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The Ottawa police station at 2 Queen Street (corner of Elgin).

Source:

Former Police Station, looking south towards Slater St., 1938 (Library and Archives Canada / RV1-036).

Last Trip: The Death of Alfred Bonenfant / 23

The Police

Detective O'Meara spent the next few hours interviewing anyone he could find who knew something about the events leading up to Alfred Bonenfant's death. When the cab's trail led him back across the river to Hull Sheriff Charles M. Wright** of Québec's Ottawa District also got involved.

The testimony of the people who were still at the scene led O'Meara and Wright to conclude that Bonenfant had probably died accidently rather than through foul play.

The officers did not yet have a witness who could tell them exactly what happened but they theorized that Bonenfant had somehow toppled off his seat and struck his head, possibly when the cab bounced over the streetcar tracks on Rue du Pont.

O'Meara and Wright knew about the empty beer bottle and this may have suggested to them that Bonenfant was drunk despite the contrary opinion of people who saw him.