Transcribed from 'The Summerside Journal'.  January 22, 1902

 

Terrible tragedy at Alberton.

 

On Friday last, about noon or shortly after, a shooting affray occurred at Alberton, by which Archibald Graves lost his life at the hands of George Gillian. The tragedy was the outcome of ill feeling existing for some time between the parties. An inquest was held in the Alberton Court House Friday evening before Mr. James Barclay, Coroner, and jury consisting of Messers. George R. Montgomery, foreman, John Crockett, John Agnew, Thomas Wilkinson, George Harvey, Joseph Leonard and George White. The evidence of Avit Gaudet, Hector Currie, John Fielding, Vera Clark, John T. Profit and Dr. Ross was taken. Mr. Currie saw the men in a scuffle near Myrick's store and young Gaudet trying to separate them. They broke hold and Gillian ran into Myrick's store and threw off his coats and laid them on the shutters. He went into the store and then came out, apparently excited, and fired two shots, after which the men heard another clinch, Graves getting the better of it for a time, but Gillian finally getting the mastery. Mr. Fielding corroborated this and also said that Graves ran after Birch, who was passing in a sleigh, and wanted him to fight. He considered Graves pretty drunk but Gillian was sober. Avit Gaudet said: After the man was shot I saw George Gillian jump on him with his knees. I told him not to kill him for God's sake. He caught him by the throat and threw his whole weight upon him. I heard only one shot fired. I picked up Graves and carried him to the store of William Clark. I only saw my boy pull Gillian off him. After taking him into the store I bathed him with cold water and sent for doctor and priest.

 

Mr. Profit's evidence corroborated the foregoing. He also said: when Gillian came out of the store Graves went towards him. Gillian stepped two or three paces towards Graves and pulled the revolver out of his pocket. They were now about one foot apart. When Gillian fired, Graves made a jerk back, then a second was fired. They then clinched, Gillian throwing him. Gillian was on his left side, and was trying to kick at him. Gillian then struck him three or four times with his right hand, holding him with his left. I sang out to Gillian, who got up and kicked Graves twice, Graves lying apparently lifeless. Stepping back a few feet, he then jumped on graves with both feet. Gillian was caught off guard by Fred Gaudet, while Avit Gaudet carried Graves towards his own house. Graves was pretty drunk.

 

Vera Clark's evidence was as follows: I saw the commencement of the affair. Graves was in our shop when he saw Gillian at Myrick's warehouse. He said: "I guess I'll go and have a talk with Gillian." I told him not to go two or three times. He said he would go, but would be back in a few minutes. He went over and said to Gillian, "Good-morning. What grudge have you against me?" Gillian said none. I think Archibald caught Gillian by the coat collar. Gillian also caught him. Gillian called for help and Fred Gaudet came to his assistance. Fred separated them. Gillian got up and went over to Myrick's store and took off his coat. He rushed for Graves, but turned and went over to Myrick's platform and felt all the pockets of his coat. Graves was across the street near Gaudet's house. Gillian came out of Myrick's. I saw Graves rush towards him. They cinched. Gillian had his arm around Graves neck. He took a revolver from his pocket with the other hand and fired two shots at Graves. Graves fell at the first shot. After the second shot Gillian jumped on Graves with both feet, also striking him on the head with his revolver. I heard Fred Gaudet tell Gillian to go home. I heard Gillian say "I'll fix him," and he called him bad names. Archibald didn't clinch Gillian till after the shooting. Graves fell at the first shot. They had hold of each other the first shot, I think. Dr. Ross found Graves unconscious when he was called in. He was in a state of collapse. He ordered him to be taken home, as the store was cold. He was taken home and died about fifteen minutes after reaching there. Dr. Ross performed an autopsy, and found a wound in the abdomen, about two inches from the hipbone. He found two wounds in the spleen, and the abdomen was filled with blood. He was of the opinion that death of the deceased was due to internal hemorrhage from the wounds in the spleen.

 

The jury returned the following verdict: "The deceased, Archibald Graves, came to his death by shots fired from a revolver in the hands of George Gillian."

 

The deceased, Archibald Graves, kept a beer saloon in Alberton. He was about twenty-eight years of age. Gillian is about fifty years of age, and is a widower, with several children. He is a constable, and the trouble between him and Graves arouse out of Scott Act matters. Gillian gave himself up to Stipendiary Magistrate Tweedle Friday evening. His preliminary examination took place before Mr. Tweedle Saturday afternoon, the evidence being much the same as that given at the inquest, Mr. James E. Birch giving additional and corroborative evidence. The Stipendiary, at the conclusion of the evidence, sent Gillian up to the Supreme Court for trial, on the charge of murder. He was brought to Summerside Sunday evening, by Mr. W.D. White, and lodged in jail to await trial at the June term of the Supreme Court in Summerside. He came quietly and peaceably, bidding a number of his friends in Alberton good-bye.

 

Conclusion

 

George Gillian's trial was set for the 1902 June term of the Supreme Court in Summerside, Prince Edward Island. He was found guilty of Manslaughter, he appealed the decision and was granted another trial. That trial occurred in the 1902 November Term of the Supreme Court, he was again found guilty and sentenced to Dorchester penitentiary.

The very first inhabitants of Prince Edward Island were the Paleo-Indians. They arrived in the Maritime region approximately 10,000 years ago. These early hunters were descendants of those who crossed the land-bridge between present-day Alaska and Russia 15,000-35,000 years earlier. Over many thousands of years these hunters and gatherers followed the animals they hunted, and spread across North America.

