Actualities or Just Really Bad Documentaries?

If the widely accepted definition of documentary is "the creative treatment of actuality", and a film such as The Thin Blue Line, which blends actuality and narrative footage, is considered a documentary, then one should consider that some early cinematic ventures could potentially be considered documentaries, even if the creative treatment may not be wholly entertaining. One film in particular that illustrates this is The Execution of Czolgosz, with Panorama of Auburn Prison. It contains a rather lengthy pan of the prison, which is the actuality portion of the film, then transitions to a reenactment of the execution of McKinley's assassin. While there is not any narrative voice to illuminate the viewer on what this short film is all about, to those watching this film during the time of its relevance, it would most likely be understood in the same way as today's more complex documentaries.