The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1920-03-05

source that sentence had been passed In the at
ternoon. before the last conversation with Mr..
Conrad. and that the execution would take place
d1Srng the night"
Mr. Gibson accompanied by Mr.. Delavan. coun-
selOr OF the American legation. and the Spanish
minister to Belgium. went to Baron Won der
Lancken's headquarters and pleaded earnestly
with him for delay In carrying out the sentence.
The baron said that the military governor the
supreme authority and that appeal from his
decision could only be carried to the emperor.
The military governor In a conference with the
baron said he had acted only after mature delib-
eration and that he considered the death penalty
imperative.
Miss Cave was tried by a court-martiai with
others accused Of the same offense and shot
in the prison Of st. GILES at O'Clock in the morn
ing by squad of soldiers. Those who her
before and at the time of her execution said that
she met her death bravely. She acknowledged at
the trial that she had helped soldiers to escape
but there seems to be nothing record to show
that she had been guilty of spying.
In view of all the circumstances and of the
fact announced In Minister Whitlock's report to
Ambassador Page, that she had nursed German
officers and soldiers. the execution of Miss Cavell
aroused great Indignation. not only In Great Brit
ain but in neutral countries. Services attended
by many distinguished persons were held IL st.
Paul's cathedral London. October 20, in memory
of the dead nurse and steps were taken to erect
a monument in her honor
Dr. Alfred F. NJ. Zimmerman. German under
secretary Of foreign affairs issued long state
ment, October "a, justifying the execution of Miss
Cavell on the ground that she at the head
Of "a well thought out. worldwide conspiracy to
render the most valuable services to the enemy
to the disadvantage of our army
The execution of Miss Cavell. according to
Prof j. b. Morgan, a noted British jurist. was not
perhaps, the most revolving of the Innumerable
outrages committed by the German army. but 1t
was certainly the most caious and the most
thoritat.ye. Hundreds of women and young girls
were outraged by German officers and men. many
were shot and others burnt alive. But what dis
tinpuishes the case of Miss Cavell-not forgetting
the singular nobility of her character-from these
obscurer tragedies Is the fact that, owing to the
presence of the vigant and high-mnded minister
of a neutral state, the veil has been lifted upon
the whole proceedings from their inception to
their mournful conclusion In the courtyard Of the
prison of St. GILES. and the world has had re-
vealed to it in the most Iurid light the sinister
character OF German ''Justice." He says:
"Vyheu It is said-and it may be admitted-that
Miss Cave was guilty of an offence according TO
military law In harboring British and Belgians
and assisting their escape. let the reader reflect
from what kind of fate 1t she was seeking
tn save them. The noble woman condemned
and executed on charge OF having offended
cally ironicai than that the power which nns
broken all laws, human and divine, should seek
to Justify the condemnation of Edith Cave with
nil the pomp of tribunal of justice. While
of ravlshers and spoilers go free. one
woman who had spent her life in ministries to
such as were sick and afflicted Is handed over to
the executioner. Truly there has been no such
trial since Rarabbas released and Christ led
forth to the hill CT Calvary"