The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1885-11-28
THE LAST OFFICIAL ACT
In the Half.Breed Revolt i'm the
North. West.
INDIANS
Eight Of the Frog Lake Murderers
Suffer the Death Penalty at
Battleford.

BATTLEFoRD, N. w. T., November 81
The execution of the eight Indians found
guilty Of murder at Frog Lake and Battle
ford, occurred at 1927 this morning. The
mechanism of the g~allows worked without
friction. OF the Indians hanged seven were
active participants in the horrible mas
sacre at Frog Lake o the Sd Of April last.
The bloody work was commenced by
Wandering Spirit, and was afterwards car-
ried on under his directions until the white
people of Frog Lake settlement were almost
exterminated. On the morning OF the fatal
day, according to the most trustworthy
accounts, a number of Indians of Big
Bears band determined to stop the white
mans reign and assert their own sover-
eighty over the land. Early on the morn
ing of April Sd the Indian agent, Thomas
w. Quinn. from Minnesota, was ordered by
Wandering Spirit and his companions to
increase their supplies Immediately. Quinn
seems to have compiled with this order,
supplying the Indians with beef and ..issu-
ing orders on the Hudson Bay Company's
store for other supplies. 1t vas Good Fri
day, Soon after the service in the little
church vas concluded, and while the
CONGREGATION WAS DISPENSING,
the ring leader proceeded to the agents
house. In front Of this he met Quinn and
Charles Gouin, another American half
breed. He ordered Quinn to 70 to the In
dian camp, and on the latter's
asking him for the reason, said, 'Ne>er
mind why, but CO." Quinn refused. and
the next moment was shot dead by a bullet
from Wandering Spirits rife. The fall OF
Quinn acted on the already excited Indians
as the sight OF blood to the tiger. Young
Gouin was the second victim, and John
Delaney, who was also a representative OF
the Government in the capacity Of farm in
structor, was oon shot down beside his
wife, in cold blood. Convent Ark, the miller,
was brutally murdered in his wife's pres
ence, and the two women were afterward
hurried to the Indian camp, where they for
tunatelv found refuge in the tent of u half
breed. Pritchard, Dill, Willis, Craft and
Gilchrist were killed as
THEY SOUGHT no ESCAPE.
The priests, who earnestly endeavored to
stay the work of the murderers, were them.
selves shot down, Father Marchand dying
by the hand of Wandering Spirit, and
Father Fafard before the rifle OF one OF his
subordinates. The whole affair { coupled
only a brief period, lasting. to use tie words
of one of the Indian witnesses at the rial,
''only about as long as it would take a per.
son to smoke a pipe" The only males who
escaped were Quinn, a nephew Of the muir
dered agent, and the employees OF the Hud-
70 Bay Co.. The former made his way
to Fort Pitt, carrying the news of the
The latter owed their safety to
the respect which the name Of their COM
pany always carries with it among the In
dams. They with
H WOMEN CAPTURED
were obliged to accompany Big Bears band
in all their subsequent wanderings until
finally released through the fundamentally
friendly Wood Crees and half-breeds, and
into General Middleton's camp.
Spirit, the direct cause of all the
at Frog Lake and the misery
upon the surviving whites, is de-
from Blood as we'll as Cree ances-
tors. He accompanied Big Bear in his
migration from the Cypress Hill country to
North Saskatchewan. He was a tall,
spare and powerful Indian with the usual
black eyes and strongly marked features Of
the Cree tribe. At the time OF the massacrc
he was an influential member of Big Bears
band, though he did not rank as a chief.
He al about so years OF age and had a
grown up family. OF the remainder Of the
men executed this morning Bad Arrow and
Miserable Man we're jointly indicted for the
of Charles Gouin. Iron Body and
DSdI WCIC UAACu I'LL OlO 14u1OCA VI
George Dill, one OF the last victims OF the
Round-the-Sky, another Of Big
followers, was
CONVICTED OF THE MURDER
OF Marchant. Man. ithout-Blood belong
ed to Moosomin's band. The crime for
which he was sentenced was killing Bernard
fremont. q rancher living neal Battleford,
Ikta, a Stoney Indian, was sentenced to
death for the murder ofJames Payne, farm
instructor on the Stoney reservation near
on the 3Oth of March. After
the eight Indians took their places upon
the trap Wandering Spirit and Miserable
Man addressed the Indians, a large
number OF whom were present. They
acknowledged the justice of their sentence
and warned other Indians to keep clear OF
such troubles. The whole eight then joined
in a death chant to show they did not fear
death. The executioner then drew the caps
over their faces, the priests addressed their
parting words and offered prayer, in the
midst OF which the bolt vas drawn and the
drop fell, all diving instantly.