Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-02-06
THE RIEL REBELLION.
Particulars of the Terrible Fate of Mr..
Scott Told for the First Time.

Particulars of the Terrible Fate of Mr..
Scott Told for the First Time.
A heretofore unwritten chaper Of history
is just given regarding the provisional
government under the Presidency OF Louis
Riel, says a Winnipeg, Manitoba. special.
After the rebellion of 1869 and 1870 Riel,
lie Pine and O'Donoghue. with few fol-
lowers, seized Fort Gary and the Hudson
Bay COmpany's stores, and established an
alleged government, which was nearly
Overthrown by the loyalist settlers under
the leadership of DR.. Schultz, Dr. Brown,
Major Wallace and Mr.. Scott. RieI and
his companions determined to make an
example of the leaders, and Schultz. now
a member of the Dominion Parliament.
would have been shot had he not escaDed
to the United States. Scott was
man of ung0Yernable temper,
and this furnished a preteXt for
his taking off. The freezing and starving
process the prisoners were subjected to
did not improve his temper, and one dav.
in a fit of passion, he crowned his acts of
insubOrdinatiOn by a violent assault upon
a sentry who came within his reach. This
sealed his doom. A court martial was
hastily summoned, at which Adit. Gen.
lie Pine presided, and the prisoner, who
could not comprehend word of the pro-
ceedings. was condemned to be shot forth
with. All efforts of the Hon. D. A. Smith
Bannatyne and the Rev. Mr.. Young to
procure even respite proved unaYailing.
Riel and lie Pine, intlamed by rum and
resentment. and melted by O'DonOghue.
determined to carry out the programme.
The doomed man was led out into the bar
rack yard, and, after two vOllevs from the
clumsy and inexperienced firing party.
fell back on the rude box which was TO
serve as his coffin. Riel refused to give
up the body, and what became of ii is a
mystery to this day.
A man who was at that time connected
with the Fort Garry Nelg Nation, the or
gan Of the provisional government, re-
lates for the first time the particulars of
the murder of Scott, showing that he was
thrust into his coffin alive, and Law there
five hours terribly wounded, with the mer-
curry below zero, before receiving his
death shot. The editor of the Near Nation
was an old cOuntryman, Maj. IL. NJ. Rob
insOn. On the afternoon of the death of
Scott, Maj. Robinson was sent for from
the fort by Riel. He returned some two
hours afterwards utterly unnerved
and h0rrOr-Stricken and In an in
tense state of nervousness. He said
that Riel had desired him to defend
in the NelU Nation the shooting of Scott
as an act of necessity to the provisional
government. Maj. Robinson could not
credit that the deed of blood had actually
been done, and expressed his increduIity.
Seeing this, Riel led the Major into tile
court, and to one of the sheds which lined
the interior walls, where stood a sentry.
As they approached Riel threw open the
door, exposing box. from which blood
was dripping into the snow. Hardly had
the Major realized this grim fact before
he was Mortified by hearing a voice pro-
ceeding from the box, eXclaimlng in dis
tinct tones:
''Oh, let me out of this My God, how
| suffer-"
With his blood curdling in his veins the
Major retreated from the spot. Riel called
the sentry and the two entered the shed
and closed the door. A moment later there
was sound of shot within, nd Scott
was probably released from torture. Riel
returned with the Major to the fort. where
he dismissed him with a significant warn
ing TO secrecy. 10 comprehend the full
horror of this tragedy it must he remem-
hered that this occurred fye hours after
Scott had been shot and cofIned and with
the thermometer many degrees below
zero. Major Robinson left Immediately
for England