Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-07-11
THOR twenty years Maitre de Le-
II val was legal advocate of the

British legation in Brussels,
and after the war began he got an
appointment in a similar capacity to
the American minister, Brand Whit
lock, greatest of Miss Cavells cham
pions II friends.
The Maitre said Miss Cavell had
done more for the war by her death
than many generals had done in liv-
ing. When she vas warned of what
she must expect if she were caught
in the act of helping prisoners to
get away home, her reply was SIM
ply, Il know, but | must go on"
and on the work went.
After Mons and Charleroi, great
numbers of Allied rugitives 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 conceived of wom-
en- being shot for any such act of
mercy.
Maitre de Leval made it clear at
any rate that she was only one of a
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 a clever
pan was lpIONlSGu ny lllC pau iOtlC
Prince de Croy and his sister for
%succoring these men.
Nurse CavelI Had no Counsel q
They brought them to their
chateau, or somewhere near it, had
them photographed, gave them
Flemish names, taught them the
rudiments of the language, prepared
false identity papers for them and
even located their birth in places
which V existed.
When the majority of this de-
voted group were arreSted-and
they were betrayed by a man said
to be a Pole-the Prince de Croy
was one of the few who escaped,
and it was generally believed hat
the women would survive. Most
OF them did, but one of them was
doomed from the first and knew it.
Nurse Cavell had no n near her to
tell her what to say. She owned to
saving these mems lives, two hum
bred in all, and openly said it was
her work and her duty in life. II
she had handed these countrymen
of hers over to the Germans, she
said simply, they would have been
shot.
When remonstrance was made to
the Germans through American au-
thorities, the reply was given that
there was no need for NJ. Leval to
see her: besides, no political pris-
oner could be seen by anyone till
sentence was passed, and in any
case. being a Belgian. NJ. de Leval
could not plead in a German court.
When another man vas obtained,
M. Sadi Kirschen. he was told the
case was not very grave.
Plotted From tho Start
1t is clear now that a 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 a man versed in the
procedure and innocent of bias; but
in this case a man named Stoeber
was employed, whose son had been
killed on the English front. and he
seems to have left no stone unturn-
ed to be revenged.
He was an elegant. cynical. in
competent INSCRIPTIONS ruftfan,
fashionably dressed. with a waxed
mustache. and he set himself to
bully Nurse Cavell In the most hor-
rible way. lie treated her lk "a
slave and told her she lied; he bull
lied her advocate Tor uSinH u Wofu
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 eve guided enemy"
troops into enemy lands, as was al
legged In order to bring her into the
tolls.
To Punish Nurses Murdcrers
A a matter of fact. a law was
enacted only after her death to give
warrant for her sentence.
She herself was In no doubt at
| any time as TO her fate. II am En-
glish." she said, land they wan my
life"
Fearing the worst possibility. her
| few friends prepared a petition for
her addressed 10 the governor. Won
Kissing. and his creature Won Lanek-
en-. When they asked for Won
Lancken (having heard the worstl
he was at a frivolous play and sent
word they must walt till the play
was over Then he sFumbled At be-
| ing disturbed at that time OF night