He called upon the faithful
sons of the country within his diocese to come forward
and join hands against a cause of tumult, destruction
and murder.
THE TRIAL AND EXECUTION OF LOUIS RIEL.
On the 20th of July the Court met, when Riel was formally
arraigned, the clerk reading the long indictment. In
reply to the interrogation whether the prisoner pled
guilty to the charge of treason, his counsel rose and
took exception to the jurisdiction of the Court. The plea
entered by the defence was to the affect that the presiding
stipendiary magistrate was incompetent to try a case
involving the death penalty, and urged that Riel should
be tried by one of the duly constituted courts in Ontario
or in British Columbia. Mr. Christopher Robinson, Q.C.,
for the Crown, asked for an adjournment for eight days,
to prepare a reply to the plea, which was granted. The
Court then adjourned to the 28th instant.
On the re-opening of the Court, counsel expressed themselves
ready to proceed. Only a few minutes were taken up in
selecting a jury. Twelve persons were called, five of
whom were peremptorily challenged by the defence, and
one by the Crown. The remaining six were sworn in to
try the prisoner at the bar. Their names are as follows:
--H. J. Painter, E. Everett, E. J. Brooks, J. W.
Merryfield, H. Dean, and F. Crosgrove. During the selection
of the jury, it is observed by a correspondent of _The
Mail_, to whom we shall be indebted for the reports of
the trial, in making the present abstract, "that Riel
anxiously watched the face of every man as he was selected
and sworn, as though he could read their inmost thoughts
as they took the oath.
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