The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1890-11-21
RIRCHALL HANGED.
Reginald Birchall, the Murder.
er of Benwell Hanged at
Woodstock.
He Asserts His Innocence of
the Atr0ciOus Murder
Until the Last.

WooDsrock, Ont, Nov. Is. Reginald
Birchali, the murderer of F. C. Benwell,
vas hanged here this morning.
Mrs. Birchall remained with her husband
until o'clock this morning when came the
leave.taking, and the weeping woman was
led out through the barred door and down
the narrow stairs down which her hus-
band seven hours later cameto his death.
The time during the hours after Mrs.
Birchall left the gaol were passed by Birch.
all and the divine in reading Scripture,
praying and talking. The turnkey took .
nsp while Mr.. Wade was
WITH BIRCHALL IN HIS CELL.
Birchall has begun to fear that by some
means "faked" confession may be worked
of on the public after his death, and to
guard against this he made out this docu.
ment:
WoopsrocE, Ont. Nov. 10. 1sso.-tAM rights
reseryed) IT, after my death. there shall APP
pear In the press or in any other manner what
soever, anv confession that had any hand in
the murder OF Mr.. +. c. Benwell, or any person.
al knowledge OF said murder with intent or NAL
with the murder on the / 5th oi February. or
other day, or any knowledge that any such
murder was likely to be committed or any
statement further than any that may have
made public previous to this date. hand this
Woodstock, Ont, that he may know that any
confession or partial confessions are entirely
fictitious and in no way were ever written by
me, neither emanated from me in any way
whatsoever to nnI person. aud the whole are
fictitious and without u word OF truth. This
likewise ,.Sv, applies to my story in the Nail. in
tiai confession. This holds good Throughout.
REQ BntcHALL.
HIS LAST BREAKFAST.
At $50 o'clock the cook began to prepare
Birchalls breakfast. which had been Or
dered for 8 o'clock. This consisted of
poached eggs, toast, canned peaches, canned
raspberriea and coffee.
At 7:30 Deputy Sheriff Perry arrived and
the doors of the gaol were opened and the
crowd of waiting men admitted and passed
straight through to the yard in which the
scaffold was erected. About q hundred
were admitted, but the number was subse-
quently increased by about fifty. The ex-
ecutionef appeared OH the scene at 7:35
ROPE IN HAND.
and began Immediately to put things in
order. The doorkeeper, who stood taking
tickets was kept busy until after 3 o'clock.
and then crowd OF curious ones stood
about the door and crowded against the
bars, not able to see anything and not
knowing what they were there for. Inside
the Jail, in the rotunda, line of tipstaves
directed the incomers to the door of tn"
corridor leading to the west yard. For II
an hour couple of hundred of people )"
the yard (for the crowd who had been able
to secure admittance numbered SO many
stood about kicking their toes to keep away
the frost that still glistened on the grass.
THE DEATH MARCH.
A minute or two lie took to strap the pris.
oners arms behind his back, and then the
awful march to death began, at s25 o'clock.
First came the rural dean, Wade, i'll his sur.
service for the dead. Behind him Dr.
Chamberlain, followed by A. d. Stewart
and Deputy Sheriff Perry. The prs
oner came next. deathly pale.
but resolute. His jaws locked
the stairs with Que hand on the railing. for
from his elbows down his arms were free
Birchall went to the scattold without u
confession. The last words that Birchall
uttered were addressed to the hangiman.
Just as he was putting the cap over the con-
demned mans head. Birchall said: Have
you any objections to shaking hands will,
me?" The hangman replied: Certainly
NOT, and then they shook hands.
LAUNCHED INTO ETERNITY.
At SO. six minutes after the procession
started from the corridor, the words "De.
liver us from evil" gave the signal. and
quick pull on the small rope by the exc
cutioner. who stood behind the laws vic
tim, released the immense weight. II
dropped with the rapidity ofthought. 1t fell
to the ground, and sank six or eight inches
in the ground by the force ofits weight.
Mrs. Birchall was under the influence Of
opiates most ofthc day, but bore up better
than was expected when told that the exc
cution had taken place. She will remain
in Woodstock some time before returning
to England. Birchall's body was buried in
the Jail yard this evening.