Police Court

Victoria Daily Standard
Thursday Nov. 22nd.

Willie, an Anhault Indian, was brought up for examination charged with the murder of Giles Curtis, at Salt Spring Island, on 13th December, 1868. The first witness examined was

Henry Sampson -- In December, 1868, I was Constable at Salt Spring; I know the prisoner; I knew Giles Curtis; recollect his being murdered in 1868; examined the body; it had a gun shot wound on the temple, and some shot had grazed down the breast; the throat was cut; looked round the house where the body was lying and found the knife with which the throat was cut, it was covered with blood and some hairs, portion of the man's beard was sticking to it; (produced two shot taken from the wounded man's breast, and an Indian gun cover found on the floor close by Curtis); a trunk in the house had been broken open and most of the things taken away; I found $70 in a leather purse which had not been taken out; the purse was lying under some rubbish in the bottom of the trunk; an inquest was held on the body, and a verdict returned that Curtis was killed by some person or persons unknown.

Howard Estes -- Recollect a man named Giles Curtis being murdered on December 13, 1868; he lived with me; on returning home at dusk on the 13th, I found him lying on the floor dead; his throat was cut; the following morning I examined the house; my trunk had been moved and some of the contents taken away; my purse, containing $60 in gold, had not been taken; and I found a cheque for $1,500, which had also been in the trunk, lying on the floor; some table linen, skirts, &c. were taken, also a sack of flour, blankets, &c., Curtis' gun (double barrel) was taken from the house; the prisoner, his wife and boy conveyed my groceries, &c., from Saanich to Salt Spring Island in the latter end of November, 1868; Curtis' gun was in the house when I left in the morning.

David Overton identified stock of gun produced in Court as portion of gun that had been in his possession about three years before the murder; delivered the gun to Curtis at the request of Mr. Starks, to whom it belonged, about a month previous to the murder.

Geo. Askew -- About the end of June last a man named Richardson was shot at Chemanus; suspicion fell upon several parties, amongst others on the prisoner, who was arrested; he was told that prisoner had killed a man on Salt Spring Island; the information came from the prisoner's brother's wife.

Another Indian witness was called, but no skilled interpreter being in Court, the case was adjourned until the morning.

Victoria Daily Standard
Friday, Nov. 23d.

The examination of Willie, the Anhault Indian charged with the murder of Giles Curtis at Salt Spring Island in 1868, was resumed. An Indian woman was examined who stated that she was witness to the murder, and the prisoner was sent up for trial.