The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-10-31

of the promise that we should have
information when sentence
was pronounced. (This was just one
hour and twenty. minutes after the
sentence had actually been pronoun-
ced. There is no need for commonly.
At $3.50 I had just gone home when
Leval came for me in my car, saying
that he had come to report that Miss
CaveH was to be shot in the course
of the night. We could hardly cred
1t this; but as our informant was so
positive and insisted SO earnestly, we
set off to see what could be done.
N-Leval had already seen the minis
ter, who was ill in bed, and brought
me his instructions to find Won der
Lancken, present the appeal for Gle
mency@ and press for a favorable de-
cision. In order. to add weight to our
representations I was to seek out the
Spanish minister to get him to go
with us and join in our appeal.
found him dining at Baron Lambert's,
and on explaining the case to him he
willingly agreed to come.
When we got to the Political De-
partment we found that Baron Won
der Lancken and all the members of
evening at one of the disreputable
little. theatres that have sprung up
here for the entertainment of the
Germans. At first I was unable to
find where he had gone, as the or
derby on duty evidently had orders
not to tell, but by dint of some b1us-
tering and impressing on him the
fact that Lancken would have cause
to regret not having seen us, he
agreed to have him notified. I put
the orderly in the motor and sent
him off. The Marquis de Vi1lalobar.
Leval and settled down to wait, and
we waited long, for Lancken evident
ly knowing the purpose of our visit.
declined to bulge until the end of
an act that seemed to appeal to him
particularly. He came in about 1880,
followed shortly by Count Harrach
and Baron Won Falkenhausen, mem
bers Of his staff
I briefly explained the situation as
we understood it and presented the
note from the minister transmitting
the appeal for clemency. Lancken
read the note aloud in our presence
showing no feeling aside from cynic-
al annoyance at probably
our having discovered the intention
of the German authorities.
When he had finished reading the
note Lancken said that he knew moth
ing OF the case, but was sure in any
event that no sentence would be exc
cuted SO soon as we had said. He
manifested some surprise not to say
annoyance, that we should give Gre
dence to any report in regard to the
case which did not come from his
department, that being the only Off
cia1 channel. Leva1 and I insisted,
however, that we had reason to be-
lievei our reports were correct and
urged him to make inquiries. He
then tried to find out the exact
source of our information, and be-
came painfully insistent. I did not
propose, however, to enlighten him
on this point and said that I did not
feel at liberty to, divulge our source
Of information.
I4ancken then became persuasive
said that it was most improbable that
any sentence had been pronounced;
that even If it had, it could not be put
into effect within 50 short a time, and
that in any event all government of
fees were closed, and that it was
impossible for him to take any ac-
ton before morning. He suggested
that we all go home reasonably
sleep quietly, and come back in the
morning to talk about the case. It
was very clear that II the facts were
as we believed them to be, the next
morning would be too late; and we
pressed for Immediate inquiry. I had
to be rather insistent on this point,
and de Leval, in his anxiety. became
SO emphatic that I feared he might
bring down the wrath of the Germans
on his own head and tried to quiet
HIM. There was something splendid
H. Pn1c TO-, h
ject with nothing to gain and every
thing to lose. stood up for what he
believed to be right and chivalrous,
regardless of consequences.
Finally, Lancken agreed to enquire
as to the facts, telephoned from his
office to the presiding judge Of the
icourt-martial, and returned n a short
time to say that sentence had indeed
been passed, and that Miss Cav5n was
to be shot during the night.
We then presented with all the
earnestness at our command the plea
for -clemency.
| We pointed out to IIancken that
Miss Cave11s offences were a matter
of the past; that she herself had beer
If prison for some weeks, thus effec-
tually ending her power for harm;
4 that there was nothing to be gained
| by SnOOC1nS ncr, ana on the contrary
this would do Germany much more
harm than good ard England much
more good than harm. We pointed
out to him that the whole case was
a very bad one from Germal,ys poin
of view; that the sentence of death
4 had heretofore been imposed only
for cases of espionage and that Miss
Cave11 was not even accused by the
/ German authorities of anything sc
serious. We reminded him that Mis-:
Cavel1 as directress of a large nurs
ing home had since the beginning Of
the war cared for large numbers Of
German soldiers in way that should
make her life sacred to them. I fur
tier called his attention to the mani
fest failure of the Political Depart
ment to comply with it's repeated
4 promises to keep US informed as tt
the progress Of the trial and the pass
i ing Of the sentence. The deliberate
policy of subterfuge and prevarica
ton by which they had sought to de
lceive us as to the progress of the cas-,
was so raw as to require little com
4 msnt. We all pointed out to Lancke1
1.-The horror of shooting woman, NJ
matter what her offence; and enGeav
ored to impress upon him the fright
full effect that such an execution
would have throughout the civilize,