The Ocala evening star., 1911-03-04
HENRY The THIEF.
The Black Heart of the Greeiy
Arctic Expedition.
STORY OF HIS EXECUTION.
The Order issued by the Ems ate6
Commander and the Way /, Was
Carried Cut-The Rifle Shot That
Put an End TO the Traitor.

Put an End TO the Traitor.
One Of the many tragedies OF the
GreeIy arctic expedition WAS the exc
cutiOn of Private Henry. who had been
caught time after time stealing food
from the scant store Of the starving
party Henry alone was strong and
active. thanks to the stolen food and
10 the fact that lie did no labor he
could possibly shirk.
Lieutenant Gree.y had warned and
warned Henry and had punished him.
but to no avail. and finally. after II par
ricuIarly deSpicable act of theft, the
commander. in fear that Henry's
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 new page In history. i told
in the American Magazine by Frank
Il Copley. who got his data direct
from the survivors OF the expedition.
He writes:
"All his lethargy gone. Greely dis
missed the man. seized pencil and pa
per and. with trembling, emaciated
fingers. wrote:
Near Cape Sabine. June s 1851
"Sergeants Brainard. Long and Frederick:
notwithstanding promises given by
Private c. 3. Henry yesterday. he has
since. as acknowledged to me. tampered
with seal thongs If not other food at the
old camp. This pertinacity and auda city
is the destruction of the party If not at
y.-ifl 10 Sr,N
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 O'clock. and later the order
was read 70 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 M this
time the party had left only one serv-
iceable 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 Cemetery
ridge with all the other men when
the time for putting him to death
came. What was to take place. W
course, was known only 10 the three
sergeants 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.
"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, Greely 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 10
make his comrades feel that no crime
could be put past him.
so Br;Iinard, Long and Frederick,
cautioned by their commander and
warned by their own knowledge Of the
man with whom they had 10 deal. had
decided that Henry should be made tU
stoOp to pick up something and that
then he should be shot from behind
At least one OF the sergeantS had no
more compunction about killing him
than he would have had about killing
q 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 n thing for him &c
stand. Ii was a mistake that nearly
proved disastrous.
Henry was told face to face that
he was to be put 10 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 rife at a convenient distance
before the doomed mans eyes.
Henry stood agape. He mutteret
something about something not beina
right. Near where the third sergeant
stood an AK lay on the ground. Hen
rvs gaze, searching the ground. en-
countered the ak. He sprauG for II
"A warning cry was raised. The ser
geant who stood near the AK jumped
and got his foot on II almost as Henry
was upon him There was cry 81
Quick" Even then there was danger
of the executioner shooting his fellow
sergeant if his aim was the least um
steady.
"Rut despite all he had been through
the aim OF the executiOner was true
The rife cracked. and the bullet sped
penetrating the breast Of the man f"
whom II was intended when it wa
nodded Henry whirled. crying. 'Yol
have trickcd me. You have tricke,
me. Again tie rife cracked Th'
second bullet went through Henry
head and be fell dead"