News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1911-02-01
HENRY TIKI: Thief ,
The Black Heart of the Greedy
Arctic Expedition.
sTc9Y OF HIS EXECUTION.
The Order Issued by the Emaciated
Commands" and the Way 1t Was
Carried out-The Rifle Shot That
Put an End to the Traitor.

One of the many tragedies of the
Greedy 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
TO the fact that he did no labor he
could possibly shirk.
Lieutenant Greey had varied and
warned Henry and had punished him
but to no avail. ;rnd finally, after Il par
ticul0rIy deSpirable 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 thp whole party
condemned Henry to death.
The story of the execution. which
makes 4 new page in history, is to'G
in the American Magazine by Frank
B. COpley, who cot his data direct
from the survivors of the expedition
He writes:
"All his lethargy gone. Greedy dis
ailoSSu lnC man, pCIbCb JtIClI anu pa
per and, with trembling, emaciated
fingers, wrote:
'Near Cape Sabine, June G. 1894
''Sergeants Brainard, Long and Frederick
Notwithstanding promises 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
1njuring any one, as hts 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
In the official report of the Lady
Franklin bay expedition it is sim
ply 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 ex
ecuted here appears for the FIRST time
"Sergeants Bruinard, 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
iceabe rife
The three sergeantS drew lots t.
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 |
Eergeants and the commander Two |
of the sergeants remained in the vi
ciniry 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 o.
the supplies that had been left there
Suspecting nothing. Henry readily nc
companied the sergeant to the place
chosen for putting him to death
Nov. Greedy had repeatedly eau
toned the three sergeants to take no
chances on Henry's getting away. for
although ncne ut 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. had
4 .cided that Henry should be made 10
s sop to, pick up something and that
then he should be shot from behind
- least one Of the serEeants had no
lore compunction about killing him
than he would have had about killing
n mad dog.
"But one Of the other two men
weakened at the last moment. To