Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1837-10-06
From the Montreal, Herald.
b A p II S II Z G. A d. E N.

pity is IL the present instance heightened by
the consideration, that the prisoner, con.
nec'ed with an interesting race, has been
carried five Thousand miles from home and
kindred, to be c5ptaly tried by strangers.
aud that too al the instance Of an aSsoca'
ton 80 powerful and wealthy as the Hud-
sons Bay company. An impression has
gone abroad that the lluJson's Bay Com
pony is, from interested motives, anxious
to procure the conviction aud execution OF
this man, Cad'en; and to eface this impress
sion, it is only necessary to detail the
whole facts Of the tragedy. In doing this
one cannot be charged with prejudgjng the
case, for Cadlen has himself pleaded guilty
to the fact Of the alleged massacre. Ca,
den's plea, it is true, attempted to soften
the massacre into excusable homicide, BY
averriug that he acted on the occasion 10
self defence. but the following detail will
show how widely his views of self defence
differ from those Of the law. An accurate
statement, moreover, has been rendered
necessary by the garbled accounts Of va
rIous journals.
! Baptiste Cadien is metif, or half breed
about thirty years old. His mother was
of the Dog Rrb tribe, and his father a Ca
madam voyagrour, known many years ago
on McKenzle's river by the soubriqnet Of
of Caaen Baiai. Born and nurtured at
Fort Norman, a pos. OF the Hndson's Bay
| Company on Mckenzie's river, Bap,is'e
Cad,en was always respected among the
| natives as a white mana circumstan ce
! which is necessary to be remembered 10
he sequel. AT the date Of the massacre
he held the situation OF interpreter at For,
Norman.
| Sumo time previous to the alleged MUIR
der; Cadien had seduced the wife Of one
of the Hare Indians, and carried her home
| 10 triumph. To the credit Of the Company
be il told, he was subsequently compelled
20 restore her to her husband by The com
mander Of Fort Norman. The sequel will
show that the Company's agent had the
full merit of the restitution.
| While yet hurn,ng with Iust and revenge
Rap'is'e Cadcn. accompanied by Creole
Lagraia&e aud Eap'is'e Jourdaln. metf>
Ike himself, was sent with dogs and sledge
f"r fish that had been taken IN the fall a.
lake abou, six days winters journey from
the establishment OF For, Norman. They
were attended bv two Indians and a boy
The bay belonging "a the same baud Of
Hare Indians as Gnden's plramour and
her husband. The fish hawl,og party most
unfortunately found this band Of Indan>
encamped about the middle of their route
In anticipation of such a meeting, Cadien.
during the journey, had frequently express
cd his determination to get possession Of
his paramount and to infct vengeance on
her husband, and, but for the deprecatory
cntrea'ics Of Jourdlan, would have mur-
dercd tn" Hare Indian boy merely on &C
count of his blood.
1t was Christmas Eve Of 1895, when
| Cadcn and his comnanions reached the
party of Hare Indians, consisting Of the
husband aud wife aforesaid, and about fE
teen others of both sexes and various ages.
Cadien aud his COMPANIONS were hospi.
tally received by the Indians, and feasted
according % the custom of the country.
In the course of the night, Cadlen, told
Lagralsse aud Jourdan, who were them
selves unacQuanted with the Hare Iud,an
language, that their hosts had It in con
temptation to murder them and strenuou>ly
urged the necessity of saving themseive.
by massacreng the Whole party. Lagrais
sc appeared to enter into his blood hirs'y
views; but Jourdaln refused to imbrue his
hands, more particularly on Christmas day
amid the hospltal,,cs of,he Indians. On
the morning of the Goth Caiden renewed
his diabo''cal suggestion; but, finding Jour
dam s','i unwilling to participate IN the
contemplated atrocity, he pretended 10
abandon his design.
| a.
pared depart; bu,, after they had actu-
ally tackled their dogs to the s'eds, Caden
bcckoned to an Indian to approach, as it
intending give him little ammunition
On approaching, the poor fellow held out a
niece of Goth to receive the ANIMATION,
and was shot down like deer by Cadieu
who by thus numbering one victim ia cold
} blood, was able to satisfy himself, that he
had a RICH, to slay the others ia seli-de'
; fence.
The repor, Of the pistol brought all the
lnd'ans out OF their teats, and CaJen. after
pointing out to Lagtaisse aud Jourdain
that there was no longer any room TOT
hesitation, or choice, commenced the work
of iudiscrmins'e slaughter, discharging
' and rcloadin. his FIRE arms with demoniat
expedition. Lagra,sse seconded him witt
apparent coed will; and in very br'e
space OF time, they had eleven Harmless an,
uususpec'iog fellow creatures strewc,
, around them on The snow, in the agone
Of death,
1 What the firearms leN impe rfectly done
, was completed by the knife--the. murdered
0 ripped opeu the bellies OF men wo,nsu, aut
children. Ioutdain, meanwhile, was keep
d ing up appearances by fcng powder alone
{, into tent, aud immediately after fell, a
O by accident, aud broke the s,ock Of his gun
I Being sent by Cadien to see that the worI
e was cfi.c'ually done he saved The life ola