton, N.S. He testified to meeting a man on the train near Brunswick, Maine, whom he recognized as Roger Amero. This occurred on March 20th, two days after the Murder.
Amero appeared very nervous when he saw the witness on the train, and was told by him that he was Roger Amero. He denied this, stating that his name was Frank Blinn. The witness detailed the conversation he had with Amero, how he told him he had got on the wrong train at Portland, Me., and in getting off had hurt his hand. This was the way in which he accounted for his swollen wrist. After further conversation, Amero disappeared, but Everett saw him again at the Bangor depot in the eating saloon. The next place in which he saw him was on March 22nd on the Steamer Empress. Everett missed Amero again during the trip across the Bay, but saw him later when the steamer reached Digby. Before the gang plank had been put out Amero jumped ashore and ran up the wharf. Everett went to his home at Plymton and told Amero’s brother that Roger had arrived home. A few days later, the Father of Amero called on Everett and asked him if his son had come on the train with him. Everett had told the old man the facts and he went away wondering where his son was.
William Munford put another link in the chain of evidence by swearing that on the 22nd of March, about one o’clock, Amero came to his house and asked him to drive him out to the ridge. Munford could not go and Amero told him he had left Boston because he had got into trouble with his land lady and in conversation said: “I will be hanged for it and won’t it be awful.” Witness told him that he could not be hanged for that and told him to go and lie down. Two men called and Amero woke with a start, asking if they were officers after him. Witness said no. He noticed that Amero’s wrist was very much swollen. The testimony of this witness proves conclusively that Amero did return home on the date claimed by the authorities and not two or three days later, as alleged by friends of the prisoner. Evidence is also at hand to trace the prisoner from the scene of the murder to his home.
Eli Wagner gave testimony about going to Boston at the request of Amero’s mother to tell his brother to come home and bring Roger’s trunk with him. Amero did not come, but sent the trunk by the witness.
James Saulnier, uncle of the prisoner, was sworn. In somewhat broken English he told his Honor that he would prefer to have an interpreter in order to insure accuracy in his evidence. As no interpreter was available he was allowed to go on. After a few preliminary questions Mr. Shreve asked:
“Did you have a conversation with the prisoner lately?”
“Yes,” answered the witness, “on Tuesday; another on Wednesday,”
“Did he tell you anything about why he left the States?”
Dr.Copp objected, but after a protracted questioning of the witness, during which the dignity of the court was several times shocked by the mirth produced by the replies of the witness, His Honor allowed Mr. Shreve to go on with the examination.
Saulnier then proceeded to relate how he had gone to the window of Amero’s cell and how sorry he was to find his Nephew in such a position.
“Are you going back to the States this summer?” was one of the queries put to Amero by Saulnier. “How can I go back?” was the reply, “when they say I have killed a woman there; but, I have killed nobody.”
Witness next said that he also told him that he had been with a man named Carleton, who lived at Watertown, for four days proceeding the murder, and that on the day of the murder he had been engaged by Carleton to do some chores about his house.
“Was this man, Mr. Carleton, married?” asked Mr. Shreve.
“Well, he must have been, for he told me that Carleton was against his wife and they didn’t agree together. I am also pretty sure that he told me that Carleton said to him that he wished she (his wife) was dead and that somebody would kill her. I then wished him goodbye and went downtown.”
“Did he tell you that he went to Watertown?”
“Yes, he did, no, he didn’t; but he said he was in Watertown. At the same time he told me, before I went away, that he didn’t kill anyone.”
The prisoner – “if you let me speak I will tell you everything I told you. I said to you, I came to Watertown, that is, if you are the man I spoke to. I told you that I never saw Mr. Carleton, and wouldn’t know Mr. Carleton if I did see him; I deny every word you have said, my uncle, if you are my uncle. I deny every word you have said I just did.”
The Judge – “Did he say Waltham or Watertown?”
Witness – “Watertown, I never heard the name before that I remember.” After some further questioning witness said “I saw Roger on the following day and said to him, Roger, they say that you have killed a woman and he said he did not, repeating this assertion once or twice.”
The introduction of this evidence produced a death-like stillness in the court, which appeared to make the prisoner very uncomfortable. When he spoke he hesitated several times.
