The Portland daily press., 1885-11-28
RIEL's FRIENDS HANGED.
Short History of the Horrible Mas
sacre at Frog Lake.


BATTLE FORD, N. W. T., Nov 2K-The
execution of the eight Indians found guilty
of murder at Frog Lake and Battle Ford
occurred at s.27 o'clock this morning. The
gallows worked without friction
OF the eight Indians seven were. active
participants in the horrible massacre at Frog
Lake on April Sd last. The bloody work
was begun by Wandering Spirit and after
ward carried on under his direction until the
white people of the Frog Lake settlement
were almost exterminated. On the morning
of the fatal day, according to the most trust
worthy accounts, number of Indians OF
Big Bears band determined to put stop to
the white mans reign and to assert their
own sovereignty over the land. This was
believed to be in consequence of RiePs up
rising, the news of the fight at Duck Lake
having reached the Indians at Frog Lake
only few days previously. Up to the
morning of April no hostile demonStra-
tion had been made, although there were not
wanting signs of rebelllous spirit on the
part of the savages. Early that morning,
however, the Indian agent, Thomas L.
Quinn, who was Sioux half-breed from
Minnesota, was aroused from sleep by Wan
dering Spirit and his companions, who conl-
manded him, as the representative OF the
government, to Increase their supplies imme-
diately. Quinn seems to have complied with
the order, supplying the Indians with beef
and issuing orders on the Hudson Bay Com
pany's store for other supplies. So far no
evil intentions were apparent In the Indians
demeanor beyond that Of getting even with
the government on account OF what they
considered past deprivation. A few hours
later, however, the h0ll0WneSS of, their pa
cific protestationS was abundantly shown.
1t was Good Friday and service was held in
a little church by Rev. Fathers Tufard and
Marchaud oblate missionaries, who had left
the comforts Of civilization to minister to the
spiritual needs of the obscure settlement at
Frog Lake While the people We're gathered
in the church, Wandering Spirit marched in,
covered with war paint and carrying his
Winchester with an air OF lnsOlent bravado.
But his time for taking revenge on the white
people had not yet come. Sometime after
the close of the service, and while the con-
gregation was dispensing, the Indian ring
leader proceeded to the agents house, in
front of which he met Quinn and Charles
Gouin, another American half breed. He
ordered Quinn to go to the Indian camp, and
on the latter asking for reason, said,
''Never mind why, but go" Quinn refused,
and the next moment was stretched lifeless
by a bullet from Wandering Spirits rifle.
The fall of Quinn acted on the already ex-
cited Indians as the smell of blood to tiger.
Gouin was the second victim, and John De-
laney, who was also representative OF the
government in his capacity of Farm In
structor, was soon shot down in cold blood
beside his wife.
Gowanlock, the miller, was brutally muir
dered in his Wife's presence, and the two
women were soon afterwards hurried to the
Indian camp, where they fortunately found
refuge in the tent of the half-breed Prlt-
chard Dill, Williscraft and Gilehrist were
killed as they sought to escape. The priests,
who earnestly endeavored to stay the work
of .the murdererS, were themselves shot
down. Father Marchand died by the hand
of Wandering Spirit and Father Tufard be-
fore the rifle of one of his SubordinateS. The
whole affair occupied only brief period,
lasting to use the words of one OF the In
dian witnesses at the trials, sonly about as
long as it would take a person to smoke a
nIl,-~1sasfft v1Ir, 5rTrT
the employees of the Hudson's Bay Company.
The former made lhis way to Fort Pitt with
the news of the massacre. The latter owed
their safety to the. respect which the name
of their company always inspires among the
Indians They, with the women captives,
were obliged to accompany Big Bears band
in all their subsequent WanderingS until
finally released through the instrumentality
of the friendly Wood Crees and half-breeds
and brought into Gen. MiddIeton's camp.
Wandering Spirit Puskoobayoo,) the direct
cause of all the bloodshed at Frog Lake and
the misery entailed upon the surviving
whites, was descended from Blood as well
as Cree ancestors. He accompanied Big
Bear in his migration from the Cypress Hills
country to the North Saskatchewan He
was tall, spare and powerful Indian, with
the usual black eyes and strongly marked
features of the Cree tribe. At the time Of
the massacre he was an influential member
of Big Bears band, though he did not rank
as chief He was about fifty years old and
had grown up family His ferocious
character was plainly shown by his actions
at Frog Lake, though he afterwards main
tanned that he was but carrying out Big
Bears orders in putting the whites to DEATH
Another notable event in his career was his
attempt to commit suicide He plunged a
heart, but passed through his lungs and
came out clotted with blood and portions of
the lung. The wound appeared severe
enough to cause an ordinary mans death,
but the savage survived. He pleaded guilty
at the trial