Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1916-08-05
Jeers Greet Signal Telling
That the Trap Had Been
s Sprung on Victim

/ gathered DelOTe Lu6 pTlSOu SdLcS
Twenty minutes before Easement
amounted the scaffold the great prison
{ bell commenced to toll. The sound
was greeted with cheers from the
crowd, mingled with some groans. AT
9 o'clock the crowd extended for two
blocks from the prison front. AT one
minute after a single stroke Of the
big bell announced that the trap had
been sprung. 1t was a signal for
mocklng, jeering yell from the crowd
which suddenly died away into dead
silence.
| Easement met his death with calm
courage. according to eye witnesses.
Earlier in the morning two priests of
the Roman Catholic church admins.
tered the last rites in his cell and
shortly afterward a little procession
headed by the clergymen with Case
ment following, warden on either
| side, proceeded toward the execution
shed, only five yards away. The
priests recited the litany Of the dying,
Easement responding in low tones:
Lord have mercy on my SOUL"
Steps Boldly on Trap.
AS the party reached the shed where
was erected the special executioner,
hair dresser named Ellis, approach
ed Easement and quickly pinioned
him. The two chaplains, the under
sheriff Of London and the under-sheriff
of Middlessex then took up their posi-
tons in front of the scaffold. Case
ment mounted the gallows steps firm
ly and commended his spirit to God
as he stepped on the trap. A moment
later the lever was pulled. ,...
Immediately the trap was sprung
The prison engineer and physician
descended into the pit, where, after
the application of the usual tests,
Easement was pronounced dead at
nine minutes after nine. His body
will be buried In quicklime in the
prison yard.
Irish Group Prays.
An affecting incident took place out
side the prison wall as the execution
was in progress. At the back of the
prison little distance from the jeer-
ing crowd about the gates, was group
of about thirty Irish men and women.
When the dull clang of the prison bell
paid the last penalty the little group
fell on their knees and with bowed
heads remained for some moments sill
emily praying for the repose of the
soul of their dead fellow countryman.
Immediately after the execution
three notices were posted on the prison
door. The first, signed by the under
sheriff of London, the governor Of the
prison and father James McCarrell,
Easements confessor read.
Judgment of death was this day
executed on Roger David Easement in
His Majesty's prison of Pentonville in
our presence" A similar notice was
signed by the under-sheriff of Mid
dlessex county. The third bore the
name of P. r. Mander, the prison sur
geon. who certified that he had ex-
amined the body and found Easement
dead.
-. GaIlows Tested.
Ellis, the executioner, arrived in the
prison early last evening. Immediate
ly he examined the trap door in the
execution shed and tested it thorough
ly with bag exactly the same weight
as Easement. Ellis remained in the
prison all night
Easement showed not the slightest
concern over his fate. He, ate we'll
and cNatted freely and cheerily with
two wardens After a hearty late sup
per he Invested himself for the last
time Of his convict clothes and went
to bed. He was allowed to wear his
own civilian clothes, but not collar,
for the execution. ..s
All the members of the Easement
family were protestants and he was
brought up in that faith. On June 20
he was registered as a member of the
Roman Catholic church and since that
time Fathers McCarrell and Carey, of
Eden Grove church, near the prison,
have been ministering to him. He
received his first and only communion
at o'clock this morning when he
assisted at mass in his cell. One of
his attendants said that his overpower-
ing love for God and Ireland was most
the last words of the condemned man,
apart from his prayers were:
81 die for my country
FRIENDS IN U. S. WORK.
Washington, D. c., Aug. 3.-Practi-
cally to the very hour of Roger Case
ments execution strenuous efforts
we're made by his friends and sympath-
izers in the United States and Ireland
and even in England, to secure re-
prieve. Petitions poured in upon the
British government and efforts were
made to obtain action by President
Wilson. Repeated attempts to pass
a resolution through the United States
senate requesting the president to
urge Great Britain to extend mercy to
Easement failed. This agitation was
finally ended on July 81, when the