The Sun.
London, England, 1863-01-22 00:00:00

EXECUTION OF THE INDIANS.

A Minnesota paper, giving an account of the execution,
states that it was limited to such as had been guilty of mur-
der or rape. Most of the condemned freely admitted having
been engaged in the several battles, but denied the charge of
having " wantonly and wickedly" murdered white people.
On the morning of the execution they shook hands with the
officer who came in among them, bidding them good-bye as
if they were going on a long and pleasant journey. They
had added some fresh streaks of vermillion and ultramarine
to their countenances, as their fancy suggested, evidently
intending to trick themselves off as gaily as possible. They
commenced singing their death song. White Dog requested
that he might not be pinioned, and said he would keep his
hands down, but of course his request could not be complied
with. After all were properly fastened they stood up in a
row round the room, and another exciting death song was
sung, Father Rav,ux came in, and, after addressing them
a few moments, knelt in prayer, reading from a prayer-book
in the Dakota language, which a portion of the condemned
repeated after him. The raps were then put on their heads;
they only came down to the forehead, and allowed their
painiocl to ut, seen. lney bore this with evident
dislike and shame. Chains and cords had not moved them
—their wear was not considered dishonourable, but this co-
vering of the head with a white cap was humiliating. There
was no more singing, and but little conversation and smok-
ing now. All sat around the room, most of them in
crouching position, awaiting their doom in silence, or
ssed:cosnsit n
aci
ad
at
lis-
tening to the remarks of Father Ravoux, who still
them. Once in a while they brought tathaeneiitc;
Precisely
u a
e
all lookin ..
e v
e to
glasses before their faces, to see thiatp
hi
yet preserved the proper modicum o
10 o'clock they were marshalled in
mthaereshcaeffdoold. out across
T the
hey
wentstreet a
gt
ehrrloyugathon
a filescheerfully,
of soldiers
crowding and jostling each other to be ahead, just like a
lot of hungry boarders rushing to dinner in a hotel. As
they commenced the ascent of the scaffold the death-song
was again started, and when they had all got up the noise
they made was truly hideous. It seemed as if Pandemo-
innigumuphtandebirrokeoenurlaogoe. se.
olnto unhyaodagwonderful effect in keep-
who had been
given a cigar by one of the reporters, just before marching
from their quarters, was smoking it on the stand, puffing
away very coolly during the intervals of the hideous "
Yi-Yi," "lii-yi-yi," and even after the cap was drawn over
his face he managed to get it up over his mouth and smoke.
Another was smoking his pipe. The gallows was 24 feet
square, and was so arranged as to afford room for ten In-
dians on each side. Three slow, measured and distinct beats
on the drum, and the rope was cut, the scaffold fell, and 37
lifeless bodies were left dangling between heaven and earth.
One of the ropes was broken, and the body of Rattling
Runner fell to the ground. The neck had probably been
broken, as but little signs of life were observed, but he was
immediately hung up again. While the signal beat was be-
ing given, numbers were seen to clasp the hands of
t bth
neighbours, which in several instances continued
clasped till the bodies were cut down. As the platformo fell
there was one, not loud, but prolonged chaenedr frothethenmtlhl wesf zeol-
diery and citizens who were spectators,
quienind earnest witnesses of the seen For so many there
was but little suffering ; the necks of all, or nearly all,
were
evidently dislocated by the fall, and the after struggle was
slight. They were all deposited in one grave, 30 feet in
length by 12 inches wide, and four feet deep, being laid on
the bottom in two rows, with their feet together and their
were simply covered with their
er them.
blankets heads
tandhe otuhtesiedaer.thThtheryo
thrown
ov

The National Council of Switzerland yesterdaY
ratified the treaty with the French Government relative to
the Valley of the Diippeg.