Norwich bulletin., 1915-01-11
FAMOUS TRIALS
TRIAL OF LOUIS REEL.

Two French Canadians by the name of Louis Riel aeure prominently in two different insurrections in Canada dur ing the 18th century. The first occurred in 1S49-a revolt principally. against the Hudson Bay Cemnany.
 Louis Riel the second insurgent, when still a young man became the
 head of a movement of the native peo- pie to resist the establishment of Ca first began his revolutionary tactics on Dec. 8, 1869, and from that time on un- til 1885 he freauenti-- found himself in
 the hands of the law
 Finally Riel left Canada and settled
 in Montana. where in the summer of 1884 a deputation of half-breedS in Nited him 10 lead them in an agitation Efor their rights in Manitoba In the
 Following March he was able to get
 sufficient force about him so that he
 established q provisional government n the Northwest.
 On May 3 the Dominion troops met
 the rebels at Batouche's Crossing,
 where, after warm fighting, Riel was
 put to flight. It was here that Capt
 Howard, an American agent for a firm in the manufacture of gatling guns,
 was of great service to the Dominion troops, doing more execution with the
 gatling gun than all the volunteers
 with their rifles.
 Rtel was finally captured on Thurs day afternoon, May 14 by three scouts four miles north from Batouche. He said he was on his way to the Donin-
 ion camp to give hi~eself up and claim ed that his papers would show that he was not the real leader of the rebel- lion.
 ReiPs conduct while in ->rison in
 dueed man. to believe he was insane. A few days after his capture he was
 sent to Regina for trial, it having
 been decided to turn him over to the civil authorities.
 The trial began July 20 before Jus tIce Henry Le June and Stipendiary MaoiStrate Richardson. Ren was con-
 fdent of acquittal and was very self possessed until the evidence began to tell heavily against him and then he
 adopted tine tactics of Guiteau. the as
 sassfn of President Garfield interrupt
 ing the proceedings with interroga-
 tionS and acting altogether as though
 he was crazy.
 Riel also knew the feelings of the
 French Canadians toward him and he lid not believe. in the face of this, that He was very much surprised when he
 was found guilty and condemned to death, but was buoyed up with the
 hope that he would be reprieved an6
 given a life sentence.
 At the conclusion Of the trial an ap-
 peal was at once taken to the Suprerre Court which affirmed the verdict of the lower tribunal, and then an appeal was made to the Priyy Council Here the judges unanimously confirmed the legality of the sentence which con- deTnned him to death, and as a last re sort the counsel of Riel brought the notice to the attention of Queen Vic toria. She refused to interfere. not withstanding the fact that petitions were presented to her signed by noble and others f-Y1f Tepfarrad po ter to the Canadian authorities to deal with as they saw fit. Maiy of RiePs acomplices were sentenced to impris- onment and four to death.
 The trial of Riel began on July 20, SS5, and it required il days to hear all the evidence, sum up the case and pronounce q verdict. On the last day # the trial Aug. 1, Riel himself ad- dressed the jury and he presented such I pathetic appeal for his life that it not save him.
 Riel was to have been hanged Sept IS, but his counsel succeeded in secur- ing a postponement and the execution did not take place until Nov. 16 Piel met his death braveIy. The prisoner decided only moment before startins for tine scafold that he would not make speech. This was owing to the earnest solicitations of both of the priests who attended hina.
 The execution of Riel was followed at Battlefor1 b~ the hanging of 10 h. dian chiefs for atrocities, committed during the Riel rebellion and in each l instance for murders committed. while Piels conviction was for high treason against the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland. Nor was the death of Riel the end of all the trouble for the French Canadiars. especially for Que bee and Montreal, for a long time were very much wrought uD over the execu- ton Of their chief and it was a mum bel of years before they were entirely l pacihed.