The age-herald., 1899-03-12

 friends the other day about the adven- lures he had in Klondyke during tho year he spent there, but the strangest of all, l think, was when 1 put in a bid to get the contract for hanging a white man and Tour Indians. Yes, that sounds strange, put the Canadian government in Klondyke doesn execute the criminals it's courts sentence to death, but advertises for bids from men who are willing to take the contract. The hanging was set for the first day Of No- vember last and as l had nothing else In particular to do about that time, put In a bid on the job; but got left, for someoody underbid me.
 There are several interesting stories connected with this quadruple hanging, MT. Riddle continued. "For not only are the details of the mems crimes interesting, but at the very last minute the gallows and the man who underbid me were cheated out of their victims, and so far as l know, the men are still unhung."
 MT. Riddle then told his story, which was in substance as follows
 All the preparations had been made for hanging the four murderers, on Iuesoay morning, November l, 1898, in Dawson Clty, and the limited number of witnesses to see the hanging had been given the tickets which would permit them to pass the sem tries; the prisoners had been notifiedIof the hopelessness of their cause; extra sentrtes had been detailed for duty In the morning. a hangman had been secured to tie the knots and spring the trap; every detail or the solemn march to the gallows had been arranged; in fact every little detail of the execution had been carefully planned and the morning of the execution was ap- preaching when Sheriff Harper was served with 6 prit of reprteve. Judge Dugas hau with a writ of reprieye. Judge Dugas haA ty-four hours only. This was nearly mid night, on Monday evening, and 1t was irn- fINI n so that Tuesday morning found many men vending their way to the Barracks The reason given for the reprieve was that Tuesday was All Saints Day, statutory holiday in the Dominion Of Canaoa, anu that, like Sunday, 1t carried the event over until the next day.
 On Tuesday preparations for the delayed quadruple hanging were again undertaken but the execution was not to be Tor Weo- nesday, Thursday, nor for months to come
 At the trial of Prisoner Henderson, Judge McQuire appointed Attorney Civilian to oe- fend him. Civilian did his best, put Sd" his client sentenced to be hung neVerthe- less. But when the news of the twenty four hour reprieve reached him, he saw one more ray of hope for his client.
 A consultation was at once had with AL torney Woodworth, and his serVlces SC cured. In the afternoon both went to JuuBe Dugas and an immediate hearing was granted.
 In Henderson's behalf, Woodworth put forth the plea that there was no legal War rant in sentence for his execution Weohes- day, November 2. Lives of prisoners Were held sacred by the law until legal war rant for death on November was III hana, but if would be not much less than murder to hang the prisoners on October 5l, ana 1t would be held in the same nght py the law of they were hanged on NoVemper z. The attorney general of Canada hao not expressed himself on the matter or eXecut, ing the men on that date, ana time shouio be given him to so express hlnsel. :,
 On the other side 1t was argued that u would take months to communicate Wllh Ottawa, and secure an answer. lhe I a.Io neys for the condemned man protesteu 'iia' if natural conditions made It lmpossipie 'o communicate with the attorney general any quicker still it was not an uhredsoiapi thing to ask for. The conference lasted some time. and at last the attorneys nao the satisfaction of an assurance 1roh the judge that he would reprieve the cohuenin HI ed men for four months, until MATCH i' A'S', thus giving the government tlihe :" ~ heard from and for another Warrai' io' execution to arrive. .
 Tba second writ of reprieve was served on Sheriff Harper between 12 and ociock Wednesday morning, and the eNecutioh was declared off. oo,,sa
 IJenderson's attorney, serving In cause which will not bring him a dollar does not axnect to save his clients life by the re- '1nie,>a os tbe prisoner is expected to die a natural death before it's expiration ana bv this means his family will be saved the ienon1y of death on the gallows.
 Hendersons Crime
 r,auard Henderson was sick man when be left Seattle for the gold fields in the summer of s7. He crossed the Pass and
 bod as far as Lake LeBarge. Henderson, Iale and Peterson occupied the one tent on the fateful night which cost Peterson ms nle. Henderson was very peevish ana lrruaoie and still quite sick. George Gale Was awakened in the morning by an aitercatioii and a pistol shot, and found Peterson had been wounded Peterson fingered week and made an ante-mortem statement which was not allowed at the trial, there being no evidence that the dead man knew ne was going to die. Henderson made no at- tempt to escape, claiming he had shot only in self-defense.
 Nearly A year from the date of the crime the prisoner was brought to trial, and his plea was self-defense and Responsibility. Attorney Wade introduced the expert tes- timony of Dr. Bonner to prove that the dead man could not have been kneeling over the murderer with his knee in his groin and his hand at his throat, as repre- Sented ln the QeIenSe. fuTIHer, IL was shown that Henderson was for days irri- tated to the point of frenzy at his compan- ion and had even threatened his life. The testimony of Gale was such as to preclude the relative positions of the two men as set forth in the defense. Henderson claimed that a can had been upset in the bed and that then Peterson assaulted him, and in mortal agony and fear he fired in sef-de- fense. The jury refused to believe his un- supported testimony and did not recognize his Responsibility on account of sickness.
 The prisoner claimed to have been sick in bed for year before he started on the trip. However that may be, it Is undoubt- edly true he had been sick ever since his arrest. He was hauled to the court house in a wagon to be sentenced, and could hard ly stagger to the prisoners box.
 Lately his irritability had calmed some- what and he has been devotng his thoughts to the new state be believed him. self about to enter.
 When he was first brought to Forty Mile for trial his ailments were many and he was SO irritable on account of his pain that small doses of morphine were injected into his system. His sickness continued, and the small doses of morphine were kept