The first witness called by the Crown was DR. WILLOUGHBY,
of SASKATOON. After having been sworn, witness said that
the prisoner had stated to him that the Fort Garry trouble,
when Scott had been shot, was nothing to what was going
to take place. He said that the Indians only waited for
him to strike the first blow to join him, and that he
had the United States at his back. He seemed greatly
excited, and said:--"It is time, doctor, that the breeds
should assert their rights, and it will be well for those
who have lived good lives." A party of armed men then
drove up, and Riel said, pointing to them, "My people
intend striking a blow for their rights. They have
petitioned the Government over and over again, the only
reply being an increase of the police force each time."
The Indians, he said, had arranged their plans, and when
the first blow was struck they would be joined by the
American Indians. They would issue a proclamation, and
assert that the time had arrived for him to rule the
country or perish in the attempt. He promised to divide
the country into seven equal portions, one of which was
to be the new Ireland of the new North-West. He said the
rebellion of fifteen years ago was not a patch on what
this would be.
THOS. McKAY, a loyal half-breed, was next called, who
testified that he joined the Volunteer contingent from
Prince Albert which formed part of Major Crozier's command
at Duck Lake. Previous to that engagement he accompanied
Mr. Hillyard Mitchell in his mission to Batoche, where
the rebels had their headquarters. His object in going
to Batoche was to point cut to the French half-breeds
the danger they were getting into in taking up arms. On
arriving at the village he was met by an armed guard who
conducted him, with Mr. Mitchell, to the rebel council
room, where he was introduced to Riel "as one of Her
Majesty's soldiers." We here quote part of the examination,
by Mr. Christopher Robinson, of this Witness.
Q.--Who introduced you to the prisoner?
A.--Mr. Mitchell introduced me to Mr. Riel as one of Her
Majesty's soldiers.
Q.--That is Mr. Hillyard Mitchell?
A.--Yes. I shook hands with Mr. Riel and had a talk with
him. I said, "There appears be great excitement here,
Mr. Riel." He said, "No, there is no excitement at all;
it was simply that the people were trying to redress
their grievances, as they had asked repeatedly for their
rights; that they had decided to make a demonstration."
I told him it was a very dangerous thing to resort to
arms. He said he had been waiting fifteen long years and
that they had been imposed upon, and it was time now,
after they had waited patiently that their rights should
be given, as the poor half-breeds had been imposed upon.
I disputed his wisdom and advised him to adopt different
measures.
Q.--Did he speak of himself at all in the matter?
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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