Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1911-02-07
HENRY THE THIEF.
The Black Heart of the Greedy Arctic
Expedition.

| The Black Heart OF the Greedy Arctic
Expedition.
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 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 direct 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 Fred
erick:
Notwithstanding promises given by
Private C. B. Henry yesterday, he has
since, as acknowledged to me, tamper-
ed with seal thongs II 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."
I'm the official report Of the Lady
Franklin bay expedition 1t Is simply
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 executed here ap-
pears 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 SER
viceable 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, 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 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 to
make his comrades feel that no crime
could be put past him.
$50 Brainard, Long and Frederick,
cautioned 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 something and that
| then he should be shot from behind.
| At least one Of these sergeants had no
more compunction about killing him
| than he would have had about killing
mad dog.
But one of the other two men
| weakened at the last moment. To
shoot a man 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.
Henry was told face to face that
he was to be 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 a convenient distance before
the doomed mans eyes.
Henry stood agape. He muttered
something about something not being
right. Near where the third sergeant
rvs gaze, searching the ground, en-
countered the ak. He sprang for it. A
warning cry was raised. The sergeant
who stood near the AK jumped and got
| his foot on it almost as Henry was
upon him. There was cry Of Quick!
Even then there was danger of the
executioner shooting his fellow SER
geant If his aim was the least un-
steady.
But despite all he had been through
the aim of the executioner was true.
| The rifle 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 tricked
me- Again the rifle cracked. The
second bullet went through Henry's
head, and he fell dead"
Quick Changes s.-Wife-Darling, l
want a new gown.
Husband-But you had a new one
one only a short time ago.
bnt my friapd I,llap 10 ~