The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1918-10-29

with the Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate.
Copyright, 1918. by Brand WhitlOck, un-
der the title Memories Of Belgium I'M
der the German Occupation." An rights
rights reserved. copyrighted in Great
Britain. Canada and Australia. All
rights reserved for France, Belgium,
Holland, Italy. Spain. Russia and the
Scandinavian countries)
At . o'clock on Monday evening Mai
tire de Leval appeared suddenly at the
door OF my chamber. Ills face was
deadly pallid; he said that he had just
heard from the nurse, who kept him in
formed. that the judgment had been
confirmed and that the sentence Of
death had been pronounced on Miss
Cavell at 4:30 o'clock that afternoon and
that she was to be shot at 2 o'clock
the mex morning. II seemed preposter-
oUS, especially the immediate execution
Of sentence. There had always been
time at least to prepare and present a
plea for mercy. To condemn a woman
In the evening and then hurry her out
to be shot before another dawn! I'm
possible!
But no; Maltre de Leval was certain.
That evening he had gone home and
was writing at his table, when about
One was Miss Wikilson, little and ner-
Vous, all in tears" the other taller and
more calm" Miss Wikilson said that
she had just learned that the judgment
OF Ile court GOuutinltu MISS CaNell 10
death, that the judgment had been read
to her I'm the cell Of the prison at 4;S0
that afternoon, and that the Germans
were going to shoot her that night at 2
o'clock.
Maitre de Leval told her that it was
difficult to believe such news since
twice he had been told that the tudg-
ment had not been rendered and that
1t would not be rendered before the fol-
lowing day, but on her reiterations that
she had this news from a source that
was absolutely certain, De Leval left
at once with her and her friend and
came to the legation. And there he
stood, pale and shaken,
Even then ! could not believe; il was
too preposterous: surely a stay Of eN-
@eCution would be granted. Already in
the afternoon, in some premonltion,
en- grace Cplea for mercy to be sub
mitted to the general, and a
letter of transmittal to present to the
Baron Won der Lancken, / asked Mai
tire de Lavel to bring me these docu-
ments and | signed them, and then, at
to Won der Lancken, | wrote a few
words of personal plea for the con-
demned.
MIR. Whitlock, United states Minister
in Brussels, to Baron Won der
L~ancken.
Brussels, Oct. II. 1915.
Your Excellency-I have just heard
that Miss Cavell, a British subject, and
consequently under the protection OF
my legation, was this morning con
demned to death by court-martial.
II my information is correct, the sem
tence in the present case Is more Sc
we're than all the others that have been
passed in similar cases which have been
tried by the same court, and, without
going into the reasons for such a dras-
tic sentence, I feel that ] have the right
to appeal to his eXcellency, the govern
~or-general's feelings of humanity and
generosity in Miss Cavell's favor, and
to ask that the death penalty passed on
Miss Cavell may be, committed, and that
this unfortunate woman shall not be
excepted,
Miss Cavell is the head of the Brus-
sells Surgical institute, She has spent
her life in alleviating the sufferings of
others, and her school has turned out
many nurses who have watched at the
bedside of the sick all the world over,
in Germany as in Belgium. At the be
| ginning Of the war Miss Cavell be-
| slowed her care as freely on the Ger
| man soldiers as on others. Even in
default of all other reasons, her carer
as a servant of humanity Is such as
to inspire the greatest sympathy and
to call for pardon. II the information
In my possession Is correct, Miss
! Na NNAs ~ iOl FAiNNlNA'e AitAt1iAf iAAFH
with commendable straightforwardness,
admitted the truth or all the charges
against her, and It Is the very In
formation which she herself has tu-
nished, and which she afone was in a
position to furnish, that has aggravated
the severity of the senrence passed on
her.
1t ia then with confidence, and in
the hope of its favorable reception, that
| beg Your Excelleucy 10 submit to the
governor-geueral my request for par
don on Miss Cavell's behalf.
| avail. &C. Brand Whitlock.
My Dear Baron am too i'll to pre-
sent my request to you in person, but
| appeal to the generosity Of your heart
to support it and save this unfortunate
Yours sincerely. Brand Whitlock.
told Maitre de Levai TO send Joseph
at once to hunt up Gibson to present
my plea and IL possible to find the
Marquis de Villalobar n to ask him
to support 1t with the Baron Won der
Lancken. Gibson was dining ome
where: we did not know where Villa
lohar was. The Politsche Abteilung. in
the ministry of industry, where Baron
Won der L.ancken lived, was only half
a dozen blocks away, The governor
general was In his chateau at Trois
F~ontaines, 10 miles away, playing
bridge that evening, Maitre de Levai
went, and | waited.
Waiting.
The nurses from Miss Cavells school
we're waiting in a lower room; other
nurses came for news; they, too, had
| tnAEl INf Gould MT ha,fANl Than tho