a similar account was reported by reverend george young, who was told by major george robinson that scott was confined to a roughly made coffin on the presumption that he had died when shot on by the firing squad. robinson said that five hours later he and riel entered the room where scott's coffin was being kept and heard scott beg for death. robinson fled the room, riel closed the door and, a few moments later, robinson heard a shot and presumed that scott was then dead. this account was cast into suspicion, though, as riel had fired robinson as the editor of "new nation" on 19 march 1870, so it remains unclear whether or not these accounts are based in fact or acted to defame riel in retaliation for robinson's dismissal.