His Honor – “It is unnecessary to go further, gentlemen. If this case were before a jury, I would instruct them to lay no weight on such testimony as he has given.”
It being 5 o’clock the Court adjourned until tomorrow at ten o’clock.
DIGBY, N.S., May. 11th – The hearing in the case of Roger Amero was concluded before Judge Savary, to-day, and the prisoner remanded. His Honor explained this morning that his position in this case was very similar to that of a justice presiding over a preliminary examination or a grand jury when examining witness on a bill of indictment. He was not called upon to decide upon the guilt or innocence of the prisoner but only as to whether there was sufficient evidence to warrant his extradition to the United States, where he would have to be tried in the usual way. Now that the evidence is all in, His Honor will make a report on it which will be forwarded to the Minister of Justice at Ottawa, who will inform the Secretary of State of the United States whether Amero will be given up to the Massachusetts authorities to be tried for the crime with which he is charged. As His Honor withheld decision this afternoon, and remanded the prisoner, it is not definitely known what his report to the Minister of Justice will be, but it goes without saying that the Judge’s opinion is that there is sufficient evidence to place Amero on trial for murder. In all probability this will be the result of the examination.
It seldom happens that after a crime has been committed that such a complete net of circumstantial evidence is obtained as that woven around Amero. It has been proven, either by direct testimony or depositions regularly sworn to, that Amero left his employer’s house in Lincoln, Mass., on March 13th and went to Boston. The time which intervened between this date and March 18th he spent among the dives of Cambridge street and other localities where the low and dissolute congregate. Carleton, the husband of the murdered woman, who, from all accounts, is a man of the world, is the proprietor of one of these places, although the sign over the door bears the name of Casey. Amero strayed into this place, according to his own story told to Mr. McElhaney, the Fitchburg Railroad detective, who met him walking in the direction of Watertown about an hour before the murder was committed, and judging him to be a suspicious character, entered into a conversation with him, for the purpose of being able to identify the man again.
Some structures having been made by the Boston press on the manner in which the case was conducted by Judge Savary, also intimating that on account of relationship he favored the prisoner, His Honor in an interview yesterday stated that there is not the least relationship between himself and the prisoner; that he has no French blood in his veins and the prisoner is no English. He further pointed out that he could not compel the attendance of witnesses at court as the Canadian Act makes no provision for the subpoenaing of witness in Extradition cases; there being no legal authority to bring the witnesses to court they were obtained by stratagem, of which he was aware, but not a party to. It may further be remarked that, Judge Savary, from the impartial manner in which he has conducted the case, has won for himself the esteem and respect of all who have had anything to do with it. His rulings were always in accordance with good law.
John Daley was the first witness called in this morning. He was sworn, and, in response to the questions of Mr. Shreve, said he was the chief constable of Digby, and had gone to Amero’s fathers house to arrest Roger. When he got to the house, he continued, we found that it was perfectly dark, while all the other houses were lighted. The other persons who were there with me guarded the doors and windows while I entered and lighted a match. Just as I entered I heard the footsteps of persons inside and noticed that two or three persons were sitting around the stove. I heard the prisoner moving away, but when he saw my fishing basket and gear he evidently thought all was right and walked up to me. I asked him, “is your name Roger Amero?”
He replied that it was, and I said to him, “You are the man that I want,” and arrested him. We searched the house that night, but not very thoroughly. The trunk which is now in court was found. It contained clothing and a red wallet with $10 in it. This was given to the mother, as we knew the prisoner did not need it. The next day we searched the house thoroughly and found, among other things, a coat, which was wrapped in an old table cloth and stowed away between the two ticks of he bed which was pointed out to us as the one occupied by the prisoner. The coat was afterwards examined and a stain was found on the end of the right sleeve.
The prisoner – It is not my coat.
Mr. Copp – If Mr. Shreve thinks that the stain on the coat is blood, I am prepared to produce evidence that it is not.
Mr. Copp objected to the admission of the depositions on the ground that they were not properly attested.
His Honor sustained the objection, and after Mr. Copp had asked for the discharge of the prisoner on the ground of insufficient evidence and Mr. Shreve had been heard in reply, the judge remanded the prisoner until Wednesday when he will make his report.
Wednesday – This morning, His Honor Judge Savary decided to recommend to the Minister of Justice the extradition of Amero.