The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1885-11-26

He Meets His Death Like q Brave Man
and Declines to Make u Speech Upon
the Gallows.

All efforts having failed to secure a fur
ther respite Louis Riel was executed at
Regina, n. w. T.. Monday, the 10th inst
At last it appeared that he had given up all
hopes of escape from his terrible fate, and
had made up his mind to die bravely. de
did not retire the night previous at ALL
but remained up, praying most OF the time
and conversing with Pere Andre. He
went over the events of the two rebel
lions, and said, while he admitted having
made mistakes, he always had the good oil
his people at heart and he could die with IL
clear conscience. About II o clock he took
his last meal on earth. Before passing out
on the scaffold, II signal was g iven and the
party stopped. The priests and Riel
kneeled to pray. Riel's clear voice could be
heard above that OF the priests, repeating
the prayers of the Roman Catholic church
used in cases of death. The litany was re-
cited. Slowly but surely the service drew
to an end The priests repeated the pray
ers slowly us If to prolong the
life of the poor man every moment
they could. But at last the end came,
and the party rose from their knees. Rel
looked cal V around. His eyes were OBJ
served to be moist, and some fancied they
heard sob escape from him, but he soon
stihed any feeling OF weakness he might have
felt, and summoning up that courageous and
manly bearing which he always possessed,
he said firmly, in French, 'Gentlemen,l am
ready do your work. At signal from
Deputy Sheriff Gibson, the hangman APP
peared from the gloom of the corridor. He
was masked, and presented a repulsive
spectacle, as his black eyes could be seen
through small apertures in the mask,
cleaning through
HE HAD GRUDGE.
His name is Jack Henderson, and he is
the same who hanged Conners. He owed Il
special grudge against Riel, having been inn
prisoned by him during the Red river re-
bellon in 1870 and he pleaded as IL par
ticular favor to be allowed to hang his old
enemy. He carried in his hand some straps
with which, under the direction OF Gibson he
bound Riels hands behind his back.
While this act was being performed, Riel
gazed through the aperture at the fatal
moose, which, suspended from heavy
beam, was dangling before him. \ slight
shudder seemed to shake him for an in
stant, but that was all, and the next mo-
ment he stepped firmly out OF the building
and on to the scaffod. As he stepped out
he repea ted Ave Marias.
As Riel stepped upon the trap he con-
tinued to calculate: in God | put my
trust" Before the hangman adjusted the
white cap, Sheriff Chapleau stepped up to
Riel and said: Louis Riel have you any
thing to say before the sentence OF the
court is executed upon you?'
For Il moment Riel was silent; then to the
great surprise OF ALL he answered in il firm
voice. no" He was told he would have
two minutes to pray, and he repeated the
Lords prayer He invoked the aid OF Je-
sus. MARY, Joseph and the other saints.
Father Andre and McWiliams stood faith
fully by him and to their eXhortations to
stand firm. Riel said he was not afraid
to die. Il believe in God to the last" he
said. yes, to the very last" DR.. Jukes
shook hands with him, when he thanked
the physician for all he had ever done for
him. The rope was now adjusted by the
hideous-l looking hangman, who also drew
the white cap over Riel's face. Then Faith
er McWilliams was asked to repeat the
Lords prayer. He commenced in slow and
measured tones. The suspense was terrible,
and could not last much longer. When the
words, Lead us not into temptation"
were reached, Deputy Sheriff Glib
son nodded to the hangmar, who
kept his eyes fixed on him. With
IA sledge hammer he struck the bolt, which
shot back into its socket. and as a conse-
quence shot Louis Riel, the leader OF the
half-breeds and whose name will ever live in
Canadian history, into eternity. The drop
was nine feet, and the victim fell with ter
rible force SO that his neck was broken in
Stantly.