Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-08-04
obtain clcmency for Irish political Of
tenders in general

obtain clcmency for Irish political Of
tenders in general
Many prominent men. both here and
In Great Britain, Interested themselves
In Easements behalf including George
BERNARD shaw and the Irish poet. Will
liam Butler Yeats. The hopes of the
condemned mans friends were extin-
Euishcd when Lord Robert Cecil, Min
lister OF War Trade. announced on We'd
nesday that the British government
was determined not to grant a reprieve.
Lord Cecil declared that Easement was
much more malignant and hostile" to
Great Britain than we're the leaders
who took an actual part in the Sim
Fein revolt and that there was no
ground which could be brought forward
In mitigation OF his oncnse
Honorcd with knighthood-a title
since taken from him by King Georges
ordcr-for his many years Of service for
Great Britain as consul and consul
general, Roger Easement assumed
leadership. ~ a period Of his country's
crisis. in the recent Irish rebellion. tho
plans for which were laid while Case
meni was In Berlin. where he was re-
ported I" hav" negotiated an under
standing with the German imperial au-
thoritics
TAKEN INTO CUSTODY
HEEORE PLANS NATURE
British naval supremacy brought an
ahortivc close 20 Easements plans
The German tramp steamship on which
there was transported an armed cxpedi-
ton from Germany nearly to the west
coast Of Ireland in April of this year,
was blown up by It's own crew when the
latter forcsaw that it was inevitable
that the hlockadinr English warships
would capturc II. The crew were made
prisoners. The tramp had been con-
voycd from Kiel by "a German sub
marine. frum which Easement and n
companion landed on Irish soil. where
they wer. taken into custody before
their plans matured
In May Easement was given pro-
lminary hearing. and was committed
for trial on the charge of high treason.
Late In June tho trial was begun. Case
mcnt pleading not guilty, and uttering
IN denia! that he had worked in Ger
many's interests and that he had ac-
copied German gold as bride.
The courts verdict was guilty, and
the sentence OF death by hanging was.
after appeal by his counsel. confirmed
by tho Court OF Criminal Appeal late
In July.
The London press generally approved
the fate legally fixed for Easement, but
In America persistent efforts were
made TO save the noted prisoner from
death.
In Washington n resolution was
adopted in the Senate requesting Prcsi-
dent Wilson TO transmit to the British
government AN expression of hope that
1t would exercise clcmcncy in the case
Of all the Irish political prisoners. In
England. tho Manchester Guardian and
a number of other papers pleaded for
mercy, and petitions asking for re-
pricvc were circulated in London. Ad-
herents of John Redmond forwarded to
Premier ASquith a petition signed by
six bishops, twcnty-siX members Of
Parliament and tifty-one other persons.
including number of educators
Pope Benedict interceded In Case
mcnts behalf, cndcavoring to obtain
grace for him from the British govern
mcnt. influential Irish Nationalists hav-
Ing urged upon the Pontff that the
prisoner was not II traitor, but was
inspired by Irish patriotism.
Roger Easement, prior to the war,
cSNhpiiSncu reputation through MS
investigation of the kongo and South
American rubber atrocities committed
on natives by Belgian and British rub
Der hunters. The then Str Roger
headed Il commission Of inquiry which
brought about reforms. In 1913 he be-
came actively identified with the or
OF the Irish national volun-
teers. He was in the United States
when the war began. and addressed an
open letter Ia the Irish press advising
Irishmcn 10 remain neutral In Octo-
Der. 1914, he went to Norway, and
thence 60 Berlin. whence came the news
that startled the world-Cascmcnt was
plotting what his country looked upon
as high treason. His friends, recalling
his years Of service In Africa and South
claimed for him that the