Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-08-03
EASEMENT WILL DIE
FOR TREASON TODAY
Officially Made Known That
Government Is Determined
Not to Grant Reprieve.
EXECUTION HOUR g O'CLOCK
Decision of Cabinet to Let Law
Take It's Course Will
Cause Surprise.
EXECUTION HOUR 9 O'CLOCK

LONDON. August o-Sir Roger Case
morrow morning for high treason.
Lord Robert Cecil. Minister of War
Trade. to-day made known to the Asso-
c,atcd Press that it was tho British
governments determination not to re-
prievc Sir Roger.
Beyond the statement OF Lord Rob
crt which was in defense of the gov
erhmcnts determination. no formal
announcement to the effect that the
execution Will be carried out to-mor-
row has been made public. Officials
intiinated TO tho Associated Press, how
ever, that this Is quite the usual pro-
cedure. as sentence on a convict car
ries with 1t the natural suppostion of
execution. the only occasion for an
Official announcement being the grant
ing of rcprievc or communication of
sentence.
While the government maintains
silence as to tho final efforts made on
behalf of Sir Roger, 1t is known that
petitions were received as late as to-
day. Tho Foreign Office says no COM
munication has been received from the
State Department at Washington re-
qucsting n reprive.
WHOLE SUBJECT SERIOUSLY
CONSIDERED ~ CABINET
The whole subject hns been seriously
considered by tho Cabinet, which de-
termined to let the law take it's course
The decision of the government Will
cause some surprise. as the opinion had
become Widespread that tho sentence OF
Sir Roger would be commuted at the
last moment to life Imprisonment
In explanation OF the governments
refusal to reprieve Sir Roger Easement,
Lord Robert Cecil gave to tho Asso-
ciated Press the following statements:
NO doubt Of Easements guilt exists.
No one doubts that tho court and jury
arrived ut the right verdict. The only
ground for reprieve would be politi-
cal cNpedience. difficult ground to
put forward in this country.
This country never could strain the
law to punish man, for the same rea-
to let one OF.
THE Irish rebellion began with the
murder Of unarmed people. both SOL
diers and police. No grievance justi-
fled It. and il was purely n political
of Irish people who still hate England,
and was assisted by Germany.
There was. and is. in this coun-
try the greatest possible indignation
against these people. There Is no doubt
that Easement did everything possible to
to assist this rebellion in cooperation
with the Germans. There can be no
doubt that he was moved by enmity for
this country
The contention that he landed in
Ireland for the purpose Of preventing
the rebellion is demonstrably false.
No such assertion was made by counsel
at the trial.
MUCH MORE MALIGNANT
THAN LEADERS OF RISING
Easement was much moro malignant
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 Germany
with the intention OF persuading Irish
soldiers TO throw off their allegiance.
All sorts of promises were made for
tne Improvement of the condition OF
thcse men to Induce them to join the
irish region. An enormous majority
thus approached refused. and thereafter
SupJeCtcu 10 Increased hardahiDS
by the Germans.
FROM among those Irish soldiers a
number hns since been repatriated as
hopeless invalids. and they subse-
quently died. They looked upon Case
ment as their murderer
Nor is there any ground public or
private. so far as we know. which can
be quoted In mitigation OF Easements
crime. and do not think any govern
ment doing its duty could interfere
with the sentence which has been
passed on him.