, 1890-11-15
BlRCHALL HANGED.
Suffers Death for the Murder
of G. BenWell.
He Walks to the Scaffold With
a Steady Step.
Denies all knowledge Of the
Terrible Crime.
Launched Into Eternity.

WOODSTOCK, Ont Nov. l4.-At S:29
this morning Reginald Birchall was
launched into eternity for the murder of
his fellow countryman. F. G.. Benwell.
He partook sparingly OF his breakfast
at G a. m, and then BEGAN to prepare
for the final ordeal. He put on a white
flannel shirt, with coat and vest, but
asked the turnkey to see that this was
replaced alter the execution by the ordi-
nary white shirt with starched collar and
tie. He would not wear a starched sol
lar at the execution, he said, because it
might interfere with the placing of the
rope around bis neck. At 6:30 and from
then on a crowd began to collect in front
of the Jail, chiefly newspaper men from
all over Canada and the United States.
At 1880 the doors OF the Jail were opened
and the crowd admitted and passed
through to the yard in which the scaf-
iold was erected. About $50 were ad-
mitted. The executioner appeared on the
scene at twenty five minutes to s. rope In
hand, and began to put things in order.
The scaffOld was made of three pieces of
timber six inches square-two uprights
sunk in the ground and a third
timber crossed over the top. The rope
ran over pulleys in this cross beam and a
canister weight of $50 pounds of iron was
attached to the opposite end of the moose
and held up by a cord to a staple. Cut
ting this cord released the weight. which
fell and jerked the condemned man up
ward four feet.
At 8:l5, the hangman having COM
pleted his preparations outside, came in a
long black Prince Albert coat and relieved
Night Guard MidgleY. He had a hard
look about the mouth and telltale moist
ness about the eyes as he climbed the
stairs and stood on the gallery besides
Birchalls corridor door. There the sol
der stood gloomy and sorrowful until the
executioner was beckoned to go up. He
had been walking around the rotunda, in
his hands the straps with which to tie
Birchall's arms, waiting for the signal.
He put behind his back and partly under
the skirt OF his coat the russell colored
straps and went up stairs. A minute or
two was taken 90 strap the prisoners
arms behind his back, and her the awful
march to death began at s:25. First
came rural dean Wade in his supplice
and reading the Church of England ser
vice for the dead. Behind him DR..
Chamberlain, followed by A. d. Stewart
and Deputy Sheriff Perry. The prisoner
came next, deathly pale but resolute, and
his jaws locked with the fxity of death.
His step was steady. His jet black hair
and mustache made the pallor of his face
Ill Ill = Ill
ored tweed clothes, white flannel shirt with
black bow at the collar and light patent
leather shoes.
He looked SO young and there was such
an expression OF unmovable resolution
aud undaunted courage that the men who
saw him and knew him worthy OF death
iu the eve of the law forgot that he had
shot a friend in the back in a lonely
swamp. The faces of the men there
were as white almost as that of the
doomed man. AT the foot of the spiral
staircase the procession reformed and his
friend Leetham walked on one side Of
him, with Day Guard George Perry on
the other. JaileT Cameron followed them
and after the hangman the aged sheriff
was supported TO the door of the corridor
overlooking the west yard.
The march was slow along the corridor
and out into the yard. Leetham walked
close beside Birchell and held one hand
in both of his with all the assurance of a
friends heart clasp. The principal actors
in the tragedy stopped with their charge
fifteen feet from the gallows and the sol
emn tones OF the Anglican service thrilled
everyone there with a horror that hardly
let them realize the tremendous impor.
lance of that In which they were taking
part. They felt an overpowering pity for
the black haired. white faced young man
standing on the threshold of eternity.
At the words dust to dust in the ser
vice Birchsll stepped firmly forward and
took his place under the scaffold with his
face to the south and turned up slightly.
He took Leetham's hands 10 his and the
friends kissed under the gallows. The
executioner put a strap around the pris-
oner's legs just above the knees. When
the clergyman took Birchall's hand and
kissed him the witnesses were sure the
end was near and the suspense was terri
BILE. As the priest entered upon the