The Topeka state journal., 1916-08-03
| DIE FOR MY COUNTRY


recited Easement responded in a clear
voice:
'..The Lord have mercy on my soul"
r Grant His Last Request.
Easement was granted just one
boon before his death-and that was
permission to wear his own clothes in
stead of the prison garb, to which he
objected strongly on his incarceration
in the condemned cell. He did not
wear a collar. He assisted the execu-
toner in adjusting the moose and PIN
ioning his arms and legs.
Dead In Nine Minutes
AS the party reached the spot
where the gallows was erected, tho
special executioner, Ellis, approached
resolutely and quickly pinioned MIN.
The two chaplains, the undersheriff
of London and the undersheriff OF
Middlesex then took up their positions
in front of the scaffold. Easement
mounted the gallows firmly and COM
Emended his spirit to God as he stepped
on thestrap.s- =, t~oT
:, A moment Is later the lever was
pulled, Immediate9 the trap was
sprung, the engineer and physicians
descended into the pit where, after
the application of the usual tests.
Easement was pronounced dead ar
nine minutes after nine.
According to the custom in the case
to that of Easement his body will he
buried in quickIime in the prison yard.
but probably no decision as to the
burial will be made until after the
inquest.
An effecting incident took place
outside the prison wall as the execu-
ton was in progress. At the back
of the prison a little distance
from the jeering crowd about
the gates, was q group of about
IN y6Ov, he
dull clarg of the prison bell an
nounced the doomed man had paid
the penalty, this group fell on their
knees and with bowed heads ie-
mained for some moments, silently
praying for the soul of their dead fell
low countryman.
Post Notices of Execution.
Immediately after the execution
three notices were posted on the prl-
son door. The first, signed by the
undersheriff of London, the governor
of the prison and Father James Nc
Carroll, Easements confessor read;
Judgment of death was this day
executed on Roger David Easement in
| his majesty's prison of Pentonville in
our presence"
A similar notice was signed by the
undersheriff of Middlesex county, and
the third bore the signature of P. r.
Mander, the prison surgeon, who
certified that he had examined the
| body and found Easement dead
Ellis, the executioner, arrived at the
prison early last evening and immedi-
ately made his preparations. He ex-
amined the trap door in the execu-
! ton shed and tested it thoroughly with
bag exactly the same weight as
| Easement. Ellis remained in the
\ prison all night. Easement showed
not the slightest concern over his fate.
He ate well and chatted freely and
cheerily with two wardens in his CELL
After a hearty late supper, he divest-
| ed himself for the last time of his con-
vict clothes and went to bed. He was
notified that he would be allowed to
wear his own civilian clothes for the
execution, although he would not be
permitted to wear a collar.
Easements Family Protestants.
| All the members of Easements fam
ily were Protestants and he was
! brought up in that faith. but he be-
came a convert to Roman Catholicism
recently. On June 29 he was register
ed as member of the Roman Catho-
| lie church and since that time Fathers
McCarrell and McCarey of Edengrove
church. near the prison, have been
minfstering to him. He received his
| this morning when he assisted at mass
in his cell. One of his attendants said
/ that his overpowering love for God
and Ireland was most striking.
| Father McCarrell said, that he found
! Easement to be a beautiful character
and that he never instructed anyone
in his religion who showed himself a
quicker, or more promising learner.
All hopes of an eleventh hour re-
1 prieve We're dashed yesterday with the
! statement of Lord Robert Cecil. par
4 han.entary under secretary for foreign
affairs, that no government doing its
duty could interfere with the sentence.
experimenting this. were the dramatic
disclosures by Lord Newton in the
house of lords that the Germans re-
Gently shot two Irish prisoners who