The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1890-11-20
BRICHALL HUNG.
THE LAST SCENE OF ALL
IN THE CANADIAN
TRAGEDY.
BIROHALL MOUNTS THE GALLOWs.
Refuses to Make any Confession.
The Hanging Described.
BIROHALL MOUNTS THE GALLONS

Refuses to Make any Confession.
The Hanging Described.
WOODSTOCK, Ont, Nov. Al. Reginald
Birchall was hanged in the court yard of
the Jail this morning. The drop fell at 1929
and he was pronounced dead in six min
utes later. The condemned mans wife had
passed the greater part of the night with
him, and the sorrow expressed in her fea-
lures as she left the jail at l o'clock was
deep and touching Birchall retained the
same look of indifference up to late hour
this morning, and as he reached the scat
fold his eyes had not trace Of the frivolity
that had lightened his Imprisonment. There
was no hunted look nor was there
any fear in his eyes, but
a fixed purpose that seemed to consum
his reason. He was living lifetime n
that short space of time. 1t was not de-
spair but he had strung his whole beng to
die game.
AS the minister read the funeral service
and came to the words "dust to dust Biz
chell stepped firmly forward and took his
place on the scaffold
The crime for which Birchall suffered the
extreme penalty of the law was the murder
of his friend and countryman F . G. Ben
we'll of England in Blenheim swamps near
Woodstock. On Feb. II last the body Of an
unknown man was found in the swamps
and nothing was found on his person to
dentifyit. Birchall identified body as that
of f. G. Benwell, who had lived with him.
A rigid investigation was set on foot and
developments led to the arrest OF Blrchall
as the murderer.
Birchall strenuously denied that he was
the author of the crime, but circumstantial
evidence against him was so strong that the
Jury at his trial took but few minutes to
reach verdict of guilty. The story goes
that Birchall had offered and bargained to
sell the farm he owned to Benwell. The
latter wrote home for oney to make the
purchase and after the money reached here
Birchall enticed Benwell to the swamps
and murdered him. To the very last mo-
ment Birchall maintained his innocence.
At 1923 DR.. Chamberlain, Deputy Sheriff
Perry Cameron and Day Guard George Per-
ry having gone into the corridor the eXecu-
| toner was beckoned to go up. After strap
ping the prisoners arms behind his back
| the awful mach to death began at 300
o'clock. First cume Rural Dean Wade in
| his surplice and the reading of the Church
of England service for the dead. Behind
him came DR.. Cnamberl; in, followed by A.
D. Stewart and a deputy sheriff The prls-
oner came next, deathly pale but resolnte,
his Jaws locked with the tixity OF death. He
came down stairs with one hand on the
railing, for, from his elbows down, his
arms were free. His step was steady.
His jet black hair and mustache made
the pallor of his face look like marble. He
| was dressed in dark colored tweed clothes,
a white flannel shirt with black bow at
collar, and light patent leather shoes. he
looked serious, and there was such an ex-
preston of immovable resolution and I'M
daunted courage that men who saw him
and knew him to be worthy of death in the
eve of the law, forgot that he had shot
friend in the back in lonely swamp.
The faces of half the men there were as
white almost as that of the doomed man.
At the foot of the spiral stair case the pro-
cession reformed and his friend Leetham
walked on one side of him with his
day guard, George Perry, on the
other. The jailer, Cameron, followed
them. The march was slow along
the corridor and out into the yard: On one
side of the prisoner Leetham walked close
and held one hand in both of his with all
the assurance of a friends hearty clasp. On
his right side day guard Perry held
Birchall's arm, walking in front OF him
and partly backward. The great bprly
deputy grasped BurchalPs right hand ana
his strong fingers could be seen to close with
impulsion over the slender fingers OF the
| doomed man.
The principal actors in the tragedy stop
ped with their charge about fifteen feet
| from the gallows, and the solemn tones OF
the ANGLICAN st rvice then told every one
there with horror that hardly let them
realize the tremendous Importance OF that
in which they were taking part; ,.,
Birchall took Leetham's hands IN his and
the friends kissed each other under the gal
lows. The executioner put the straps
around the prisoners legs just above the
knees, when the clergyman took Blrchall
hand and kissed him. The witnesses were
sure the end was near and there was sus-
pense that was terrible. ;,
As the priest entered upon the Lord
PRAYER the executioner put the black cap
over the head of the doomed man ana al
iusted the moose about his neck. Blrchal
, mad declared that he would say nothing or
, the scaffold, and he did not say word.
At 1927, six minutes after the PROCESSION
) started from the corridor, the words De
) liver us from all evil" gave the signal anc
quick pull on small rope by the execu
toner, who stood behind the laws victim
released the immense weight. lt droPpec
! with the rapidity of thought. 1t fell to
5 the ground and sank six or eight inches
| in the ground by the force of its weight
S Birchall had been placed close to one OF IN
$ uprights and the jerk of the moose drew nj
t body first obliquely and then up. The bod,
v was erked into the air five feet and tel
: until it's feet were within two feet OF tn
e ground The commissions lasted half
S minute, but they were not violent, NOR
r resembling heavy breathing with Sigh
/ twitching of the hands and legs. AT S:3
the commissions had ceased and at S:95, DR.
} Chamberlain, who stood with his hand o.
: the body, declared life extinct. There wa
lust six minutes from the drop until tn
v doctor declared Birchall dead. Bircha
}. had fears that by some means a faxed
confession might be worked off on tn
public after his death and to guard agalns
this he made out this document: -.
e WOODSTOCK GAoL, Nov. IA, 1890; A
# rights reserved.l After my death If ther
~ shall appear in the press or In any othe
'e manner whatsoever any confession that
II had any hand in the murder OF MIR. +.
tie Benwell or any personal knowledge OF tn
!. said murder with intent, malice atore
y thought or any personal conn ection with tn
murder on the 18th of February or an
other dav or any knowledge thf