52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Week 20 Prompt - Crime and Punishement - PART THREE

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks

Week 20

Prompt – Crime and Punishment PART THREE

On December 29^th, the preliminary trial of Jack Krafchenko begins.

The defence lawyer for Jack Krafchenko is Percy E Hagel and the crown's lawyer is W.H. Hastings. Both sides feel they are ready to go ahead with the preliminary trial.  The crown states William Dyck will be their key witness.

The first day of the preliminary started at 2 and closed at 11 pm with a 2 hour supper break.  Day 2 on Dec 30 was similarly long with many witnesses for the crown examined and then cross examined by the defence.  The late evening witness was William Dyck.   Mr. Dyck was carefully sequestered since Dec 4^th and not allowed to discuss the case with anyone at anytime.  It was rumoured that Wm Dyck had not yet stated that the disguised man in his car was Krafchenko.

December 31, 1913; The Winnipeg Tribune

On his examination, Dyck admitted that he knew Krafchenko for about 8 months.  The last time he saw him was the night before the murder.  Krafchenko met him in the alley and asked him to take him on a ride the following day because he was in trouble with the law in Winnipeg.  William said no, but Kraf pulled out a gun and pointed it at him forcing him to do it under threat of his life.  So William had his car ready to go as promised at noon on December 3.  Wm Dyck said the man was wearing a black coat and a black beard.  The man ordered him to go which he did.  Shortly after driving out of the city he stopped and told Kraf he would not go any further and at this point Kraf pointed the gun at his head and then shot into the roof of his car to show his intentions were real.  At this point Wm said he carried on driving knowing that the man in his car was Jack Krafchenko.  He described his course exactly saying where Kraf took off his coat and hid it in the shrub near the Lowe Mennonite Farm.  Wm dropped him off in the countryside not too far from the train station.  Wm Dyck said he took his time going home as was Krafchenko's instruction.  He feared the man and what he would do if he did not do as told to.

He was then asked by the crown if he had been incarcerated against his will over the past weeks.   Was he free to come and go?  Was he coerced to tell this story by police?  No he said.  In fact he asked for protection from Kraf. 

The preliminary trial was completed on Friday, January 9, 1914.  This is how it was written in the Winnipeg Tribune.

 

The Winnipeg Tribune - January 10, 1914

Krafchenko escaped from the police jail just 8 hours after he was committed to trial for murder and robbery.  Constables Reid and Flower were on guard on the night of the escape.  Krafchenko was restless and not settling.  Soon Kraf produced and automatic gun and pointed it at the constables saying he was escaping and if they tried to stop him he would shoot them.  Kraf had a rope and went out the window.  The rope broke 30 feet from the ground and he fell injuring his leg, but still escaped into a waiting car.

The police, provincial police descended on the city cell and immediately spread out to stop Kraf from escaping the city.  A police commission met first thing that morning including judges, mayor, alderman, police chiefs to name a few.  A description was given out and a reward was announced.

 By January 12 a Royal Commission presided by Honorable Thomas Mathers, chief justice for court of King's Bench was open.   It was appointed by the provincial government with instructions “to conduct as full, as exhaustive and as searching of an investigation as can be made, and to fix, if possible, the responsibility for the escape of Krafchenko”. 

Throughout the week, the police commission examined many people and re-examined some people.  It is thought that it was through J.H. Buxton Jr, a local business man with a “chequered career” that a full confession of the breath and depth of the conspiracy involving the freeing of Jack Krafchenko.  Mr. Buxton was essentially the “go between” among the conspirators.   He would bring information between them.   The police commission believe that Buxton had no idea how grave a position he had put himself in.

It was through Buxton and Constable Reid's cross examinations and subsequent confessions that they were able to piece together the location of Krafchenko. 

 Finally, Jack Krafchenko is recaptured and placed in a secure provincial police cell.  The police have now locked up his lawyer, a police constable, two business men for aiding and abetting in the escape of a criminal.  

In part four, I will try to follow both the trials of Krafchenko and trials for the four conspirators.

Wendy