The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1885-11-20

prolong the life of the poor man every mo-
mcnt they could, But at last the end came.
and the party rose from their knees. Riel
looked calmly around. His eyes were OBJ
served to be moist, and some fancied they
heard a sob escape from him, but he soon
stilcd any feeling of weakness he might have,
felt, and summoning up that courageous and
manly bearing which he always possessed.
he said firmly, in French, Gentlemen, / ann
ready; do your work" At a signal from
Deputy Sheriff Gibson, the hangman ap-
peared from the gloom of the corridor. He
was masked, and presented u repulsive spec
tacle, as his black eyes could be seen through
small apertures in the mask, cleaning
through.
HE HAD A GRUDGE.
His name is Jack Henderson, and he is the
same who hanged Corners. He owed a spe-
cial grudge against Riel, having been i'm
prisOned by him during the Red river REBEL
ION in 1870, and he pleaded as q particular
favor to be allowed TO hang his old enemy
He carried in his hand some straps with
which, under the direction of Gibson, he
bound Riel's hands behind his back. While
this act was being performed, Riel gazed
through the aperture at the fatal moose.
which, suspended from a heavy beam, was
dangling before him. A slight shudder
seemed to shake him for an instant, but
that was all, and the nextmoment he stepped
firmly out of the building and on to the scat
fold. AS he stepped out he repeated Ave
Marias. Father Andre walke beside him.
holding a burning candle over his head
Deputy Sheriff Gibson was ahead Then
came Father McWilliams, Riel, Andre, DR..
Jukes, Sheriff Chapleau, press reporters and
others AS Riel stepped upon the trap
he continued TO calculate: "In God
| put my trust" Before the hangman adj
lusted the white cap, Sheriff Chapleau
stepped up to Riel and said: Louis Riel,
have you anything to say before the SEN
tence OF the court is executed upon your"
For u moment Rtel was silent; then, to the
great surprise OF all, he answered In a firm
voice, "No." He was told he would have two
minutes to pray, and he repeated the Lords
prayer. He invoked the aid of Jesus, Mary.
Joseph and the other saints. Fathers Andre
and McWilliams stood faithfully by him.
and to their exhortatlons to stand
firm, Riel said he was not afraid
to die, Il believe in God to
the last" he said, "yes, to the very
last" DIR, Jukes shook hands with him. when
he hanked the physician for all he had ever
done for him. The rope was now adjusted
by the misunderstanding hangman, who also
drew the white cap over Riers face. Then
Father McWilliams was asked to repeat the
Lords prayer. He commenced in slow ard
measured tones. The suspense was terrible,
and could not last much longer. When the
words, Lead US not into temptation
were reached, Deputy Sheriff Glib
son nodded to the hangman, who
kept his eyes fixed on him. With
a slodge hammer he struck the bolt, which
shot back into it's socket, and as a conse-
quence shot Louis Riel, the leader of the
half breeds and whose name will ever live in
Canadian history,
INTO ETERNITY.
The drop was nine feet, and the victim fell
with terrible force. so hat his neck was
broken instantly. The trap door, when the
bolt shot back, changed, and startled all who
stood near. For an instant the body re-
manned still, but suddenly the nerves
twitched and the knees were drawn up
TO the abdomen. This was repeated
three times, and the last time the legs
slowly Strengthened out and remained rigid.
In two minutes the heart ceased to beat, and
two minutes later circulation stopped. DR..
yukes felt the pulse and pronounced Riel
dead. The knot had been placed under his
left ear, but with the jerk it moved up to the
base of the skull After remaining half
an hour suspended the body was cut down
and a post mortem performed by DR.. Jukes,
the result OF which was as follows:
The execution was most cleverly performed
From the moment he fell, judging from the ma
ture Of the injuries received. he must have been
entirely without sensation. The neck was en-
tirely dislocated from the bone OF the two upper
joints of the vertebra, thus faralyzing all the
lower portion of the body. He could have felt
no pain whatever. The circulation ceased in
fonr minutes, an unusually short time. No
death could be more merciful.
The coroner and jury then viewed the
body and found the features much distorted.
One iuryman had to retire. After brief de-
liberation the following verdict was returned:
That the body is that of Louis RieI, convicted
OF high treason and sentenced to death at that
JUDGMENT. The death was duly executed upon
the body OF the said Louis Riel on this 10th day
of November, 1885; that death was caused by
hanging at the police barracks near Regina,
Northwest Territory, as directed by sentence
passed by the court. (Signedl III. DoDDs. M d.,
Coroner; +. Champness, Foreman: William p.
Mccormick, John Dawson, William ID. First
brook, David II. Gillespie, w. Bedford Jones,
Jurymen.
After the verdict the coffin was nailel up
ana buried in a temporary grave dug near
the gallows. Here it will remain until taken
away by friends. Deputy Sheriff Gibson de-
stroyed the rope used for the hanging to pre-
vent it falling into the hands OF relic hunters.
1t was a short hempen cord ive-eighths of
an inch in diameter. Much sympathy was
expressed with the rebel ON all hands
Death OF Horace ii. CIafiD.