Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-10-25
CAvELL EXECUTION
Continued from Page One)

and its safety These duties in war
are greater than any other.
"An those convicted were fully cog
infant Of the significance of their ac-
lions. The court went into just this
point with particular care, and ac-
Quilted several co-defendants only tbe-
cause it believed doubt existed re-
garding the cOgnizance of the serious
ness Of their actions. Those convicted
knew what they were doing. Countless
public proclamations had declared that
support of enemy armies would be
treated with the severest penalties.
even that the life of traitors would be
sacrificed
Il admit certainly that the motives
of those convicted was not unnoble
and that they acted out Of love for
the fatherland. But in war time, one
must be ready to see all ones love for
the fatherland with ones blood. wheth
er one opposes the enemy in battle or
whether one commits acts in its in
tercsts which justly carry with them
the death penalty. Among other Rus
sian prisoners are several girls who
fought against US in soldiers uniforms.
Should lone such have fallen no one
would accuse us of treating women
cruelty So why now that anoher wo-
man has me the death which she risk
cd in quite as thinkingly as her bat
tie comrades?
There are moments IN the lives Of
peoples when consideration for the in
dividual Is crime against the whole.
moments that make severity. yes. hard
ness. duty for those entrusted with
the safety of their own countrymen.
Once and for always the activity Of our
enemies had to be stopped and sentence
has been carried out to brighten those
who might presume on their sex to par
take in enterprises punishable with
death. Should one recognize these pre-
sumptions it would mean !. to open the
door for the EVIL activities of women
who often are handler and more clever
in these things than the craftiest spy.
He who bears the responsibility, how
ever may not. cannot do that. Unmind-
full of the worlds verdict, he must ira
vel the hard road Of duty. That, despite
these facts. leniency towards others
who were convicted. and who. accord
lis W IcSOSAiAco law. HdNS Ao'AS
their lives is being considered. is proof
Of how earnestly we are trying to
reconcile the feelings Of humanity with
the commands of rigid duty.
If others are shown mercy it will
be at the cost of our army. for II Is to
be feared that new attempts will be
made to injure US If 1t Is believed pos
sib!e to escape without punishment or
Only pity for the guilty can lead to an
amelioration. not admission that the ex-
ecuted sentence was too severe. for this
was. hard as it may sound. absolutely
just and could not appear otherwise to
an independent judge
The weakness of our enemies argu-
ment is proved by the fact that they
do not attempt to combat the justice
Of the sentence, but try to influence
public opinion against US by false re-
ports of the execution. 1t is claimed
that the soldiers assigned to the exc
cution first refused to shoot and finally
fred so faulty that the officers had to
Kill the accused with revolver. No
word of this is true. ] have the official
report of the execution, in which it is
established that it took place entirely
fn accordance with the established reg
ulations and that death occurred imme-
diately after the first salvo, as the
physician present attests."