The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-11-15
REGINALD BIRCHALL.
Brief Sketch of His Career Before and
After the Murder.

and man known as the Colonel" They
went by the Grand Trunk Railway to a
place called Eastwood, Province OF Ontario,
arriving there between 10 and IL o'clock.
Leaving Eastwood, they went to a lonely,
secluded place in 4 swamp three miles dis
tant. From this place Benwell never
emerged alive. Subsequently his body was
found in the swamp, a short distance from
the road, with two bullet holes in the back.
The subsequent arrest of Birchall and his
trial are fresh in the minds of every one
who reads the papers. The Crown de-
pended upon circumStantlal evidence for
conviction, but this was wrought link by
link until the chain OF evidence was so
strong that no other recourse was lett 10
the jury but that of returning verdict OF
guilty of murder, and for this he was sen-
fenced TO be hanged.
There is but short shrift under the En-
glish law between sentence ana execution,
and mistake made can never be rectlled:
For this reason the friends OF the condemned
man Immediately commenced action. Mrs.
Birchall, the beautiful and suffering wife of
the prisoner has been untlrlng In her efforts
to secure reprieve. In company with Mrs.
West-JoneS AID her husbands counsel, MIR.
Dugald MacMurchy, she called the Min
ister of Justice, Sir John Thompson, TO
whom Mr.. McMurchy, after reviewing all of
the weak points in the testimony, stated
that the most prominent men, both Ill eccle-
siastical and commercial circles, had signed
q petition in favor of the death sentence be-
ing committed, and making strong plea for
the Ministers most earnest and solemn con-
sideration of the case.
MRS. BIRCHALL's PLEA.
Mrs. Birchall also made strong personal
plea. She was laborlrg under intense emo
tion, but bore up bravely as she handed Sir
John the roll containing the names, and
said:
THE petitions which I have now the honor
to hand to you, Sir John Thompson, are
largely signed from the province OF Ontario,
but also contain many signatures obtained
in Montreal and Quebec, numbering in all
about 5000 persons. | need hardly say that
l have the most implicit belief IN the lnno-
cence of my husband, and feel convinced
that time will prove it, If the sentence OF
the court be carried out it Will blight my
life and ruin the reputation and happiness
in England of my own family and of that of
my husband. l earnestly pray you. Sir
John, for the reasons set forth by my cOun-
sci and those which appear on the petition
to recommend the cOmmutation of my huS-
bands sentence"
As the poor little woman uttered these
words the tears rolled down her cheeks and
she was almost overcome with emotion. The
petitions presented contained the names OF
240 LAWYERS, sifty-tive doctors and forty-two
clergymen, besides those of the most prom
inent merchants in Toronto, Quebec and
Montreal. That the effect was failure is
shown by the tragic event of this morning.
BOGUS STATEMENTS AND THREATS.
Several attempts have been made to I'M
pose upon the creduiity OF the Minister.
One letter was received which purported 10
have been n confession of the Colonel"
that he had shot Benwell. Another con-
fessed the murder. and said that already
two men had been hung for crimes which
he had committed, and that another was
serving life sentence in State prison,
and threatening II the sentence OF the law
was carried out on Birchall that not plank
would be left of building owned or occu-
pied by the jurors. and that the Judge him
self would be killed, even II train had 10
be wrecked to effect the purpose. Another
was signed Unable Morton, North Adams,
Mass" and was directed to Mr.. y. B.
Osler, Q. c., who transmitted 1t to Hon. ..
Mowatt. by whom it was sent to the De-
partm-nt Of Justice. In this letter. written
with great regard to detail, tie writer
says that she was betrayed by Ben
well, who promised to marry her; that
IN New York the pistol with which the deed
was committed; that in her pursuit she
adopted several male disguises, so as not to
be recognized either by Benweil or Birchall ;
that finally she made herself known to
Birchall, and Induced him to decoy Benwell
would then frighten him into marry wing her /;
that Birchall carried out the programme
and she appeared before them In the charac-
ter of a highWayman, and told Birehall 10
go about his business, which he did; that
she then revealed herself to BenWeli, and
demanded fulflment of his promise; that
he turned away from her with sneer, aud
she shot him and carried his body TO where
it was found. The whole story is pretty
romance and could be worked up into an
effective drama, but it did not influence the
stern Minister OF Justice.
BIRCHALL'S AUTOBIOGRAPHY.
As soon as it became evident to the con-
demned that his span OF life would be cut
short on November 18th, he busted himself
in writing history of his life. the copy
rights for which have sold for S1700, which
money has been given to Mrs. Birchall.
From this history We learn thai he was born
MAY %, 1866. HIS father was the Rev. JOS
eph Birchali, MA, late rector OF Church.
Kirk, near Accrington, England, rural dean
of " haley and proctor III convOcation for
the archdeaconry of Manchester. He died
very suddenly i'll 1878, just one month after
Reginald hid been placed in Rossall School,
BlackpOrl Lancashire. His fathers death
was great loss to him, for he loved him
dearly. In 1881 he was transferred by his
guardians from Rossall to Reading, in Berk-
shire. In everything except his studies he
fought his way 10 the front. He was first
in all games, reyelries, debauches and
larks." He had two notices: Never
trouble trouble till trouble troubles you !"
and Never do to-day what you can do to-
morrow" His disposition was a singular
tissue OF contradictions. He thought that
the killing of pigeons at sho0ting-matcheS or
the iil-using Of horse or dog was cruel. and
called for tine interference OF the Society Tor
the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. and
at the same time took great delight in the
Varsity hunts, prHe-hghts and kindred
sports. At one mouent he would discourse
in most sentimental manner about guard
ing well the purity Of ones sisters and in
the neXt-he was an artist OF no mean
merit-he would draw the picture of a
woman exposed beyond the bounds of de-
cency, as some women do in fashionable So
ciety. He offered two quotations from
which to choose:
who loves not women, wine and song
Remains fool his whole lie long.
And then as a reverse of the picture said
that the things which would bring man to
ruin quickest were:
Women, wine and horses.
Beer, baccy and billiards.
Those who knew him longest and most in
timately say that he was crazy, or at the
best was off his mental balance.
HIS COLLEGE CAREER.
From Reading he was seat to Lincoln
College, Oxford. and on the University
calendar of 1887 is the entry. "Birchall,
Reginald, matrlcuiited. Lent term, 1856.
Here he kept up his former college pranks.
He organized a dramatic performance at
Tenby, himself being stage and business
manager and afterward took his company
to Conway, or Colwyn Bay North Wales.
He played Eccles in Caste" and the Brave
General in ''Bombastes Furioso." On one
occasion in the latter play, where he had to
repeat the lines,
Whoever dare these boots displace
Must meet Bombastes face to face
One Of the boots refused to come off not
wthstandng his NEST powerful efforts.
lnstead of being embarrassed by the situa-
ton he paraphrased by saying:
You wont on although my arms strong;
No doubt my foes TO match, Will not come on.
Clever and careless in every thing he did,
his library showed his tastes in reading.
He had Lander, RuskiD and De Quincy in
his rooms into which to dive during his
leisure moments. The "Opium-Eater's +"
flowing essays had a special delight for him,
and he made a study of that one, now
famous, Murder as a Fine Art He
hated lectures, and was often seen reading
the Sporting Times during divine service.
1t was said that about two years ago he
shot man by accident at Brasennse Col
1epp hut his fellow Students denv that cuch