Testimony Unfolds in Local Murder Trial
A witness claims the defendant expressed intent to kill over a financial dispute in the Northern Pacific freight yards.
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The jury in the trial of Frank Pasquale, accused of the murder of Charles S. Gray, was sworn in today. The prosecution, led by Attorney Harvey, argued that the motive for the crime was a financial dispute. Witness James Bailey, a manager at Gray's insurance office, testified that Pasquale had repeatedly sought money from Gray and that the two had arranged a meeting at the Northern Pacific freight yards on the evening of the murder. Another witness, Sara Cozza, who ran a shoe stand near Ninth Street, testified that Pasquale came to him hours before the killing, complaining of being robbed and stating he would kill the person responsible. When warned of the consequences, Pasquale allegedly replied, 'I don't care a damn if I do.'
“You have no money, no home and no friends and if you kill this man you will get into trouble.”
This trial highlights the gritty reality of early 20th-century labor disputes and the violence that could arise from precarious financial circumstances. Criminal cases involving disputes over small sums of money were staple courtroom reporting that captured the social tensions of the time.
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