The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1920-03-12

source that sentence had been passed in the az
ternoon, before the last conversation with Mr..
Conrad, and that the execution would take place
during 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 was the
supreme authority and that an appeal from his
decision could only be carried to the emperor.
The military governor in q 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 Il 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 q squad Of soldiers. Those who saw her
before and at the time of her execution said that
she met her death bravely. She acknowledged ut
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 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 in st.
Paul's cathedral, London. October %, in memory
of the dead nurse and steps were taken to erect
q monument i'm her honor.
DR.. Alfred +. M. Zimmerman, German under
secretary Of foreign affairs, issued a long state
ment, October "a, justifying the execution of Miss
Cavell on the ground that she was 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, a noted British jurist, was not
perhaps, the most revolving of the innumerable
outrages committed by the, German army, but it
was certainly the most callOus and the most au-
thoritat!ve. Hundreds Of women and young girls
were outraged by German officers and men, many
were shot, and others burnt alive. But what dis
tinguishes 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 q neutral state, the veil has been lifted upon
the whole proceedings from their inception TO
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-that
Miss Cavell was guilty of an offence according to
military law I'm 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. / know nothing more tragi-
cally irOnical than that the power which has
broken all laws, human and divine, should seek
TO justify the Inflammation OF Edith Cavell with
all the pomp Of a tribunal Of justice. While
thousands of ravishers 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 Barabbas was released and Christ led
forth fO fha hill Of calvary" y t# # y..