Omaha daily bee., 1919-07-05
Trial for Murderers Of
Miss Cavell
]. P. Collins in Boston Transcript.

For 20 years Maitre de Leval was legal ad-
vocate of the British legation in Brussels, and
after the war began he got an appointment in
similar capacity to the American minister,
Brand Whtlock. greatest of Miss Cavells cham
pions and friends.
The Maitre said Miss Cavell had done more
for the war by her death than many generals
had done in living. When she was warned of
what she must expect if she were caught in the
act of helping prisoners to get away home, her
reply was simply Il know, but l must 60 on, :"
and on the work went.
After Mons and Charleroi, great numbers of
allied fugitives had to be collected in all sorts
of dark and obscure places, and Belgian farmers
found harboring any of these were shot with
the captives themselves But nobody ever con-
ceived of women being shot for any such act
of mercy.
Maitre de Leval made it clear, at any rate,
that she was only one of group concerned in
the noble work of obtaining life and liberty for
brave men who had risked their lives for the
liberty of others, and he showed moreover what
clever plan was improvised by the patriotic
Prince de Croy and his sister for succoring
They brought them to their chateau, or
somewhere near it, had them photographed,
gave them Flemish names, taught them the ru-
diments of the language, prepared false identity
papers for them and even located their birth in
places which never existed.
When the majority Of this devoted group
were arrested-and they were betrayed by a
man said to be Pole-the Prince de Croy was
one OF the few who escaped, and it was gener-
ally believed that the women would survive
Most of them did, but one of them was doomed
from the first and knew it. Nurse Cavell had
20 one near her to tell her what to say. She
owned to saving these mems lives, 200 in ALL
and openly said it was her work and her duty
in life. If she had handed these countrymep
of hers over to the Germans, she said simply
they would have been shot.
When remonstrance was made to the Ger
mans through American authorities, the reply
was given that there was no need for M. Leval
to see her; besides no political prisoner could
be seen by anyone't sentence was passed, and
in any case, being Belgian, M. de Leval could
not plead in a German court. When another
man was obtained, M. Sadi Kirschen, he was
told the case was not very grave
1t is clear now that game had started to
put her friends off and give the machinery of
murder plenty of time to go forward.
AS a rule even in German law, the public
prosecutor in military courts was man versed
in the procedure and innocent of bias; but in
whose son had been killed on the English front,
and he seems to have left no stone unturned to
be revenged.
He was an elegant, cynical, incompetent I'M
scrupulous rufian, fashionably dressed, with
waxed mustache, and he set himself to bully
Nurse Cavell in the most horrible way He
treated her like slave and told her she lied;
he bullied her advocate for using word which
was not German, and made the whole defense
a mockery.
There was no capital offense to be proved
against her, for she was only an accomplice in
helping soldiers into neutral territory, Holland.
Moreover, she never guided enemy" troops
into enemy lands, as was alleged in order to
bring her into the tolls.
AS matter of fact law was enacted only
after her death to give warrant for her sem
tence.
She herself was in no doubt at any time as
to her fate. II am English" she said, "and they
want my life"
Fearing the worst possibility, her few friends
prepared petition for her addressed to the
governor, Won Kissing and his creature, Won
Lancken. When they asked for Won Lancken
(,aving heard the worsD he was at a frivolous
play and sent word they must wait till the play
was over. Then he grumbled at being disturbed
at that time of night, though it was her last
night alive. First he denied the death sem
tence, but later admitted it, saying he could
only be messenger, and not even the kaiser
could release her then.
She was bound to chain and fired at by II
soldiers, but these are held blameless. They
simply carried out orders.
The men to answer for it all are the kaiser,
Stoeber, Won Kissing and Won Sauberzweig
and it looks as if we are to have all four at the