Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-10-24
NO PARALLEL IN ENGLAND
TO MISS CAvELL's FATE
Death Sentence Never Melted Out to
Women, Even in Cases of Clearly
Proven Espionage.
ALWAYS TRIED BY CIVIL COURT
Sir John y. Simon. Home Secretary
and Former Attorney-(ieneral, i'm
Interview, Discusses Treatment OF
Persons Accused.

LONDON. October 23-sir John \.
Simon. British Home Secretary. and
former AttOrncy-Geucral, in an inter-
view to-day, declared that the fate of
cuted hy German authorities at Brus-
sells, had no parallel in the records of
Great Britain's treatment of persons
accused Of military offenses
Even in cases of clearly proven
espionage, Great Britain has. accord
ing TO the Home Secretary, mctcd out
10 women no death sentence
NO woman" said he. who has been
tried for any military onense in this
country has suffered the death penalty
or has ever been sentenced TO death.
nationality. Is always tried By "a civil
court"
Questioned regarding the method of
dealing with military accusations
against women in England. the Home
Secretary replied:
In the first place. the accused per-
son is brought before a tribunal. which
holds a preliminary inquiry, taking a
summary OF the evidence. The ac-
cused is always assisted by a lawyer.
and complete record of the evidence.
oral and documentary. is given to the
accused. who is then allowed an in
terval TO prepare for defense
IF the accused is a woman q trial
takes place before a civil tribunals if "A
81 IN l,i ,,.,l
before civil court If he is a British
subject. At the trial the lawyers for
the defense have the same opportuni-
ties given the defense in ordinary
cases in peace times"
NO CASES IN ENGLAND
PRECISELY SIMILAR
The secretary said that there had
been no cases in England precisely
similar to that of Miss Cavcll, but in
cases of espionage, whore the proof OF
guilt was indubitable and overwhclm-
ing. the same traditional privileges
were allowed the accused.
I'm the last case involving a woman
in this country" said he the Of
fender was n German by birth. though
technically the subject Of another coun
try, owing to marriage. She was act
t
and was detected travelling TO various
points in order to collect information
about the navy defenscs. The evidence
against her was overwhelming.
''Shc was tried in September by three
civil judges of our High Court and a
jury. and was convicted of deliberate,
persistent spying for the purpose Of
providing the enemy with important
information. Her male companion was
condemned TO death. She was SEN
fenced to ten years Imprisonment
PROPER INTERVAL. BEFORE
DEATH AFTER SENTEN CIs
In answer to question as to
whether execution could in Great Brit
ain follow sentence as quickly as in
the recent case in Belgium, the Home
Secretary said:
Execution never follows sentence
here without proper interval. In
deed, there was Il case not long ago
when. on the eve of execution. post
ponemont was requested in order that
some further representations could be
considered. Sentence was postponed
for week, and the whole case was
reviewed in the light of the new ma
terial.
THE thing which strikes English
men familiar with our procedures as
most incredible in the Cavell case is
the calculated indifference with which
the inquiries of the American and
Spanish ministers We're treated.
1T would have seemed impossible for
the Germans TO have done anything to
increase the horror they have produced
by their behavior i'm Belgium; it would
have seemed impossible also for them
to have done anything which could
cement more closely the bond OF SYM
pathy between England and tho Bel
gian population. But they have accom-
plished both seeming impossibilitics by
ono horrible a,ct OF brutality"