Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1911-02-03
HENRY the Thief.
The Black Heart of the Greedy
Arctic Expedition.
STORY OF HIS EXECUTION.

The Order Issued by the Emaciated
Commander and the Way 1t Was
Carried Out-Ths Rifle Shot That
Put an End to the Traitor.
One of the many tragedies of the
Greedy arctic expedition was the exc
eution of Private Henry, who had been
from the scant store of the starving
party. Henry alone was strong and
active. thanks to the stolen food and
to the fact that he did no labor he
could possibly shirk.
Lieutenant Greely had warned and
warned Henry and had punished him.
but to no avail. and finally. after par
ticularly despicable act of theft, the
commander. in fear that Henry's
course would cause a general raid on
the store of food and thus bring about
the destruction of the whole party,
condemned Henry to death.
The story of the execution. which
makes a new page in history. is told
In the American Magazine by Frank
B. Copley, who got his data direc'
from the survivors of the expedition
He writes:
"All his lethargy gone Greedy dis
missed the man, seized pencil and pa
per and with trembling. emaciated
fingers. wrote:
Near Cape Sabine. June 6. 1884
''Sergeants Brainard Long and Frederick:
Notwithstanding eromises given by
Private c. B. Henry yesterday. he has
since as acknowledged to me. tempered
with seal thongs if not other food at the
old camp. This pertinacity and audacity
is the destruction of the party If not at
once ended. Private Henry will be shot
| today, all care being taken to prevent his
| injuring any one as his physical strength
| Is greater than that of any two men
| Decide the manner of his death by two
| ball and one blank cartridge. This order
| is imperative and absolutely necessary for
| any chance of life. A. W. GREELY."
"In the official report of the Lady
Franklin bay expedition 1t is sim
| ply announced that shots were heard
! about 2 o'clock, and later the order
was read to the general party The
manner in which the order was ex-
| ecuted here appears for the first time.
"Sergeants Brainard. Long and Fred
erick could not. as ordered, decide the
manner of death by two ball and one
blank cartridge.' Greedy had failed
| to take into consideration that at this
time the party had left only one serv-
| iceable rife.
THE three sergeants drew lots to
see who would do the shooting. When
they had done so they bound them.
| selves with an oath that the identity
| of the man thus chosen never should
be revealed
Henry was at the tent on Cemetery
ridge with all the other men when
the time for putting him to death
came What was to take place, of
course. was known only to the three
| sergeauts and the commander Two
of the sergeants remained in the vi
cinity of the old hut, while the third
| went to the tent TO bring Henry down.
1.-THE man who went for Henry told
him that he was wanted at the old
camp to help carry up some more of
the supplies that had been left there
Suspecting nothing. Henry readily ac-
companied the sergeant to the place
chosen for putting him to death.
"Now, Greedy had repeatedly eau
! toned the three sergeants to take no
chances on Henry's getting away. for,
although none at Cape Sabine knew
the mans past history. enough of the
mans black soul had been revealed to
| make his comrades feel that no crime
could be put past him.
so Brainard. Long and Frederick
cautioned by their commander and
warned by their own knowledge of the
man with whom they had to deal. haG
decided that Henry should be made to
stoop TO pick up something and thar
| then he should be shot from behind
! A. least one Of the sergeants had no
more conjunction about killing him
than he would have had about killing
Il mad dog.
But one of the other two men
| weakened at the last moment To
shoot man in cold blood from be
hind, to send him into eternity with
no opportunity to compose his soul.
was too terrible thing for him to
| stand 1t was mistake that nearly
! proved disastrous.
Henry was tod face to face that
| he was To he put to death in accord
ance with the order of the commander,
and he was advised to kneel and
make his peace with his God. At the
| same time the executioner appeared
| with his rifle at Il convenient distance
| before the doomed mans eyes.
Henry stood agape. He muttered
something about something not being
! right. Near where the third sergeant
| stood an AK lay on the ground Hen
rvs gaze. searching the ground. en-
| countered the ak He sprang for it.
| A warning cry was raised. The see
geant who stood near the AK jumped
ard got his foot on it almost as Henry
was upon him. There was a cry OF
Quick Even then there was danger
| Of the eyecutioner shooting his fellow
sergeant if his aim was the least I'm
steady.
But despite all he had been through
the aim of the eyecuti0ner was true.
| The rife cracked. and the bullet sped.
penetrating the breast of the man for
| whom it was intended when it was
nodded Henry whirled. crying; You
have tricked me. You have tricke6
| mel Again the rifle cracked. The
second bullet went through Henry
head. and h. Fell dead"