New Britain herald., 1916-08-03

thizers in the United States and Ireland, and even in England, to se- cure a reprieve. Petitions for mercy poured in upon the British govern l nent and efforts were made to obtain action by President Wilson. Re- peated attempts to pass a resolution ] through the United States senate re- uuesting the president to urge Great Britain to extend mercy to Easement failed. This agitation was finally ended on July 27 when the senate committee on foreign relations or dered an adverse report on all resolu- tiOns proposing intercession by the United States government. The only action taken in Washington was the
 passage of a reolution by the senate
 asking the president to use his good
 offices with the British auth horities to
 obtain clemency for Irish political
 offenders in general.
 Many prominent men both here and
 in Great Britain interested themselves
 in Easements behalf, including George
 Bernard Shaw and the Irish poet,
 William Butler Yeats. The hopes of
 the condemned mans friends were ex-
 tinguished when Lord Robert Cecil,
 minister of war trade announced on
 II
 1uent was determined not to grant a
 Ieprieve Lord Cecil declared that
 Easement was much more malignant
 and hostile'' to Great Britain than were the leaders who took an actual
 part in the Sim Fein revolt and that there was no ground which could be
 b1 ought forward in mitigation of his
 rffense.
 Honored with knighthood-a title since taken from him by King Georges order-for many years of service for Great Britain as consul end consul-general, Roger Easement assumed leadership, at a period of his country's crisis, in the recent Irish rebellion, the plans for which were laid while Easement was in Berlin, where he was reported to have nego- tisted an understanding with the German imperial authorities.
 Trapped on Irish Soil.
 British naval supremacy brought an abortive close to Easements plans. The German tramp steam ship on which there was transported an armed expedition 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 foresaw that it was inevitable that the blockading English Warships would capture it. The crew were made prisoners. The i tramp had been conveyed from Kiel t.7 German submarine, from which Easement and a companion landed on Irish soil. where they were taken into custody before their plans ma tured.
 In May, Easement was given a pre- Gminary hearing and was committed for trial on the charge of high treason. Late in June the trial was begun, Easement pleading not guilty and a denial that he had worked | in Germany's interests and that he 1 had accepted German gold as a bribe. |
 The courts verdict was guilty and | he sentence of death by hanging was, after appeal by his counsel, confirmed 0y the court of criminal appeal, late r July.
 The London press generally ap- proved the fate legally fixed for Case- nent, but in America persistent efforts were made to save the noted prisoner rom death. In Washin gton a resolu- ion was adopted in the senate re- lUesting President Wilson to transmit 1 to the British government an expres- sion of hope that it would exercise | clemency in the case of all the Irish 1 political prisoners. In Eugland, the | Manchester Guardian and a number l Of other papers pleaded for mercy and | petitions asking for a reprieye were | circulated in London. Adherents of l John Redmond forwarded to Premier 1 Asquith a petition signed by six 1 tishops, twenty-six members of par 1 Iiament and fifty-one other persons, l including a number of educators.
 Pope Benedict interceded in Case | ments behalf, endeavoring to obtain l grace for him from the British gov ernment, influential Irish Nationalists 1 having urged upon the Pontiff that l the prisoner was not a traitor but was 1 inspired by Irish patrotsm.
 Was Famous Reformer
 Roger Easement, prior to the war, l established a reputation through his | of the Congo and South 1 American rubber atrocities committed 1 on natives by Belgian and British rubber hunters. The then Sir Roger headed a commission of inquiry which brought about reforms. In 1913 he became actively identified with the organization of the Irish national VOL unteers. He was in the United States when the war began and addressed an open letter to the Irish press advising Irishmen to remain neutral In October, 1914, he went to Norway and thence to Berlin, whence came the news that startled the woriG-Case- ment was plotting what his country looked upon as high treason. His friends recalling his years of service in Africa and South America, claimed for him that the tropical sun had un- Balanced him mentally. Easement lnc,. cta ato,, laor- 1 1