Daily Yellowstone journal., 1890-11-16
they were taking a part. They felt a.

they were taking part. They felt a.
overpowering pity for the black
haired young MAJ standing on the
tbreshhold Of eternity. His eyes had
not trace of the fri soliiy that light
ened his imprisonment. A. he stood
listening to the low-toned priest they
were fixedon the blue sky over tn the
m rth. There was not haunted look,
nor was there any fesr in his eyes, but
a fixed purpose that seemed to con-
sumo his reason. i, is Lot possible to
imagine the expression Of his face. He
was living lifetime in that hou-, and
there was no one there bet would have
shared the strain Of his terrible ordeal.
II was not If despsir, but he bsd
strung his whole being 40 to die game.
At the words. "dust to dust" in the
service. Birchall stepped forward aud
took his pla e under the scsfid'd with
his face TO the south, and turned up
slightly. He took Weethsm's band
in his, and the friends kissed under
the gallows.
The exeeutloDer put the strap around
the prisoners knees, when the clergy
man took his hand and kissed him.
The witnesses knew the end was near
and the suspense was terrible. AZ
the priest entered uron the Lords
prayer the eXecutioner put the black
cap over the head of the doomed man
ard adjusted the moose. Birchall had
declared that hs would say nothing Al
the scaffold, and the witnesses did not
expect be would. His silence seemed
by the intensity Of his purpose, TO be
silence concentrated hundred times.
He said not word after leavino the
rel. except it might have been nut
tered word 10 Weeiham or Wade
when ne hade them gpnd-bys Nth
kiss. At s:27, Fix minutes after the
procession started from the corridor.
the words Deliver US from eviln gave
the signal end a quick pull an the
small rope releesed the Immense
weight. 1t dropped with the rapidity
OF thought and sank six or eight inches
in the ground by the loTce Of weight.
B'rchall's body was jerked into the
air shout five feet and isll until the
feet were within two feet of the
ground. C0nvulsions commenced half
"A minute later, but were not at all vio-
lent, more resembling heavy breath
ing, with a slight twitching Of the
hands and legs. Al s:3Ol the ronvul-
siops eessed. At s:35 DIR. chamberlain
declared life extinct. He said the
neck was broken.
Mrs. Birchall remained in his cell
iii this morning. when she was led
away weeping. Birehall slept very
little, hut his demeanor during the
night remainedsnnchsHg-d d. He had
the impression that some one would
publish q false confession with him, 50
he prepared the following as his final
statement
WOODSTOCK, Nov. l4.-(All rights
reservrd.) II after my death there
shall ap scar in the press or in any
other manner whatsoever, any confess
sion that had any hand in the mur.
der Of F. Z. BenwelI, or any personal
knowledge Of the said murder with
intent or mslice flrethought, or any
person al connection with the murder
on the l7th of February or on other
days; 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 statement to
Geo. Perry, OF Woodstock, Ont, that
he msy know that any confessions or
partial confessions are entirely ficti-
tious, and IN no way ever written by
me and neither emanated from me In
any way Whatsoever to any person,
and that the whole IL fictitious and
without word Of truth. This like
wise applies to my story in the Mail
, In which have made no such con-
, fession or partial confession. This
. holds good throughout.
; (Signed) REGINALD BIRcHALL.
Post mortem examination showed
= that death was caused by strsugula'
> ton. The iy will be buried IN th'
, jail yard.