St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-12-13
BURIAL OF RIEL.
The Great Rebel Finally Ento1nbed at
ST. Vital.
Scenes and Incidents at the Home and
the Grave.

Special to the Globe.
WINNIPEG, Dec. 12.-In company with
a party OF French and half breeds. the
1LoBE correspondent spent last night at
KieIs Old home, ST. Vital, where, last
hlght, vigil before the body was
consigned to earth was being kept
Approaching the house, we were
clahehged by strong guard of half-breeds,
aiillea WIN bennington rifles doing sentinel
duty about the premises, in order to nre-
vent any surprise, it bavina h pH
rumored that an attack wonld he
made upon the house and Am atfort
made to carry off the body. This imnreee
SION was strengthened by the circulation on
the streets OF Winnipeg of the following
handblll printed on blood paper:
war OF races-Yes, if necessary, war to tho
teeth if required. VIII an already OUTRAGED
puDiic stand quietly by while great demon
stration is being made over the burial of ti,e,+
red-handed rebel and traitor Louis KeiI2 No
decidedly, no! Let the truly loyal proceed to
st. Bonltace Tomorrow morning, where tha
traitor is to be Inferred and if anything il
said insulting TO British Canadians. let them
pull the cathedral down upon the heads of
the tribes that exait the rebel and blot them
from the face Of the earth. God save the
queen
With difficulty the guards were passed
and the house entered which was crowded
with half-breeds collected from 100 miles
about the country. A great
GRIEF SEEMED TO ovERsPREAD
the entire assembly. They all sat with
bowed heads and maintained perfect ST.
fence. In one corner of the room Law the
casket inclosing the remains of the chief
tain. The lid was removed and number
OF candles threw their light over the
countenance, illuminating it. We moved
toward the bier and gazed for some time On
the features of the leader. There was no
mistaking the face. 1t was Riers. The
beard was nicely trimmed and the
body had been dressed in &
neat tweed suit A small cross rested at the
head OF the coffin. AS we gazed on the
lace attention was drawn to the poor old
mother, who was sitting in an
armchair near the foot of her son with
her head bent almost to her lap.
swaying from side to side, and at intervals
giving way to uncomfortable grief. RieIs
wife. with her little boy and girl, lay upon
bed in one corner of the room. She lay
with her face buried in pillow
and never spoke during the entire night
Riel's sisters and brothers were present. and
like the rest they kept very silent during
the night. This morning Riel's remains
We're laid 10 rest beneath the Catholic
cathedral, the authorities being afraid
to bury it in grave for fear
it would be stolen. Hundreds of French
and half breeds from the surrounding coun-
try were present, and the cathedral was
packed long before the remains arrived. To
show the esteem in which the deceased
rebel was held his people bore his remains
UPON THEIR SHOULDERS
all the way from St. Vital, almost six mfse.
On either side of the bier marched in single
file order row of half-breeds about thirty
yards i'll extent The supplied
choir, bearing candles in their
hands. approached. The officiating clergy
men put incense upon the bier A few words
were said while the crowd stood reverently
by with uncovered heads and, then
the bier was lifted and, carried
into the church. where it
was placed upon the catafalque. The ordi-
nary requiem was celebrated by the clergy
of the cathedral The procession left
Riefs home at st. Vital about $50.
Half breeds from the surrounding
country to the number of six or seven hun
dred were present. They acted as
which was feared. The first sleigh
in the procession contained Reil's
mother. his two sisters and his wife The
poor old woman, on leaving the house, in
sisted on walking in the procession and did
so as long as her failing strength would
bear her up. She was at last
obliged to ride in the sleigh. Her
daughters and other female friends. who
were present. were all dressed in deep mourn
ing. There were sevtnty-five sleghs
in the procession, which must
have been from half to
three-quarters of a mile in length Maxine
Lepine, Riels Old companion of 1869, was
present and appeared much affected by the
proceedings. The original intention was to
bury Re beside his father, where a grave
was dug. but fearing the body might be
stolen it was placed in the crypt of the Ca
thedral for day or two. The grave is but
a few yards from the northern entrance to
the cathedral.