Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1916-08-03
EXECUTION
OF EASEMENT
Reprieve Was Refused for
Irishman Convicted of
Treason
4 DIE FOR MY COUNTRY
Condemned Was Cheerful Throughout
Bidding Farewll to His Relatives
::
Early Today

| LOlUOU mug. % AtN6SA >~SS
ment paid the penalty for treason; to
day with his life. He was !hanged a
9:O7 a. m. today, at Pentonville
prison, to which he had been remov
ed from the Tower of London.
The Irish leaders last words, spok'
en- while he waited fearlessly for the
drop to be sprung, were: 81 die
for my country"
The Rochdale barber, Elhs, the
prisons regular executioner, sprung
the drop after he had adjusted the
hempen noose-not the "silken cord"
which the former knight had hoped
up to a few weeks ago would be
granted as his instrument of death,
in accordance with the ancient priv
ilege granted men Of his title.
The hanging was witnessed only by
officials of the prison.
London, Aug. 8. - Sir Roger
Easement was exeerted in the Pen
tnrville prison at o'clock this morn
irs for high treason. Lord Rcocrt
Cecil, Minister Of War Tradc Jes.
terday made it known that it was
the British Governments determina-
ton not to reprieve Sir Roger.
The execution was private.
In explanation of the Governments
aarsre"l SO ,,anrieve Sly Roger. Lord
Robert Cecil made the following
statement:
"No doubt of Easements guilt ex-
lists. No one doubts that the court
and jury arrived at the right verdict.
The only ground for reprieve would
be political expediency, a difficult
ground to put forward in this coun-
try.
"This country never could strain
the law to punish a man for the same
reason that it could not strain the
law to let one off.
"The Irish rebellion began with
the murder of unarmed people, both
soldiers and police. No grievance
justified it and it was purely a poll
tical movement organized by small
section of Irish people who still hate
England, and was assisted by Ger
many.
"There was and is in this coun-
try the greatest possible lndlgna-
ton against these people. There is
no doubt that Easement did every
thing possible to assist this rebel
lion in cooperation with the Ger
mans. There can. be. no doubt that he
was moved by ,epmity:: for this coun-
try. The contention that he landed
in ireland for the purpose Of pre-
venting the rebellion,is demonstrabIy
false. No such assertion was made
by counsel ,at! the trial.
Easement was much more malig-
nant and hostile to this country than
were the leaders of the rising who
were caught with arms in their hands.
He visited military prisons in Ger
many with the intention of per suad-
ing Irish soldiers to- throw off their
allegiance. All sorts Of promises
were made for the improvement of
the condition of these men to induce
then to join the Irish legion. An
enormous majority thus approached
refused and thereafter were subject
ed to increased hardships by the
Germans.
"From among these Irish soldiers
number have since been repatrlat'
ed as hopeless invalids and they sub
sequently died. They looked upon
Easement as their murderer.
"Nor is there any ground, public Iol
private, so far as we known which
| can be quoted in mitigationaof' Case
ment's crime and / do not think an!
government doing its duty could in
terfere with the sentence which ha!
been passed on him.
Calvin Duffy, counsel or the form
err Knight, is responsible for tn
statement that the condemned MAJ
fembraced the Catholic religion sine
the passing of the death sentence
having received instructions an
daily ministrhtions from priest Wis
iting bis cell.