The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1890-11-20
BIRCHALl HANGED.

BiRCHALl HANGED.
Execution Of the Murderer Of Benwsn h
the Woodstock, Ont, Jail-He Faces
Death Calmly.
WOODSTOCK, Ont, Nov. 16-Reginald
Birchall, who deooyed Frederick c. Ben
we'll, fellow countryman, from Eng
land on q pretense Of helping him to
learn farming in Canada and murdered
him in swamp near here, was hanged
in the Jail yard at this place at s:26 a. m.
Friday.
His death, so far as could be ascertained,
was painless Six minutes after the great
weight jerked his body into the air, the
physicians pronounced him dead. The
postmortem discovered that death had
been caused by strangulstion. The
usual statutory verdict was found by
the coroner's jury.
The hanging was first set down for
o'clock, but by Birchalrs own request il
was done half an hour earlier. After
he had breakfasted he sat in his eel
smoking cigars and chatting with old
Sheriff Perry. The latter was solemn;
Birchall was not He seemed to nnd
amusement in the fact of the old sher-
IFS sorrow for him.
Birchall was dressed in . white
flannel shirt, dark striped trousers, and
slippers. At his throat he wore q
tasty black tie. The criminal was &C.
companied to the scaffold by Rev.
Wade, who has been constant in his at
tendance on the prisoner since the trial.
Other members of the procession were
George Perry, Birchalls guard, and
Prison Inspector Cham berlain. Birchall
was perfectly calm and cheerily sa-
luted each member of the party as they
entered his cell Among the spec
tators was Arthur Leetham Of
Montreal, friend of Birchall at
Oxford. Leetham saluted the pris-
oner, who advanced and kissed him full
on the lips, the tears running down
Leetham's cheeks, while Birchall did
not change muscle of his countenance.
Birchall mounted the steps of the scat
fold with an unfaltering tread. When
the religious exercises were begun
Birchall joined heartily, being particu-
larly emphatic in his 'amens" On
the surrounding buildings overlooking
the Jail yard were hundreds of people
who were thus enabled to witness
the last act of the Benwell trag-
edy. Birchall repeated the Lords
prayer after Rev. Wade while the moose
was being put around his neck. HI sub
mitted to the hangman in his usual
matter-of-fact way. There was slight
ly wearied look in his eyes, While the
doomed mans legs were being bound
with a strap Birchall stood with
his head erect, looking straight
before him, and offering no OBJ
lection to the hangman's op-
erations. Toward the conclusion of the
Lords prayer Rev. DR.. Wade's voice
was filled with deepest anguish and
broke. He stepped forward and kissed
Birchall. saying: May God have mercy
on you," and retired few PAGES. The
supreme moment was at hand.
When Radcliffe, the Toronto hang
man, pulled the black cap over Birch
all's face the latter said. loud enough
for every one to hear: "Well, won't you
shake hands before l go?" This rather
dunn bounded Radcliffe for moment.
Then he thrust forth his hand and
shook Birchall's hand.
Then stepping back he took hold of
the cord connecting with the latch of
the weight above. John Perry, the son
of the sheriff, and acting for his father,
was standing three or four steps to
the left. He gave the signal and
the bolt was drawn out The body
was jerked in an oblique direc-
ton. 1t moved around for few Sec
oDds with its own momentum and final
ly hung straight down. A convulsive
shudder ran through the frame. Then
blood-curdling sight was witnessed.
The hands clasped and unclasped con-
vulsively, the nails entering the flesh
and causing the blood to flow;
the legs drew up and Strengthened out.
There was every indication that the man
was being slowly strangled. His neck
was not broken. Two minutes after the
bolt was withdrawn Birchall's pulse was
sixty strokes per minute. At the end Of
six minutes he was pronounced dead.
[Birchall's crime was the killing Of F. G.
Benwell February II last in a swamp in Oxford
County, Canada. Birchall came to Canada
early in the summer Of 1888 to become farmer.
but, finding the work harder and the pay
smaller than he had been led to expect he
stayed in Woodstock. Birchall talked
great deal about aristocrats in England
with whom he claimed to be acquainted
or connected. His wife seemed to second him
in what he did. These two disappeared In the
fall as quickly as they had come, leaving GER
nj a m
in February last for the murder Of the stranger
whose body was found in the swamp near
Princeton the people were made aware for tho
first time that Birchall had returned.
Against Birchall there were scraps Of evi-
dence which, while not making q complete
and together were certainly strong The prin.
cipal witness was young Englishman
named Douglas r. Pelly, who had come
out on the Britannia with Mr.. and Mrs.
Birchall and Benwell Pelly and Benwell had
made arrangements in England to take An
interest In Q horse ranch or farm which Birchall
claimed he owned in Canada. According to
q mile and q half from Niagara Falls Ben
wells father q retired British Colonel, was to
pay 45oo for an interest in this farm ss
soon as his son should write from
Canada that he was satisfied with his bargain.
Young Pelly also had paid Birchall q large sum
on condition that he was to have employment
on the farm with small share in the profits.
Monday, February II, Benwell and BtrchsII
had taken the Grand Trunk southern d.
vision train to 90 to the alleged stock farm.
That night Birchall returned alone, ex-
planning that Benwell had gone on fur
ther, probably intending to call at London.
Ont. The two men, however were seen to get
of at Eastwood station and 60 across the fields
in . direction which would take them to the
oil nhoo tn Ho
turn alone. Two days later Benwelrs body wa
found in the swamp
The Onicial Vote In Indiana.
IND1ANAPoLIs, Ind, Nov. 15.-The
official returns of the Indiana election
were finally received by the Secretary
of State Friday, and the Democratic
pluralities as they go on
record officially are as fol-
lows: Trusler, Secretary Of State,
1850; Henderson, Auditor. 20.610;
Gall, Treasurer, 20. sol; Mitchell, Judge
0f tho Cnprono Court 01 ok0. Smith