The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1882-06-02

could not grasp hand. His strug
giles were piteOus, and affected mary
bcholdcrs.
ave were informed by those who
understood the language, that theil
singing and shouting was only to sus.
tain each other-that there was moth
ing defiant in their last moments. and
that no death song strictly speak
ing, was chanted on the gallOws.
Each one shouted his own name, and
called on the name of his friend, say
ing, IL substance, I'm here I'm
here!
Captain Burt hastily scanned all
the arrangements for the execution,
and motioned to Major Brown, the
signal officer, that all was ready.
There was one tap of the drum, al.
most drowned by the voices of the
lndians-anothcr, and the stays of
the drop were knocked away, the
rope cut, and with crash down came
the drop. There was no struggling
by any of the Indians for the space of
half minute. The only movements
were the natural vibrations Occa.
stoned 10y the fall. After the lapse
of minute, several drew up their
legs once or twice, and there was
some movement of the arms. One
Indian, at the expiration of ten min.
utes, breathed, but the rope was bet.
ter adjusted and life was soon ex.
tinct. 1t is unnecessary to speak of
the awful sight of thirty.eight hui
man beings suspended in the air.
Imagination will readily supply what
we refrain from describing.
After the bodies had hung for
about half an hour the physicians of
the several regiments present exam
| ined the bodies and reported that
| life was extinct. Soon after, several
United States mule teams appeared,
when the bodies were taken down and
dumped into the wagons without
much ceremony, and were carried
down to the sand bar in front of the
city, and were all buried in the same
hole. The half.breeds were buried
in one corner of the hole, so that they
can be disintered by their friends.
Every thing was conducted in the
most orderly and quiet manner. AS
the drop fell the citizens could not
repress shout of exultatiOn, in which
the soldiers joined. A boy-soldier,
who stood beside us, had his mother
and brothers and sisters killed his
face was pale and quivering. but he
gave a shout of righteous exultation
when the drop fell.
1.-The people, who had gathered in
great crowds, and who had main.
tanned degree of order that had not
been anticipated, quietly dispersed as
the wagons bore the bodies of the
murderers off to burial. Few, we
take it, who witnessed the awful
scene, will voluntarily look upon its
like again."
1t is we'll understood by those who
participated in the Indian war above
recorded that the Mankato company did
more than any other to quell the out
break, yet for some. reason, they were
deprived of the credit henorably be-
longing to them. Mr.. James Shoe
maker has the only roll of soldiers of
Capt. Bierbauer's Co., and they are as
follows, and living In this county to-day
VIM. Bierbauer, Capt; Jno. F. Meagher, LIST
lieut.. Henry Rueg, End lieut.; Jas. Shoe
maker, commissary sergeant I; Samuel d.
Shaw, 3rd ord. sarg't; e. p. Freeman, End
corp; Peter Krost, 3rd corp; Benz. Stannard
4th corp. Privates-Huph McMurtrie, VIM.
Morris, Peter Pfaf, Geo. Robert, Peter vi.
man. Geo. Roos, Thos Reiger, w. II. Hockey,
Jacob Bierbaner, H. L. Guide. Adam Jetfer-
| son, Chris. Rausch, j. w. Trask, Joshua
| Wigiey, D. b, Shaw and Chas. Heinze,