The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1875-01-29
LEPINE.,
Communication of the Manitoba Rebels SEN
tence-An Atrocious Political Exc cution.

Communication of the Manitoba Rebels sen.
tence-An Atrocious Political Exc cution.
In 1859 the French half-breeds in Man
ltoba threw OFF the government OF the
Hudson Bay Company, refused to admit
the Governor sent from Canada, and
formed a provisional government. The
revolution was led by Louis Riel and the
Fenian O'Donoghue. Riel imprisoned a
great many who refused to recognize hIs
government, whereupon others raised
a force TO compel their release, which
was done in a short time. One OF these
prisoners, n young man, Thomas A.
Scott. was subsequently summoned be-
fore council of war, of which one
Iapine was II 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 difference-he was II
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
EMS oath of allegiance to the provisiona-
government and insubordinate conduct
to the President, Riel, and his guardst
The sentence was carried out to the let.
ter and in n 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 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
pear 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
and an officer, one Goulet, besought
their intercession. The former replied
that it was very hard, but he could do
nothing the latter that Scott was a 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 abun-
dainty piled with liquor to nerve them
for their task that they showed its influ-
ence, fired on him mt Lepines signal.
Scott, with cry, rolled over i'll 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 ont of order take
this, drew his weapon and gave it to
Guilmette, who discharged it into Scott s
ear.
Horrible as this execution was, the
subsequent events transcribed it. The
body was placed in rude wooden box
and deposited i'll 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 dc grace
was given with a knife, though others
state that pistol-shot put Scott out of
pain. Later sleigh containing n box
like 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 n 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 Doth of January. But it
seems that justice is to be cheated for
the Canada papers announce that the
death sentence TO two years imprison-
ment and permanent forfeiture of his po-
htical rights.