These earliest settlers on the Island were primarily interested in the seal hunt on the eastern coast. Artifacts found near Souris and East Point show that hunters used stone-tipped harpoons to kill their prey. Natives used seals in the same way they used any animal they hunted, for food, shelter, and any other basic survival necessities. It wasn’t until the arrival of the Europeans that organized agriculture and fishing were attempted.

 

I say attempted because one of the earliest attempts was made by a French citizen in 1635. The French attempted to encourage permanent fishing settlements by granting land to wealthy individuals. In exchange for rights to the land and its resources, the landowner was expected to bring in permanent settlers. The first grant to include Isle Saint Jean was awarded in 1635 to Nicolas Denys. Denys wanted to create a permanent settlement of the Island that would take advantage not only of the cod fishery, but the seals and walruses, which were abundant on the Island’s north shore at the time. Unfortunately, due to a combination of bad luck, neglect, rivalry with other French colonists, and wars with the English, Denys’ plan never became a reality. Other plans came and went, French and British, but none took root for many years.

 

In 1854, the Americans and British signed the Reciprocity Treaty, which eliminated a three-mile limit that had been imposed on American fishing vessels in 1818, and allowed free trade between British North America and the United states. Soon there was a large influx of American money financing fishing operations all over the Island. These operations were almost exclusively American owned, but Islanders were receiving a great share of the profits.

 

After Reciprocity, the fishing industry boomed. In 1850, records had shown only 5 fishing companies registered on the Island. By 1855, the first year after Reciprocity, there were 37 such companies. By 1861, this number had almost doubled to 89 companies. By 1865, the fishing industry was responsible for approximately 18 percent of all Island exports. Most of these fish products went directly to the United States. Exports from the PEI fisheries included dried cod, salt herring, gaspereaux, mackerel, and fish oil.

 

The Reciprocity Treaty was ended by the Americans in 1866. The following year, in 1867, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia joined together to form Canada. The Island was still relatively prosperous and decided against joining the new Confederation. Instead, Islanders tried to reach a new trade agreement with the United States to bring back the golden age of Reciprocity. In 1869, the American Senator and Civil War hero, Benjamin Butler, arrived in Charlottetown to discuss a renewed Reciprocity agreement. However, the British, who still controlled the Island, disapproved of the Island’s flirtation with the Americans and forbade the creation of any such agreement.

 

Islanders were very angry but they could do nothing but watch as the new Canadians and British negotiated a new deal with the Americans in 1871. This deal was called the Treaty of Washington, and while it allowed Americans back within the three-mile limit, it did not mean that everything was as it was in the golden age of Reciprocity. By the 1870’s, the fishery on Prince Edward Island was beginning to take on a new shape, which we still recognize today: the shape of the modern lobster fishery.

 

Although lobster fishing had humble beginnings on the Island, new technologies and incentives encouraged a lobster boom in the 1870's. One major catalyst for this boom was the introduction of an effective canning technique around 1850. Once canned, lobster meat could safely be shipped around the globe. PEI's exhibit at the Great International Exhibition in London in 1862 advertised lobsters to the British market. Britain soon became a major market for Prince Edward Island canned lobster. Soon more and more fishermen were outfitting themselves with the inexpensive equipment needed to catch the bug-eyed crustacean, and in less than ten years the industry saw rapid growth. Over 200 canneries were constructed near harbours and bays around the Island. Because lobsters spoil quickly, it was necessary for canning facilities to be located very near the fishing grounds. At the height of the lobster boom each little cove had its own lobster factory.

 

Fears that the lobster stocks were not as limitless as first expected began to surface after the mid 1880's. Fishermen noticed that fewer large lobsters were being caught. By 1887, a drastic decrease in sizes was seen and more fishermen and politicians began to take notice. In 1889 lobster seasons were established to protect the lobsters as they spawned. Two years later lobster fishermen were required to obtain a license and pay a fee per trap. In 1894, lobster canneries were forced to acquire licenses to operate. Although these steps were intended to protect lobster stocks, they were loosely regulated and poorly enforced.

 

The lobster boom fell into decline at the turn of the century. Poor quality control, stiffer competition, and the failure of the industry to embrace new technologies allowing live and frozen lobster to be transported saw a drastic decrease in sales. It took the industry the next twenty years to begin to turn around. Then the depression struck. Fish prices dropped in some cases by 70 percent, with lobster seeing a 60 percent drop in value.

 

It could be argued that the dismal fishing opportunities on PEI contributed to the Island’s highest per-capita enlistment rate in World War II. The number of active fishermen dropped by 20 percent and soon after, prices began to rise again as fish was in demand for the war effort. In the aftermath of World war II, Prince Edward Island’s lobster fishing industry was back on it’s feet and looking very much as it does today.

 

Today, Prince Edward Island fishermen (and women) leave island ports to catch mackerel, hake, scallops, crab, and many other species. Lobster is still the primary catch though, although the Prince Edward Island cultured mussel industry is also experiencing a boom.

The Federal Election of 2006 has produced the second minority Federal government in a row. Out of 308 total seats available in the House of Commons, the Conservatives took 124, Liberals 103, Bloc Quebecois won 51, New Democrats 29, and Independants 1. Historically 9 of the previous 37 Federal elections resulted in minority governments. This is a result that, to date, has never occured on Prince Edward Island. In fact, lopsided electoral results have become something of a trend in Prince Edward Island politics. In three of the last five provincial elections the opposition has been reduced to two or fewer members. In fact, the 1935 PEI Provincial election resulted in a Liberal sweep of all ridings throughout the province!

no news in this list.