At Levi, where, close to a century afterwards, it was dug
up and sold to Barnum's agent for his museum.
Sergeant Jas. Thompson describes in his diary, under date 18th Nov., 1782,
another memorable execution:
"This day two fellows were executed for the murder and robbery of Capt.
Stead, Commander of one of the Treasury Brigs, on the evening of the 31st
Dec., 1779, between the Upper and Lower Town. The criminals went through
Port St. Louis, about 11 o'clock, at a slow and doleful pace, to the place
where justice had allotted them to suffer the most ignominious death. It
is astonishing to see what a crowd of people followed the tragic scene.
Even our people on the works (Cape Diamond) prayed Capt. Twiss for leave
to follow the hard-hearted crowd." It was this Capt. Twiss who
subsequently furnished the plan and built a temporary citadel in 1793.
In 1793, we have also, recorded in history, another doleful procession of
red-coats, the Quebec Garrison accompanying to the same place of execution
as a mess-mate (Draper), a soldier of the Fusileers, then commanded by the
young Duke of Kent, who, after pronouncing the sentence of death, as
commander, over the trembling culprit kneeling on his coffin, as son and
representative of the Sovereign, exercised the Royal prerogative of mercy
and pardoned poor Draper.
Look down Perrault's hill towards the south. There stands, with a few
shrubs and trees in the foreground, the Military Home - where infirm
soldiers, their widows and children, could find a refuge. It has recently
been purchased and converted into the "Female Orphan Asylum." It forms the
eastern boundary of a large expanse of verdure and trees, reaching the
summit of the lot originally intended by the Seminary of Quebec for a
Botanical Garden; subsequently it was contemplated to build their new
seminary there to afford the boys abundance of fresh air. Alas! Other
counsels prevailed.
Its western boundary is a road leading to the new District Jail - a stone
structure of great strength, surmounted with a diminutive tower, admirably
adapted, one would imagine, for astronomical pursuits. From its glistening
cupola, Commander Ashe's Provincial Observatory is. visible to the east.
I was forgetting to notice the substantial building, dating from 1855 - the
Ladies' Home. The Protestant Ladies of Quebec have here, at no small
expense and trouble, raised a useful asylum, where the aged and infirm may
find shelter. This, and the building opposite, St. Bridget's Asylum, with
its growing fringe of trees and green plots, are decided ornaments to the
Grande Allee.
The old burying ground of 1832, with all its ghastly memories of the
Asiatic scourge, has assumed quite an ornate, nay a respectable aspect.
Close to the toll-bar on the Grande Allee, may yet be seen one of
the meridian stones which serve to mark the western boundary of the city,
beyond the Messrs.
