New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-06-30
Irish Knight Speaks
for 40 Minutes in
His Defence.
UNAFRAID TO DIE
HE TELLS JUDGE
Protests That He Should
Have Been Tried
in Ireland.
BY ARTHUR s. DRAPER.

by Ahl III IL -. DhAfE fER.
London, June 29-Sir Roger Case
ment must die on the gallows for high
treason.
Sentence was pronounced this after
noon by Viscount Reading, Lord Chief
Justice Of England Forty-fve minutes
before the black-capped justice had
fixed the penalty for the i'll fated ex-
pediton to Ireland the jury had found
a verdict of guilty. It's deliberations
had lasted less than an hour
Shakespeare might have obtained the
material for one of his greatest plays
and psychologists and aliensts un-
rivalled opportunity for study of an
unusual specimen of man in the per
son of Sir Roger Easement. He was
a study during the forty minutes IN
which he replied to the Chief Justices
question whether he had aught to say
why sentence of death should not be
passed upon him. He reached his
climax with the words:
Tf what have done is high treason
am proud to stand here, proud 10 De
a rebel in deed and act
II was plainly evident from the START
that he expected only one verdict mat
of ou;ltv. He read first from a paper
be said he had prepared twenty days
ago. then from another written since
the beginning of the trial. HIS de-
livery was cool and clear. his choice
81 words excellent, and his attitude
convinced one that he believed wna'
be said. He said frankly that he spoAe
70 the world, especially to the uni'eu
states Of America, where Ireland had
a host of friends.
Not Afraid to Die.
81 am not afraid to die he SAID
with a smile on his face, and he eve"
smiled to his nieces in the well OF the
court lust below him. as Lord Chlet
Justice Reading ordered that he be
hanged by the neck until he was dead
Never once did his courage desert him.
never did he falter, not once did his
voice break or his hand shake as ne
read his last speech.
The jury returned verdict after
fiftv-fve minutes of deliberation. Lord
Readings charge was considered able
and eminently fair. It lasted less than
two hours. The Attorney Generals ad-
dress was short. Artemus Jones, assist
ant counsel for the defence, succeeded
Alexander Sullivan, as the latter was
unable to continue because OF nervous
exhaustion. The whole trial lasted al
most exactly four days.
Daniel Bailey, arrested with Case
ment, was discharged at once, the same
Jury which convicted Easement finding
him not guilty when the Attorney Gen
eral stated that Bailey merely accom-
panied Easement because the journey
offered an opportunity to him 70 return
TO fight for England.
Climax of a Life.
The Easement trial will go down in
history as one of Britain's most re-,
markable treason cases. Sir Rogers
whole life has been dramatic, but its
climax was reached in the forty min
utes between the verdict and the pro-
nouncement of III, penalty. There was
hardly a sound except that of his clear,
we'll modulated voice. though the court
room was jammed with spectators.
His very first sentence showed he
wanted to be considered a martyr 10
Ireland's cause. 1t explained, too, why
his defence had taken the course fol-
lowed. If he is a rogue he is one Of the
greatest the world has ever seen; If he
is a victim of insanity there are few
afflicted with exactly the same mental
ailment. His argument, he said, was
probably not good law, but was good
morally"
He claimed he should have been tried
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