Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-10-22

Cave11 in order to have all necessary
steps taken for her defense. another
which a German reply on the 18th re-
fused the request. but referred him to
Attorney Kirschen, who had been as
signed for the defense.
ported, stated that Miss Caven was be-
Ing prosecuted for helping soldiers
cross the frontier and that lawyers de-
Tending prisoners before a German
military court were not allowed to see
their clients before trial and were not
shown any document of the prosecu-
ton, but that trial was developed so
carefully and slowly that 1t was posi-
BILE to have a fair knowledge of all the
facts and represent good defense for
the prisoner.
Il Informed Mr.. Kirschen." Mr. Dele
walls report continues. "of my inten-
ton to be present at the trial so as to
watch. He dissuaded me from taking
such an attitude, which he said would
cause great prejudice to the prisoner
because the German Judges would re-
sent it and feel that 1t was almost an
affront If I was appearing to exercise
a kind of supervision on the trial.
Assured Of Fairness.
Mr.. Delevals report says that Attor-
ney .kirschen assured him repeatedly
that the military court of Brussels al
Kirschen would keep him Informed of
Herr Kirschen failed to give him any
information and that after the trial
Mr.. Deleval learned from other sources
the following:
Miss Cavell was prosecuted for hav-
ing helped English and French soldiers.
the frontier and go to England. She
admitted by signing statement be-
fore the day of the trial and by public
acknowledgment in court that she was
guilty Of the charges. not only that she
had helped these soldiers to cross the
frontier, but also that some of them
had thanked her in writing when ar
irving in England.
This last admission made her case
more serious, because If 1t had only
been proved she had helped soldiers to
traverse the Dutch frontier and no
proof was produced that those soldiers
had reached country at war with
Germany. she could only have been
sentenced for an attempt to commit
the crime and not for the crime being
duly accomplished.
las the case stood the sentence fixed
by the German military law was the
sentence of DEATH
Made a Full Statement.
The report of Mr. Delevel says that
Miss Cavell, in her oral statement be-
fore the court, disclosed almost all the
facts Of the prosecution. She spoke
without trembling and showed a clear
mind. and often added some greater
precision to her previous dispositions.
when she was asked why she helped
these soldiers to go to England" the
report OF Mr. Deleval continues, she
replied that she thought that II she had
not done so they would have been shot
by, the Germans. Therefore, she
thought she only did her duty to her
in saving their lives.
The military prosecutor said the ar
diers, but that it did not apply to Bel
gian young men, who would have been
perfectly free. to, remain in the coun-
try without danger to their lives"
Herr Kirschen made good plea for
Miss Cavell. says the report. but the
prosecutor asked the court for
a death sentence for Miss Cavell and
eight others of the thirty-f1ve persons
on trial. The court did not seem to
agree, and judgment was postponed.
The trial lasted two days, ending Oc-
tober 8.
Mr.. De1evals request on the 10th for
for an English clergyman
to see Miss Cavell was denied, the re-
port says He was told she could see
the three Protestant clergymen at
tached to the prison.
Learns Of Death Sentence.
The evening of the 18th Mr.. Deleval
learned from unofficial sources that the
sentence Of death had been passed at
o'clock in the afternoon, and that Miss
Cavell would be shot at o'clock in
the morning.
October 8 Mr.. Whitlock notified Wal
ter Hines Page, the American ambas-
sador in London, that q sentence of
death had been asked for. but that he
had hopes the court might decline to
grant II. Mr.. Whitlock added that he
felt it would be useless to take any
action until the sentence was pro-
nounced.
The letter sent by Mr.. whitlock to
Baron Won der Lancken by Mr.. Gibson
the night of the 18th follows:
your Excellency-I have Just learned
that Miss Cavell, who is British sub
ject. and consequently under the pro-
lection of my embassy, was this morn
ing condemned to death by sentence of
court martial Without going into the
causes which led to such severe
sentence, and one which. If all the re-
ports which have reached me are cor
rect, is more severe in this case than
in all others which have been tried
by the same tribunal. 1 hope to be
able to appeal to the sentiments of
and generosity of his excel
lency. the governor general. on behalf