The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1916-06-30
SENTENCE OF EASEMENT
Dramatic Scene in Court at Termina
tion oil Trial.

tion OF Trial.
London, June S0.-Viscount Reading,
lord chief justice Of England, with the
black cloth, by tradition called a cap
spread over his head and his two as
sociates in scarlet gowns, likewise
black-capped, pronounced the sentence
OF death for high treason on the Irish
man, Sir Roger Easement, just before
3 o'clock yesterday afternoon, half an
hour after the foreman OF the pury, in
a shaking voice, gave the verdict of
guilty at London. Sir Roger addressed
the court, reading his Anal statement
with the explanation that he wished il
might reach much larger audience
than the one before him and particu-
larly the people of America, from
whom had come many messages of
sympathy to him and whose own
struggle for liberty, he said, always
had been an inspiration to irishmen.
Sir Rogers auditors, among whom
were Viscount Bryce and many other
prominent men and women, listened
in deepest silence, some moved to
tears. The prisoner declared he did
not regard trial by Englishmen in an
English court as a trial by his peers,
to which he was entitled. He reviewed
recent events in Ireland from the be-
ginning of the formation of the Ulster
volunteers and said;
I'VE have seen the constitutional
rpfuga N rhax, hn -. 81 nj nol
government and we were told the first
duty of irishmen was to enter that
army If small nations were to be the
first consideration, | saw no reason
why Ireland should shed any blood
for any people but her own II that
be treason ! am not ashamed to ayow
it here. If the unionists chose the
road they thought would lead to the
good side knew my road led to the
dark side. Both OF us. proved right.
| So | am prouder to stand here, in a
traitors dock than to fiji the place of
my accusers. Self-goyernment is our
right. 1t is no more a thing to be
withheld from us or doled out to us
than the right to life or light TO sun
! Snlne or spring mowers.
Throwing aside his manuscript Sir
Roger said: My lords, have done.
Gentlemen of the jury | wish to thank
you for your verdict. ! meapt no re-
lection upon you when said this
was not trial by my peers" With
sweeping gesture OF his arm and
with more feeling than he had shown
before, Sir Roger continued: How
would all men here feel"-his voice
broke-'How would you feel if an
Englishman had landed in England
and been taken to Ireland, If that
man had been placed before q jury in
a community iniamed against him.
believing him to be a criminal?'
Then the prisoner shook hands with
friend who was sitting below the
dock while the usher placed the black
cloths over the heads of the judges
The voice of the chief justice was
firm, but his face was pale as he spoke
the few words in pronouncing the
sentence, He began: Roger David
Easement, you have been found guilty
by jury OF your peers of high trca
son, the highest crime known to the
law and concluded by sentencing
him ito be hanged by the neck unit
you are dead
The prisoner. leaning on the iror
railing of the dock, with his tai
frame, black beard and deep flashing
eyes, was easily the most distinguished
figure in the court except Viscoun
Reading. As the judge pronounced
the sentence he smiled Then {
warder touched his arm and he with