Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-10-22
GERMANS REFUSE
PLEA Of WH|TL0CK
FOR MISS CAVELL
Efforts to Save English
Nurse Are Continued to
Very Last Minute.
AMERICANS GO DIRECTLY
TO GOVERNOR
Full Report of Circumstances
Made by U. S. Minister
in Brussels
ISSUED BY BRITISH OFFICIALS
Document Refers to Apparent Lack
of Good Faith on Part of
TeutOnS.


TeutOnS.
LONDON. October 2l.-Tho fun re-
por' OF the circumstances Of tho CON
hemnation ana execution Of Miss Edith
caveli an English woman. and head
of :. training school in Brussels. for
helping English French and Rclrinn
soldiers to cscap" from Belgium mad.
hv Erand Whitlo"h IN" American min
ist"r At Brussels. TO Walter r. Page
the American ambassador ut London.
Mas ISSUED ~ tho British government
to-day
How IN" sccrc'9.'v OF IN" American
legation. Hugh : Gibson. sough, the
German rovcrnor Won Der Lanck"n.
late ~ ntcnt bctorc I'll. execution. and.
Win Tho Spanish minister. pleaded
with 'thr governor ana the German Of
ncers for the Euclish wonans life is
graphically related I'm - memorandum
from Mr. Gibson This docuuen, re-
fers TO the German authorities ap-
parent lack OF good faIth in failing TO
Keep their promises TO inform tn"
American minister fully Of ~. trial
ANA sentence
Minister Whtuock tclegraphea to
Ambaasador Page on the I2th
Miss Caveli sentenced yesterday and
executed q, o'clcck TINS morning
despite our bcst efforts continued unit.
;hr last moment"
Mr.. Wh!tlocks nnal appeal was in
the form OF a note sent by :, messenger
late on The uigh' of the 1lrh TO Gov
crnor Won Der I.auckcn. tho translation
pf which reads as follows:
Ny Dear Barou.--l am too sick To
present my r"ques, myself but | APP
peal TO your generosity or heart to
support It nnd save from death this
unhnpp5 woman. Have pity on her
You're truly.
"BRAND WHITLOCK"
Nj Whucch also stated tina, Miss
raveii mad nursed German soldiers
VISITED ~ HER CELL
ni ENGLISH CLERGY MAN
Nj DclevnI counselor of the Ameri-
ran legation. reported To Minister Whit
lock
This morning MIR Gahan. am rnslsh
cierES man. told me tina, he had seen
Miss caveil in her Gel! Yesterday night
al !" o'clock and that Il. had given
her HOLY Communion and had found
her admirably strong and calm.
II asked AIR Gahiu whether sh. i,ad
made any remark about anything con
corning tn. !eiai side OF her caSe and
whether tho confession which Sh. made
before trial and IN court was in his
opinion, perfectly free ana sincere Mr.
Gahan said She told him shc was per
fcctiy well. and Knew wha, She had
done, that. according TO the law. Of
course. she was guilty ana admitted
her guilt, but that she was happy 10
die for her country"
Secretary Gibsons rcpor, SAYS that
Conrad official Of the German civil
branch
I'll" american legation would be fully
Informed OF the developments IN the
case, and continues.
Despite these assurances, we made
repeated inquiries IN the course of the
day, the last one being at $40 T. NJ
Mr. Conrad then stated that sentence
had not been pronounced. ana spcciii-
cal!y renewed his previous assurances
that he would not fail TO inform us
as soon as there was any news
AT $50 II Was learned from AN out
side source that sentence had been
passed in the course of the afternoon.
before the last conversation with Mr.
Conrad and that execution would take
place during The night"
WITH SPANISH MINISTER.
SEEKS Won DER LANCkEN
Secretary Gibson thercupon sought
the Spanish minister. and, with Mr.
Deleval went TO Won Der Lancken's
quarters. Finding the governor and
his STAFF absent. they tclephoned to
item. and the governor with his STAFF
returned shortly after 10 o'clock.
Secretary Gibsons report to Min
lister Whtlock continues:
The circumstances Of the case were
explained to him, ana your note was
presented. He read It aloud in our
10
the report that sentence had actually
been passed and manifested some sur
prise that we should give -credence to
any report not emanating from Of
hciai sources. He was quite insistent
on knowing the exact source OF our
information, but this did no, feel at
liberty 70 communicate TO him.
Baron Won Der Lancken stated tnat
IT. wa'~Huite improbable that sentence
had been pronounced. and, even if so.
il would not he executed in so short
"a time and that, in any event, il would
be quite Impossible to take any action
before morning.
1T was, Of course pointed out TO
him that. even If the facts were AS we
believed them to be- action would he
useless unless taken at once. We
urged him To ascertain the facts i'm
mediately. This. after some hesitancy.
he agreed to do. He tclephoned to the
presiding judge of the court-martial,
and returned to say that the facts were
as we had presented them, and that II
was intended to carry out the sentence
before morning.
I'VE then presented as earnestly as
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