Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-11-16
HE MAKES A TRAGIC EXIT FRON
THIS HUMANE STaGE.
His Last Message to His Friends and the
President-He Weakens at the Finish.
but Dies Easy-Par: icalaIs of His Crime
Other Criminal Matters. n

could walk to the ScafOld. After his arms
were ironed he called for man who could
talk Indian, and with but little delay an
interpreter was procured from outside and
Brave Bear had few moments private
conversation with him in the Sioux lam
guage. He made no confession but did
not deny the deed for which he
was convicted. He asked the inter
prefer to send word to his people
to make an attempt to avenge his death;
to kill no horses and omit all the custom
ary mourning exercises. He also asked
that the message he had sent to his peo-
pie be conveyed to the president of the
United States, that the Great Father might
know he had given good advice. At. the
conclusion of his talk he was led to the
place of execution just outside the build
ing. He mounted the scaffold with firm
tread. and stood upon the trap which was
soon to drop from beneath him and hurl
him into eternity. His legs were securely
pinioned by straps and buckles, a rope ad-
justed about his mech, ,and the awful moment
had arrived. The black cap was drawn
over his face, and then most of the attend
ants stepped back to the sides of the plat
form. Brave Bear was beginning to weak
en-, andI it was necessary for couple of
officers to stand near to sustain him. In
his nervous agitation he caught hold of
the droop1ng rope as it swung in front of
him, and clung to it with the fingers of his
pinioned hands. An officer released his
hold and moved the rope back out of his
reach. Thus he stood, bound hand --and
foot, with his head covered by the black
cap, awaiting the signal which
was to send him to instant q DEATH
A priest advanced to his
side, whispered a few words of prayer and
then stepped back to the edge of the plat
form. The officer in charge pulled
string which rang bell in the marshal's
Office. man concealed in the room, in
response to the signal, jerked rope at
tached to the trigger under the scaffold
and at 1890 o'clock the drop fell, the
Indian shot through the opening, and as
the rope pulled there was cracking sound.
He struggled for few minutes. bnt'sthe
end came quickly ;Soon there was nothing
but conclusive twitching of the muscles.
In fifteen minutes from the time the drop
fell Brave Bear was pronounced dead by
the attending physicians. Fifteen minutes
later the body was cut down and delivered
to the undertaken, who caused it to be
buried in the Catholic cemetery. There
was little excitement attending the execu-
tion. Everything was orderly, and the
affair was cOnsummated without accident.
This is the first instance where an Indian
has been hung in Dakota for crime
against white man.
Brave Bears crime was one of the most
atrocious character, and his case, with its
numerous reprieves, has excited much at
tention. Joseph Johnson, who had long
been in the employ of the post trader at
Cheyenne river agency, and having saved
| nearly $1,000, started in May, 1879, for
the Upper James river, more than 100
| miles distant, where his mother and
brother had made a pioneer settlement,
taking with him the savings of several
years hard labor. He was quiet and in
offensive man, but he was doomed to
never reach his destination. His brother,
becoming uneasy at his non-arrival,
and knowing that he had started,
went to Fort Sully, and. with
the assistance of parties there, made search; {;
and some distance upon the prairie, found
the dead and putrefying body of Joseph
johnson, with bullet through his brain.
His pockets were empty; and the horse he
had ridden, his revolver and rifle were
gone. Brave Bear was afterwards seen in
possession of rifle and horse which were
identified as the property of johnson.
| just as steps were being taken for his ar
rest he fed to the hostile camps, but was
compelled to come in when Sitting Bull
surrendered, when he was arrested and
tried for the murder. The evidence was
such at the trial as to leave no doubt of
his guilt. His own confession, made Sc
cretly to confidential friends, exhibited the
blood-thirsty character of the assassin,
who laid in wait for his victim. He is
known to have committed other crimes.
He has few sympathizers here in the West.
When Brave Bear was brought into court
at the time of his trial, to near his SEN
tence, he looked upon the floor, sighed a
little, and then, touching his forehead with
his finger, said: 81 have brains and intelli-
gence, and know better than to point
gun at white man." The Indian seemed
peared to be very serious all the way
through. BE made several efforts to take
his own life.
THE PARK THEATRE FIRE.
New YoRK, Nov. 15.-Inquiry into the
Park theater fire to-day showed that the
fire alarm boxes on the stage failed to
work tho afternoon of the fire.
THE POI soNRD PIE.
AosR1srowN, Pa, Nov. 15.-The inquest
over tie bodies Of Chas. II. GRADER and ].
Steinbright, who died from eating pois-
oned pie, shows that arsenic was placed in
the hour from which the pie was made
during the temporary absence. of Mrs.
GRADER. The others poisoned are expected
to recover.
SHOT BIZ A NEGRO.
SHREVEPORT, La, Nov. 15.-Near Napo
leonville last evening, Irwin Garrett,
nephew of prominent planter, remon-
strated witha negro hand called s:Yank.''
The latter shot Garrett through the heart
and fed to the canebrakes.