South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1917-10-02
EDITH CAVELL.
II regret L can not live longer fOl


IL regret L can not 1--we longer Tor
England"
on Monday evening, Oct. IL. 1915,
the Rev. NJ. Gahan, a British chap
lain in Brussels. was admitted by
special passport to the prison of st.
GILES
As the divine entered the confines
of the German military prison the
muffled thunder Of the heavy guns
was finding its way through the null
hilarious noises OF a military street
and the whole scene was dampened
by cold drizzle as il even the
heavens would ado to the depression
of the prison atmosphere.
A military court-marshal in the
early afternoon had passed the final
death sentence on one Edith Cavell'
a British nurse who had remained
behind when the royal armies re-
treated for the purpose of admins
tering TO the ease or her wounded
countrymen, prisoners in the Ger
man hands. For ten weeks the little
nurse had been confined in the
great, gloomy prison on technical
sentence of espionage. Through her
own words. in her signed statement
and by public acknowledgment IN
the military court which tried her,
Edith CaveH admitted the charge
10 be true and the sentence just.
consisted
maintaining a sort Of underground
route for assisting British prison
ers in the German hands TO escape
and as a rule, the men who thus
regained freedom were experts In
some line. and their observations
within the enemy lines proved OF
much utility on their rejoining the
British forces.
The Rev. Gahan found the frail
little woman calm and resigned.
Fear was at no time expressed or
admitted. After a touching inter
view. she gave him messages TO dear
friends and relatives. In assuring
him her department before the mr.
inc squad would be truly British
she said. 81 have no fear nor shrink
inc 7 have seen death so often that
il is not strange or painful to me
All through the dreary afternoon
the American legation was making
tireless effort in a great fight TO
save the life of the heroic nurse, or
AZ the least 20 obtain a sentence less
horrible than death but hardly the
less fearful.
Mr. whitlock, the American min
lister. assigned CASTOR De Laval. at
torney to the legation, to be Miss
CavelVs counsel at the military trial.
A. we have seen. his efforts were
abortive-indeed the case seems 10
have been almost hopeless from the
first
Al $50 word was received at the
American legation that Miss CaVeH
was 70 he shot some time during the
night.
The legation assumed A feverish
activity: these keen Americans mao
decided 70 night the death penalty To
The last. Attaches endeavored TO get
IN contact with Baron Won der
T.ancken. chief Of the political de-
partment. The Spanish minister was
retained for the Influence he weld
ed at that time.
The situation became desperate
when Baron Won der Lancken could
not he located. Early in the evening
he had left his Office for an even
inr's entertainment at the theater
Baron Won Falkenhauser and Count
I Harrach. members OF the pohuca
Department and on the staft or Vor
iI.ancken. are located, however ano
AZ 1890 the chief OF the political
department is found; he hurries u
\ his Office. After a short and earnes'
consultation the German officers de-
clare they cannot circumvent the de-
cree Of the military tribunal The
sentence is 20 be carried through.
The hour for the execution has
arrived.
The usual German firing party
consists OF 10 men. two OF whicf
would carry rifles loaded blank. NJ
man could know whether his CUR
caused the death OF the victim.
To arrange the execution OF Edit
CaveH 30 men are necessary will