The Bad Lands cow boy. [volume] (Little Missouri, Dakota [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-1886, 1885-11-19
BEFoRE THE HANGING.
An Interesting Talkwith LouisRiel While
in Prison-What Rlel has to Say About

BEFORE THE HANGING.
An Interestin: TalkWith LouisRiel While
in Prison-What Rlel HAS to Say About
Himself. i q i, 5l5 3 FL =
4 Acorrespondent Of the New York Herald
at Regina says. Riel was kept a close pris.
.oner in his little cellswhich, by the way, il
the first on the right hand side when you
leave the guard room to enter the central
building on the south side OF the barracks
which is the Regina prison for the time be
ing. Tho rebels cell is six and a hall feet
by four and hall, lighted by the usual
prison grating. It contains the prisoner
bed, made up Of three twelve-inch boardf
in width. It is about six feet in length
This bench is attached to the north side 81
the little cell by hinges, SO that in tho day.
time it is raised upward and fastened to the
wall by hook. By this means SO much
space is saved Tor "pacing purposes''
during daytime. The bedclothes are
folded together every morning and
thrown into q corner OF tho cell.
hel's writing desk is hinged ION to the
west side OF the little cell, the same as his
& bed, and when I show you three large
manuscript books filled with visions, y
manifestations" and redomontade, to-
gether with n bible presented to Riel by his
mother, and a few Roman Catholic prayer
books, you have the cell OF the rebel half
breed, Louis Riel. The scaffold is at the
extreme south end OF the prison, enclosed
by board fence nine feet square. It was
on this scaffold that Connors, the Moose
Jaw murderer, was executed on Friday,
July II, for the brutal murder OF his chun,
Henry Molaski., 1t was 4 o'clock when
the iron wicket leading from the guard
room to the prison proper noiselessly
opened on its well-oiled hinges, and 1
walked inside, quickly turned to the right,
and q. dozen PAGES took me to the ceii 81 Il
the condemned rebel. Riel exhibited little
surprjPe on beholding his visitor. With
the cordiality OF hot blooded prisoner lie
warmly shook my hand. c;aS $50
Now, Mr.. Riel, = said I, though you have
often been asked the question before, per.
haps you will tell me candidly your reason
Tor raising the late rebellion?h y5,
III did not answer the question often
enough, " answered Riel. II am sure some
OF my good friends outside did it for me-.
But there is something yet to be gathered.
Il advised the starving half-breeds to stand
up Tor their rights, shnlnefully denied them
by Sir John. 3 T. III III
"You deny, then, that an this bloodshed
has been caused by you"
Il do. had never supposed that O drop
OF blood need be shed. / thought it would
be cheaper for the government to come to
terms with me. The government did not
do SO, and my counsel mo matter what
they say now-expected good terms. Now
my counsel are wisc, and am q fool in the
On what conditions did YOU leave the
United States with the hali-breed deputa-
tlon to come to Batoche?' go
The deputation told lne they were III a
bad state and were sure they could get good
terms from the government il they only had
the right kind OF a leader. They offered me
friendship, o home and plenty of money
IL came back with them. Nolin, who
swore SO hard against me,was the loutlest
trying to get me to Batoche. However, he
treated me well alter I got there" sfla
vt Is q wonder to me That you did not
think and hesitate over coming back to
breeds again2" 45s .. 2'555j5E41 y.
did think. I asked the spirit to adj
wise me. He said, There is fish under the
rock and was to haul it out. We all went
to confession and prayed. After that the
spirit told me to 60. i couldn't refuse.u
seen it?" sa3;@ 3l5, :. :. !
hish, 3 - A' 90
rs It true you offered to loaye your
people, the half-breatls OF Saskatchewan, to
fight out their own battles il you got q
Large sum OF money from the government2'
ut ia a lieu cried Riel. "Tbo govern
ment hunted me from friends and homo
like avid beast. Sir John never paid me
what he promised, and I did not deserve
the treatment I got. It is the duty Of the
government to release me now and give me
500, 0O0.S There was nothing to prevent
me going with Gabriel to tho states after
we had lost Batoche. The Spirit told me
to have courage like King David, who SUI
1fered ais Il did" : s., s:ss Us 5 81.
.Is it true that you were assisted in rails.
ing this rebellion by. the Hudson Bay COM
pany?nh !S:. .s= 81 $50. :s,
have told you did not aisa the REBEL.
Ion. We hated the Hudson Bay company
more than the government. They are vii
lians and robbers, but their day is short.
You will find some OF their dirty tricks
there, pointing to book OF manuscrlpts,
In case you die you intend these manu-.
scripts shall be published?' z.
Yes may die. but will rise again al
ter three days" z. = 3 3.
men II Is al the same to you whether
You die or not?" s3355ls:5s;E55 \. b
lot altogether. III die God must raise
me from the dead. and 1 do not want to
put him TO the Inconvenience 81 working q
miracle for me. IS y u ~.
You did not make n very good stand at
Bntoche against Gen. NIiddIeton?,' 4 M AS,
Poor fellows! They couldn't make a
stand against anything. They had neither
1ood, clothes, arms, ammunition, nor
the fear OF God" III:
You told DR.. Willonghby at Batoche
last winter you would rule the Northwest
or perish in the attempt 5sszf5
~ may have said So. don't think did.
though. Willoughby and Welsh were fright
!ened as trapped coyotes y q 81 81 & 81
why did you allow your men to attack
Maj. Crozier at Duck Lake? y
did not allow them. Neither did they
attack Crozier. Crozier Is good man, but
he fired first. Icould have Prince Albert,
Carlton, Battleiord, etc. taken and whites
massacred il I liked. What. was to pre-
vent me taking Saskatoon? / stopped
bloodshed in place of shedding it. / hope
Sir John will repent though ". 2 '':5 81
What do you think Of the legal proceed
ings in your case" 37al5i
gs4..I am very thankful to my Quebec
friends Tor thinking Of me, but they are
s>AS SAVsA oA ulb OWu Et6EE YEe3Et ne
heretics want .Riel's' blood q, s35
What's your opinion Of the three advo.
Gates they sent yon np2,'
Well, ]: do not wish to ray anything
against them. Poor fellows, they did thoir
best. They didn't understand my case at
all. II Lcmicux could speak English like
me 3he might be able, to get along. Fitz-
patrick thinks he is as Ia II as the Spirit,
but he is two feet less. Grecnshi Ids made
me sick. lam glad he WIS put TO one side.
However, thank them irom my heart.
What do You think about the decision
Of the privy council? I, SS';
III knew what would be the & re-
suit. The Spirit told ma Sir John
was laughing ut the English II bulls all
the time they we're trying; poor half,
breed that never lifted crime. i could
not expect mercy from j Ohm Bull no more
than the Irish Eonld 4 III could speak five
hours at 3my own trinl 81 be allowed to de-
fend myself wonM not be here to-day Il