The Wahpeton times. [volume] (Wahpeton, Richland County, Dakota [N.D.]) 1879-1919, 1885-06-11

money he had not received, and the
least they could. do was to give him
enough to carry himself and family
to Lower Canada, where lie would
be among friends and always under
the eye of the government. In case
the government refused to accede to
his demand he would raise such a
storm that it would cost them $780,
100000 and much blood before they
should subdue it. Mr.. Mcdowell
promised to do his best
to induce the government to
comply with Riel's demand. On re-
ceipt of. this assurance Riel promised
to wait forty days before taking any
further steps. This proposition was
laid before tine government by Mr..
Mcdowell, and upon Riel learning
that his proposal had been treated
with silent contempt he flew into a
rage and vowed vengeance on the
government, and at once set to
work melting the rebellion"
RIEL IN MONTANA
maze career as beat, Il rum sell
ler, and a fine worker. Mr.. Frank
Eastman. who has been clerk to the
United States senate committee on
claims for the past two years, was
district attorney at Helena, NJ. T. in
1882. In a conversation on the Ca
madam insurrection, Mr.. Eastman
said: 81 know Louis Riel well. He
was the Red River insurrection in
1872, and was guilty of the most
atrocious and inhuman crimes ever
perpetrated by man. Add to the
tortures of the inquisition every ag-
ony that devilish ingenuity could
suggest or invent, and you may get
faint idea of the manner in which
Riel treated the unfortunate cap
tives who fell into his hands. In
spite of his many acts Of fiendish
cruelty and the fact that he was
guilty of high treason, the Canadian
government failed to give him the
hemp he so richly deserved, and is
now reaping the fruits of it's mis-
taken mercy. In November, 1882,
Riel was engaged in selling whisky
eight or ten miles inside of the low
er border of the Blackfeet reserva-
tion. He procured the liquor in
Fort Benton, and, failing to pay
his bills, and being unable to secure
any more credit, he transferred his
valuable custom to Helena. Here
his credit also ran out, and when G..
A. Broadwater, the partner and
agent of Wilder, of st. Paul, told
him he could be credited no more,
Riel said: 'All right, Meester Broad
water, but I would like to meet you
out on re perarie,' thus conveying a
delicate suggestion of the hereafter.
Rlel was shortly after indicted for
selling rum to the Indians, and
when brought to trial refused to an
swer any questions, frankly stating
that he refused because he did not
care to criminate himself. During
the trial a juror asked Riel if he was
not the man who melted the Red
river insurrection in 1872. sSair,'
replied Riel with great dignity, Il
am re man who attempted to intro
duce republican institutions in zat
country AS no other witnesses
could be procured, Riel was acquit-
ted, although there was no doubt in
the world as to his guilt. He was
indicted at Benton for election
frauds at Rocky Point in the spring
of 1883, and, being unable to pro-
cure bail, was imprisoned in Jail for
two or three months. Then he sue
ceeded in securing bondsmen in the
persons of William H. Hunt the son
OF the ex-secretary of the navy. and
then collector Of the port of Fort
Benton, and Thomas Cummings, a
former collector. After being re-
leased ne went up into Manitoba,
and judging from recent events it is
evident that he was engaged in lay
ing his plans for the present insur-
rection. He returned to Fort Ben
ton and was tried, but as the people
around Rocky Point led nomadic
lives it was impossible to secure
any witnesses save Riel's half-breed
wife and brother-in-law. Of course
he was not convicted.
''Riel is magnifcently handsome
man. He has superb figure, stand
ing over six feet in height. His
beard is long and silky and coal
black, and he has melting Italian
eyes, as soft as a woman's. If his
beard was lighter he would be the
image of Guido's Christ. He is a
rank coward and is utterly devoid
of the courage such a man should
have. He was in very bad odor
with the half breeds around Fort
Benton and Helena, and one day in
the fall of 1882 he went to Gov. Bod
kin and begged that official to make
him a deputy marshal. He said his
life was in danger, and he would
live in daily dread if it was not pro-
tected by official sanction. His re-
guest was very properly refused.
The Canadian government, I think,
deserves no sympathy in it's present
trouble with Riel. 1t should have
hanged him in 1872. You will soon
hear blood-curdling stories of his
atrocities and cruelties. Riel is
without courage and urged by wild
ambition, and unhsppily gifted with