Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-08-03

munion at z O'Clock this morning,
when he assisted at mass in his cell.
One OF his attendants said that his
over-powering love for God and Ire
land was most striking. According 10
this attendant the last words of the
condemned man, aside from his pray
ers, were:
II die for my country"
Dies Like Brave Man.
Father James McCarrell, who at
tended Roger Easement during the
hanging, said to a representative OF
the Associated Press:
Easement went to his death like a
brave man Just before the black cap
was adjusted he stood forward boldly
erect and said in clear, distinct,
slow voice: Into Thy hands, oh Lord,
commend my spirit Then, still
standing at his full height, he added:
Jesus receive my SOUL The trap
was sprung one minute after 9
o'clock"
Father McCarrel1 said he found
Easement to be beautiful character.
Efforts for Reprieve Fail.
Practically to the very hour of Roger
Easements execution strenuous efforts
were made by his friends and sympa-
thizers in the United States and Ire
land and even in England, to secure
a reprieve. Petitions poured in upon
the British government and efforts
were made to obtain action by Presi-
dent 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 27 when
the senate committee on foreign rela-
tions ordered an adverse report on all
resolutions proposing intercession by
the United States government The
only action taken in Washington was
the passage of a resolution by the SEN
ate asking the president to use his
good Offices with the British authori-
ties to obtain clemency for Irish po-
litical offenders in general
Prominent Men TO His Aid.
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 We'd
nesday that the British government
was determined not to grant a re-
prieve. Lord Cecil declared that Case
ment was much more malignant and
hostile" to Great Britain than were
the leaders who took an actual part in
the Sim Fem revolution and that
there was no ground which could be
brought forward in mitigation of his
offense.
Easement rose about half past FIVE
this morning. From then until Z
O'Clock when Father McCarreIl arrived
he spent the time reading the instruc-
tions Of the church for assisting at
mass and the taking of the first COM
munion. After mass he ate a little
bread and butter and drank a. glass of
water.
He had very little to say to the
priest, only making a few remarks
about Immortality of the soul. He ap-
peared, said Father McCarrell, like a.
man who had slept soundly-his
nerves were completely calm.
Papers Bitter at Execution.
The morning papers dwelt briefly
with the execution. The Daily News
says:
I'VE cannot but reaff1rm our convic-
ton that the government exhibited
grave unwiSdOm in exacting the death
penalty. No evil results could have
followed a Communication of the SEN
tence. The hanging gives the disaf-
fected section of Ireland another
martyr, embitters feeling throughout
the island, alienates a large and i'm
portant body of American opinion and
enables Germany to play off the death
of Easement against the death of
F'ryatt.'
Had Hopes of Freedom, Claim.
According to one news agency, Case
ment had high hopes of being repriev-
ed until the eve of his execution. He
did not hide the fact that he expected
his many powerful friends would OBJ
tain for him a free pardon.
las there was no sign of reprieve
last night" this account says, 1.-THE