EXECUTION OF RIEL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1442, 17 December 1885, Page 1

EXECUTION OF RIEL.

After a reprieve of eight days Louis David Riel, the leader of the Canadian half-breeds’ rebellion, was banged at rtegnan, in the North Western territory, on November 19th, at 8 a,m, Extraordinary precautions were taken, against any demonstrations of partisan*. ♦He was accompanied to his death, by Pare Andre and Father McWilliams. At the request of the former he.made a speech to the lew soldiers and civilians who were admitted to see the execution. The final words that escaped him as be was turned ofi were “ Mercy Jesu.” His face was full of color and he died completely self- ' possessed. , His executioner , was a man named Jack Henderson, who was captured by Riel in the rebellion of 1870, The body was temporarily interred'at the foot of the scaffold. Some hesitation was felt by the Government hr’transferring it to Winnipeg, as a half-breed demonstration was feared at the funeral. Vhen the news of the execution reached Quebec the excitement was almost beyond restraint; Flags were draped with Baring emblems; many men dbhhed crape. At night a group of students and their friends paraded the streets shouting “ Glory, Riel,” and cursing the Orangemen, and bills were distributed to all passers-by, calling on them to assemble at a mass meeting. The City! Council of Montreal adopted a resolution to adjourn, as a protest against the violation of the laws of justice and humanity in the execution of Riel. About eight thousand citizens and a : great- many students. burned, the same night; nn effigy of Sit John McDonald in front of the Queen Victoria statue. When the Premier's effigy had been partly burnt, a party cut it down with “There goes a cursed serpent;" The Queen’s statue was blackened and disfigured by smoke. The news of Riel’s fate was received quietly in Ottawa, where Protestants and Conservatives are considerable in number. Many waited on the Premier and Mr McKenzie-Bowdl, Minister of Customs, congratulating them for carrying out the sentence u ofj. the Court. Former comrades of Riel in tha school at Montreal have resolved to wear mourning for a month in respect to his memory. Madame Riel and family take 45 up their residence there. A fund will be established for her support. FrenchCanadian students, together with some quarryrnen and others, numbering 800, paraded %e streets on the 18th. iThe quarryrnen carried axe-handles, clubs and thigh bones. They. shoved the people inside the walks, frightened horses/and committed aggressive acts. It was thought at one time that they would attack the Salvation Army Hall,, They threatened the office of La Minerva. A detachment of the Sixth Fusiliers are under arms at Dominion Square, waiting events, particularly of .the burning of Colonel Steven--on’s effigy. The attempted . demqpatra"on was the rqsultrof information which the students of the Victoria University had received the day before, that the student# of the McGill .University (English) intended to burn Riel in effigy.