The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-05-29
Battling for Ancient Rights-A Peculiar Med
ley of Religious Ideas Mixed with
Politics-0pposed to the Pope.
Alfred Aylward Denies that He Was in
Any Way Implicated in the Revolt.
More of POundmaker'S Indians Captured by
Middleton's Troops-General Strange in
Active Pursuit Of Big Bear.
THE IMPRISONED LEADER.
He Gives Reasons for the Revolt-His Pecul-
lar Religious Views.

He Gives Reasons for the Revolt-His Pecul-
lar Religious Views.
Regina IN. w. To Special.
Rie who IS lying ir Jail here has at last been
interviewed by the press. He is a man of aver
age height and his locks hanging down to his
shoulders, coupled with his somewhat Scared
face and dilapidated dress, give him an uncouth
appearance. He is just forty years old. He
talks with perfect countenance and discusses all
subjects with freedom and intelligence that at
once removes all doubts as to his reported sanity.
From rambling conversation held with him he
gave the impression that his belief was of the
Unitarian stamp, and also implied that he had
thrown over his adherence to the Catholic
Church. His object doubtless, is to coerce the
Catholic Church to take up his cause else he
is making strong bid for the support and pro-
lection of ultra Protestants He claims that his
desire in the reform movement, as he calls it:
was two-fold-the first object being to free the
people of the new world from the yoke of Rome,
and the second being to redress the political
grievances of the half breeds of the Northwest.
Being asked if he ever expected to succeed
against the government in his rebellion, he said:
mo. not by warfare; but hoped to make such
and bring terms out of them. as we had not
been properly treated. In council we laid our
plans to capture Major Crozier and the mounted
police under him. If we could capture and hold
as prisoners large body of men we could then
dictate our own terms to the government. Then
followed tine fight at Duck lake, and the police
escaped US. We next resolved to capture Irvine
and the police under him when he was coming
to the relief of Crozier, but he made detour
and eluded US. We then resolved to keep quiet
hoping that General Middleton would move
against with small force. 1t inten-
tion if he did to make bold dash and capture a
hundred men or so and play the same game with
the government. This is why we did not cut
the wires raid stores. Itthought we would
have occasion to the wires, and SO decided to
let them stand. knew perfectly well we could
not maintain fight against large military
force. and did not want to- made no prepara-
tions for that contingency. l was opposed to the
Fish creek battle in the council but Dumont
who was it's advocate, carried his point /
wanted to fight at Gabriel's Crossing instead, as
deemed that better fight could be made from
that point"
What was your fighting strengths"
"About FIVE hundred, 140 of whom were In
dians." +er
did you incite the Indians to risea" "a
"Yes; I sent courier to them informing
them of our position, and urging them to join us.
I expected to be joined at Batoche by large
body of Indians or my men would not have held
out so long. The Indians disappointed US and
acted treacherously"
did you fight yourself"
Certainly; see here" and he exhibited his
slouch hat, through which one or two bullets had
penetrated II was at the Fish creek fight and
had narrow escape A shell burst within three
feet of me-
To query as to the number of killed and
wounded Riel was silent at first, but afterward
admitted that the number was large
"Was there any truth in the report of your
working with the Fenians~
mo. l feared they would do more harm than
good; but when we saw the case growing hope
less, as we were being hemmed in by the troops,
the council wrote proclamation, which it was
resolved to send by a runner to Montana, ap-
proclamation was to have been published in the
newspapers, but the troops had crushed us be-
fore we could do anything"
"Were the priests friendly to you?
''They were not and they were. They insist
ed on our being submissive to them They were
against us trying to redress our own grievances.
Ever since the doctrine of the nfallibility of the
Pope was propounded they have been very
tyrannical. They did not wish the people to do
anything, but the priests to do all. If they had
been in favor of peace ! would have been with
them They were in favor of fighting for the
the priests. but not for the people.
They used double-edged swords. They turned
Catholic people against them because they
usurped civil functions and they turned Protest
ants against them because they opposed them.
The priests seek power for themselves, not for
the good of the people. They are against the
Protestants, both politically and religiously
They are against me now-not because I re-
belled, but because did not succeed in helping
them"
why did you fghtl'
''Tho people compelled me to do so. told
them last winter that our bill of rights had done
it's work and they should let me go back to Mon
tana They would get all that was just in due
time. They said / could not go away. The mat
ter was stirred up, and must fight it out Twas
them in the tight But the matter will no doubt
be tried in court of law when the truth will
come out"
will the people fight any morew
II think not ! told them to give up their
arms and surrender. / surrendered myself to
General Middleton"
"Why didn't the Indians join youl"
s'They would have done so had not Colonel
Otter attacked them. That disconnected their
plans and prevented the contemplated junction"
why did you rebelT
'We did not rebel; we defended and main
tained the rights which we enjoyed and had
neither forfeited nor sold. The half breeds of
the territories are the owners of the soil they
acquired. They have an interest in the country
with which they have never parted They de-
sire to have an equitable arrangement made for
their interests. They defend themselves They
stand on the rights they enjoyed before the
transfer They stand to-day just where they
were thirty years ago. Their provisional gov
ernment is just the government that existed
before the Dominion obtained any foothold In
the Territory The half breeds never sold their
rights or agreed to give up their government or
In any way 70 recognize the Dominion goxarn.