The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1920-03-12

source that sentence had been passed in the at
ternoon. before the last conversation with Mr.
Conrad, and that the execution would take place
during the light"
Mr.. Gibson accompanied by Mr.. Delnvan, coun-
selor of the American legation, and the Spanish
minister to Belgium. went to Baron Won der
Lanckens 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 appeal from his
decision could only be carried to the emperor
The military governor in conference with the
baron said he had acted only after mature DELHI
GRAFTON and that he considered the death penalty
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 a 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 Whtlock'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 iE St
Paul's cathedral, London, October 20, in memory
of the dead nurse and steps were taken to erect
monument In her honor.
Dr. Alfred f. M. Zimmerman, German under
secretary OF foreign affairs, issued long state
ment October "a justifying the execution Of Miss
Caven on the ground that she at the head
of "a we'll 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. H. Morgan noted British jurst, not
perhaps. the most revolving of the nnumerabe
outrages committed by the German army. but IT
was certainly the most callous and the most au-
thoritatve. Hundreds of women and young girls
were outraged by German officers and men. many
were shot and others burnt alive. But what dis
tnguishes 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-mnded minister
of Il neutral state the veil has been lifted upor
the whole proceedings from their inception t.
their mouInful conclusion in the courtyard of the
prison of st. Giles and the world has had re
vealed to it in the most lurid light the sinister
character of German Justice" He says
when it is said-and it may be admitted-tha
Miss Caven was guilty of an offence according t.
military law in harboring British and Belgian
and assisting their escape, let the reader reflec
from what kind of fate it she seekni
TO save them. The noble woman was condemned
and executed on charge of having offended
against military law. l know nothing more tragi
cay ironical than that the power which ha
broken all laws, human and divine, should seel
to Justify the condemnation of Edith Cave will
all the pomp of a tribunal of justice. Will,
thousands of ravishers and spoilers go free. one
woman who had spent her life in ministries II
such as were sick and afflicted Is handed t
the executoner. Truly there has been no sucl
trial since Barabbas was released and Christ LEI
forth to the hill of Calvary"