Murder and Mayhem at the Cecil House
 
Rivers was still a very new town when it became the centre of a murder investigation and trial.

In late 1911, the effects of the ongoing strike by Grand Trunk Pacific employees was having its effect on the community of Rivers and tensions were running high. Arthur Alsford was a former boilermaker’s helper at the GTP shops in Rivers, qho now worked as a night porter at the Cecil Hotel on Main Street.

On the morning of December 20th, he and Jack Gribben, a striker met Alf Smith going out the door.

According to Mr. Gibben’s testimony, he asked Mr. Smith if he was working at the shops and when the answer was “yes” he asked if he was aware that he was “scabbing”. At that point Smith pulled out a gun and when Gibben and Mr. Aldsord tried to take it away from him, shots were fired. Gibben sustained two serious wounds and Aldford was fatally shot. 

His testimony was somewhat corroborated by the bartender, Mr. Ving who recalled that he had heard someone say something like “He’s got a gun” or, “Get that gun.” before shots were fired.

The trial was held in the spring of 1912, just after Gibbens was released from the hospital where he hade been recovering from his wounds.

The prosecution contended that Mr. Smith without serious provocation began firing a revolver.  Mr. Smith claimed that he was attacked and had used his weapon to defend himself.

The prosecution’s case relied heavily on testimony of strikers and those admittedly sympathetic to the strikers.

Mr. Gribben insisted under oath that they had not attacked Mr. Smith before he had produced a gun, and that they were trying to merely get the gun away from him when shots were fired and Mr. Alston was mortally wounded.

But Gribben was revealed to be something of a rover, who at some times worked under an assumed name.  The accusation was that he was an “agitator”. He did admit to knowing ahead of time that Smith was a strikebreaker and to wanting to confront him after noticing him in the bar. He admitted to wrestling him to the ground and kicking  him, but insisted that all this happened after the gun was produced.

Mr. Gibben admitted that he had been part of a group that did harass some strikebreakers but denied that Alston was any harder on strikebreakers than anyone else, just sympathetic to the strikers.

Tim Slattery, another union member, testified that when he came on the scene Smith was being held down by Gibben and Leary while Alston lay helpless and wounded. Dr. Schwann, who had been called to the scene, recalled that when he arrived the prisoner was being held down and that he observed severe bruises on his head.

Other witnesses such as Police Constable Conrad Matthews, testified that Smith was well acquainted with revolvers such as the Smith and Wesson 32 caliber pistol he had, and that he wouldn’t have fired it accidentally.

 

The Cecil House, on the right in this photo was the site of the altercation that ended in the death of Arthur Alsford.

In his summation to the jury Prosecutor, Matheson reminded them that although Gibben had no right to accost Smith and question him, if Smith pulled a gun we must assume he was responsible for Alston’s death.

Despite provocation, went his argument; Smith had no right to shoot. He said, “It is permissible in Texas, Colorado or Virginia, but not in Manitoba.”

In the end, the jury was unable to conclude that he had intended to commit murder and acquitted him, but the locals, especially union members, were not convinced. When Smith laid charges against Gribben and three other men in connection with the hotel incident, that case was dismissed