The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1911-02-18
HENRY THE THIEF.
The Black Heart of the Grecly Arctic
Expedition.

| Ing IOOd 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 a
| particularly despicable act Of th eft.
| the commander, in fear, that Henry's
course would cause q general raid on
| the store of food and thus bring
| about the 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 direct
from the survivors Of the expedition.
He writes:
"All his lethargy gone, Greedy dis
missed the man, seized pencil and
paper and, with trembling, emaciated
| lHSeIS, wrote.
| Near Cape Sabine, June 6, 1884.
"Sergeants Brainard, Long and Fred
| erick
Notwithstanding promises given by
Private c. b. Henry yesterday, he has
since, as acknowledged to me, tam
pered 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 be-
ing 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. Greedy"
| I'm the official report Of the Lady
| Franklin bay expedition it is simply
announced that Shots were heard
about o'clock, and later the order
was read to the general party The
manner in which the order was exc
cuted here appears for the first time
| "Sergeants Brainard, Long and
| frederick could not, as ordered, de-
eide the manner of death by two ball
and one blank cartridge Greedy had
/ n 70 int
at this time the party had left only
one serviceable rifle.
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 Gem
etery 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 sergeants and the commander.
TWO Of the sergeants remained in
the vicinity of the old hut, while the
| third went to the tent to bring Henry
| down.
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 accompanied 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 reveal
ed to make his comrades feel that
no crime could be put past him.
$50 Brainar' Long and Frederick
cauntioned by their commander and
warned by their own knowledge of
the man with whom they had TO deal
had decided that Henry should be
made to stoop to pick up somathing
and that then he should be shot from
| behind. At least one Of these SER
| geants had no more compunction
about killing him than he would have
had about killing a mad dog.
| But one of the other two men
weakened at the last moment. To
shoot a mdn in cold blood from be-
hind, to send him into eternity with
no opportunity to compose his soul
was too terrible a thing for him to
stand. 1t was a mistake that nearly
proved disastrous.