Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1916-08-03
EASEMENT WALKS
CALMLY TO DEATH
AND DIES BRAvELY
Aided Executioner In Adjust
ing Moose and Pinion-
ing Arms
q DIE FOR MY COUNTRY"
WERE HIS LAST WORDS
Ignoble Ending Of Life Filled
with Work for Good Of
Humanity


penalty for treason today with his life
He was hanged at Pentonvile prison
at 9:07 Il. m today. Ten minutes later
his body was cut down, life being pro.
nounced extinct.
The Irish leaders last words, spoken
while he waited fearlessly for the drop
to be sprung were:
81 die for my country
The Rochdale barber, Ellis, the pris-
on's 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 in
strument of death, in accordance with
the ancient privilege granted men of
his title.
The hanging was witnessed only by
officials of the prison. A large crowd
waited outside the grim goal and when
the bell tolled announcing the law Is
satisfaction there were few cheers in.
termixed with groans. Several Irish wo.
men standing at the rear of the Benton.
vile Jail attempted q demonstration
led by an Irish member of parliament
but were quickly hustled off the scene
by guards.
1t was said Easement went calmly
to his death, led by a Catholic priest
who ministered to him when he retired
last night for the last time at 10:30 and
when he arose early today. The Irish
leader has only been recently converted
to Catholicism.
Two Catholic priests, Fathers Ring
and Carey, heard Easement 's last con.
fession and administered holy commun.
ion to the condemned man. Both ac.
companied him to the scaffold.
Smiled at His Guards.
Leaving his cell on the summons to
death, the Irishman. appeared slightly
nervous, but there were no signs Of a
breakdown and he smiled gravely at his
guard, remarking: "It is beautiful
morning.
Several of the Irishmen in the crowd
outside the Jail fell on their knees and
prayed fervently during the tolling of
the bell which announced Easement g
death. On the other hand there were n
few in the watchers, men and women,
who waved hats and handkerchiefs.
Last night guards said Easement
spent considerable time in writing, but
slept soundly after he had retired.
Easement expected q reprieve and
commutation Of his sentence up. to last
night, but when darkness came he
realized there was no hope it was said,
and without emotion went about setting
his affairs in order.
Those who witnessed the hanging said
the Irishman was master of himself
walkingk to death and waiting for the
moose to tighten. When the priest re.
cited the prayers for the. dead, Case.
ment responded in clear voice: "Lord
have mercy on my soul.'
Easement was granted Just one boon
before his death-and that was per.
mission to wear his own clothes instead
of the prison garb to which he objected
strongly on his incarceration in the con.
demned cell. He did not wear collar.
He assisted the executioner in adjusting
the moose and pinioning his arms and
legs.
Brief Story of Offense,
The government turned deaf ear to
all pleas for Communication of the de-
graded knights sentence. Petitions
have been coming in at the home office
for weeks. 1t was in ancwer to these
that Lord Robert Cecil asserted that no
doubt existed as to the Irishman's guilt
and that the only ground on which com
mutation could be based would be po.
litical expediency--a "difficult ground
to put forth in this country"
Solicitor Gavin Duffy, who was Case,
ment s counsel, was indignant at refusal
of the prison authorities immediately
to turn over the body of the Irish
knight after the law had been salts.
fled.
Representing deceased relatives at
the inquest, he said, 81 applied to the
home office for possession of the body.
Their refusal to turn it over to me was
a monstrous act Of indecency."
Prison Governor Davis testified at
the inquest that Easement 5 death was
instantaneous.
The then Sir Roger Easement was ar.
rested on April 22 after having landed
on the Irish coast from q German sub
marine which was conveying a German
tramp steamer loaded with arms ant
ammunition for Irish reyolutionists
Two days later the Dublin revolt brok,
out.
The Irish knight was taken to Lon
(Coutinued ON pago Twol