The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1920-09-25

source that sentence had been passed in the af.
ternoon. before the last conversation with Mr..
Conrad, and that the execution would take place
during the night"
MI Gibson, accompanied by Mr.. Delavan, ccun-
selor of the American legation and the Spanish
minister to Belgium, went to Baron der
Lancken's headquarters and pleaded earnestly
with him for delay in carrying out the sentence.
The baron said that the military governor was the
supreme authority and that an 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-
GRAFTON and that he considered the death penaty
imperative
Miss Cavell was tried by court-martial with
others accused of the same offense and was shot
in the prison of ST GILES at O'Clock in the morn
ing by squad of soldiers. Those who saw 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 on record to show
that she had been guilty of spying,
In view of all the circumstances and Of the
fact, announced in Minister Whitocks 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 In ST.
Paus cathedral London, October %, in memory
of the dead nurse and steps taken to erect
q monument in her honor.
DR.. Alfred F. NJ. Zimmerman, German under
secretary of foreign affairs, issued a long state
ment, October "a, justifyng 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 army"
The execution of Miss Cavell, according to
Prof J. II. Morgan noted British jurist was not
perhaps the most revolving of the innumerablp
outrages committed by the German army but 1t
was certainly the most callous and the most au-
thoritative Hundreds of women and young girls
were outraged by German officers and men, many
were shot, and others burnt alive. But what dis |
tingushes 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 vigilant and high minded minister |
of 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 1t in the most lurid light the sinister
character Of German Justice" He says
"When 1t is said-and it may be admitted-that
Miss Cavell 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 it was she was seeking
to save them. The noble woman was condemned
and executed on q charge Of having offended
against military law. 1 know nothing more trag
cally ironical than that the power which has
broken all laws, human and divine. should seek
to justify the condemnation Of Edith CavelI with
oil the pomp Of tribunal Of Justice While
thousands Of ravishers and spoilers 20 free ono
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 Barabbas was released and Christ led
'orth to the hill of Calvarr.'