Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-10-29
:: The Truth About Bel GUM .:
- - BY BRAND WITTLOCK

afternoon, and that she was to be
shot at = O'Clock the next morning.
IL seemed prepoSJerouS, especially
the Immediate execution Of sentence.
There had always Deen time at least
TO prepare and present a plea Tor
mercy. To condemn a woman IN
the evening and then to hurry her
out TO be shot before another dawn
impossible,
But no: AJaitre de Leval was GER
tain. That evening he had gone
home and was writing at his table,
were introduced. one was Miss
Wikilson. little and nervous, all
in tears" the other taller ana
more calm" Miss WikilSOn SAID
that she had just learned that the
Judgment of the court condemned
judgment had been read TO her in
the cell of the prison at 1880 that
afternoon. and that the Germans
were going TO shoot her that night
at , o'clock.
Maitre de Leval told her that 1t
was difficult TO believe such news
since twice he had been told that
the Judgment had not been render
ed and that il would not be rend-
cred before the following day, but
on her reiteration that she. had
this news from a source that was
aOSOAuAGlA NEGA1AAls hN 1t NeAA ANAN
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 stay
of execution would be granted. Al
ready in the afternoon, in some pre-
moniJiOn, Maitre de Leval had pre-
pared a recouTs en- grace tplea for
mercy) to be submitted to the gov
ernor general. and a letter OF trans
initial to present to the Baron Won
der Lancken. l asked Maitre de
Leval to bring me these documents
and l signed them. and then, at the
last minute. on the latter address,
ed TO Won der Lancken. ! wrote
few words of personal plea Tor
the condemned.
Mr.. whitlock, United States Minis
ter in Brussels, to Baron Won
der Lancken.
Brussels. October /, 1915.
Your EXCELLENCE have Just
heard that Miss Cavell, a British
subject, and consequently unuer the
protection of my legation, was this
morning condemned to death oy
court-maTtial.
If my information is correct. the
sentence in the present case Is
more severe 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 drastic
sentence, / feel that l have the
right to appeal to his eXcellenCy
the gOvernOr-generalS feeling OF
humanity and generosity i'm Miss
Cavells favor, and to ask that the
death penalty passed on Miss
Cavell may be committed, and that
this unfortunate woman shall not
be executed.
Miss Cavell is the head of the
Brussels Surgical institute. She
has spent her life in alternating the
IS suffeTings of others, and her school
has turned out many nurses who
have watched at the bedside Of the
sick ell the world over, in GorGi@ny
as in Belgium. At the beginning
of the war Miss Cavell bestowed her
care as freely on the German sol
dierS as on others. Even in de-
fault of all other reasons, her ca
reer as a servant of humanity is
such as to inspire the greatest SYM
the information in my possession
Is correct. Miss Cavell, far from
shielding herself. has, with COM
mendable StraightfOrwardneS adj
mitted he truth of all the charges
aaSinst her. and ii is the very in
formation which she herself las
furnished, and which she .aiCne was
in a position to furnish. that has
aggravated the severity of the SEN
tence passed Oh her.
1t is then with confidence, and in
The hope of its favorable reception.
that ] beg Your EXcellency to sub
NIT TO the governor-generaI my re-
quest for PARDON on Miss Cayells
behalf.
avail. etc.
BRAND WHITLOCK.
My Dear Baron: 1 am too i'll to
present my request TO you in per-
son, but ] appeal to the generosity
of your heart to support il and
save this unfortunate woman from
Ceath. Have pity on her.
Yours sincerely,
BRAND WHITLOCk.
/ told Maitre de Leval to send
Joseph at once to hunt up Gibson
10 present my plea and if possible
to Ind the Marquis de VIhalobaT
AMI to ask him TO support it with
the Baron Won der Lancken. Glib
son was dining somewhere. We did
not know where Nillalob1. was.
The Holitsche Abteilung, in the min
istTy OF industry, where Baron Won
der Lancken lived, was Only half
= dozen blocks away The gOvern5C
general was in his chateau at TTOis
Fontaines. Ten niles away, Dlay-
ing br. dge that evening. Mai;re dc
LcVal went. and ! waited
Waiting
The nurses from Miss Caveirs
school were waiting i'm a lower
room. other nurses came for news.
they. too, had heard, out could not
believe. Then the Reverend Mr. II.
Stirling r. Gahan, the British chap
lain at Brussels and pSStor of the
English church, came. Re had had
a note written in German saying
simply.
Come at once; some one IS about
TO die "