The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1875-01-28
LEPINE.


tence-An Atrocious Political Execution.
In 1859 the French half breeds in Man
itoba threw off the government Of the
Hudson Bay Company, refused to admit
the Governor sent from Canada, and
formed provisional government The
revolution was led by Louis Riel and the
Fenian O'Donoghue. Riel imprisoned
great many who refused to recognize his
government" whereupon others raised
force to compel their release, which
was done in short time. One OF these
prisoners, young man, Thomas A.
Scott, was subsequently summoned be-
fore council OF war, OF which one
Lepine was a member. He protested
that they were trying him in language
he did not understand that he. had no
witnesses nor any counsel, but was told
that that made no ditference-he was
bad man and would have to be shot any
way. After two hours =" trial, he was
sentenced to be shot next day. The
crime for which the capital sentence
was passed was violation of the prison
er's oath of allegiance to the provisional
government and insubordinate conduct
to the President, Riel, and his guardst
The sentence was carried out to the let
ter, and in a most cruel manner.
On the forenoon of the following day
five guards entered the prison where
Scott was confined, tied his hands, COW
cred his eyes, and led him away "This
is a cOld-blooded murder" he said to the
Clergyman as they entered his cell, and
he repeated the words as he said his brief
farewells to his companions. He was
conducted out Of the gate of the fort, Mr..
Young accompanying him. They halted
near it, and Scott thinking that was the
death-place, asked the clergyman if he
had better stand or kneel. Mr.. Young
said to kneel, then seeing O'Donoghue
their intercession. The former replied
that it was very hard, but he could do
nothing; the latter that Scott was bad
man, and his hour had come. Mean
while Scott was marched some few yards
further. There he knelt down, and six
men, five of whom had been so album
dainty piled with liquor to nerve them
for their task that they showed its infu-
ence, fired on him at Lepine's signal.
Scott, with cry, rolled over in the
snow, shot through the chest and Shout
der. A man named Guilmette snapped
a revolver close to his head but it did
not go off, and Lepine, with the words
Why is that pistol out of order? take
this" drew his weapon and gave it to
Guilmette, who discharged it into SCOTS
ear.
Horrible as this execution was, the
subsequent events transcribed it. The
body was placed in rude wooden box
and deposited in the bastion under guard.
A witness heard, several hours afterwards,
means and cries of "My God!' issuing
from the box. Finally these ceased, but
rumor averred then, and has not ceased
since to relate, that the coup de grace
was given with a knife, though others
state that a pistol-shot put Scott out of
pain. Later sleigh containing box
like a coffin was driven out of the fort
and towards the river, so that there is
color for the belief that the body, whether
or not it was that of dead man, was cast
into the stream. 1t has never been
found.
Lepine, the author of this most foul
and brutal murder, was some time ago
tried for the crime and sentenced to be
hanged on the 29th of January. But it
seems that justice is to be cheated, for
the Canada papers announce that the
Governor General has committed the
death sentence to two years imprison-
ment and permanent forfeiture of his po-
litical rights.