The New York herald., 1922-04-09
Armand Jeannes BOasted Of
Helping Bring About
Her Execution.
AIDED BRITISH TO ESCAPE
Heroic Chambermaid and Bel
gian Jeweler Worked With
Nurse to Fool Germans.

Special Gable to THE NEW York HERALD.
Copyright, 1929. by THE New York HERALD.
BRUSSELS, April S--Armand Jeannes,
who boasted that he was instrumental
in bringing about the arrest and exc
cution of the British war nurse Edith
Cavell by the Germans. was con-
demned to death at Mons this week
for treason against Belgium and tie
Allies without mention of the Cavell
case being made in the trial.
There are many persons here who
We're co-workers with Miss Cavell in
the dangerous task of helping British
prisoners to escape from the Germans
These persons, wko speak in the high
est terms of the brave nurse say tina.
she realized fully from the beginning.
that sooner or later she would be ar
rested, but that she abandoned all
thought of self in the interest of Eer
country.
Among these friends of Miss Cavell is
an unassuming chambermaid known
generally as Mary, who wears medal
on her blue working blouse and has a
diploma signed by Lord Curzon convey
ing the thanks of the British Govern
ment to her for distinguished work
in aiding British soldiers to escape.
There are NJ. Charles Leclerc. small
jeweler, who also worked in close CO.
operation with Miss Cavell and himself
had a narrow escape; Dr. Tollemache
Bull member of the British colony in
Brussels. and several others. From
these an accurate account Of Miss
Cavclls work was obtained.
After the battle Of Mons the woods
were full of detached British soldiers
who refused to surrender. The hospital
ambulances contained many British
wounded, among them Lieut.-Col. Gibbs
of the Duke OF Wellington's West Rid
ing Regiment. who undertook to coordi-
nate the efforts of the local popula ton
to assist the escape of allied soldiers
from German prisons.
At the beginning the refugees were
taken through the forests to the allied
extreme left flank. But in October the
allied flank was thrown back and new
avenue of escape was opened toward
neutral Holland through Brussels. In
the last week of October. 1914. NJ Albert
Lb!ez. barrister of Mons. brought two
British officers to Miss Cavell's hospital
at Brussels and thereby began her ac-
tiyit.es which ended in her death by ex-
ecution October II. 1915.
DR.. Bull. who himself was aid ing Bel
gians to escape. often met Miss Cavell
and discussed the difficulties of the sit
uation with her until he was arrested in
1916 for his activities. He says that
the work of Miss Cavell was complicated
by her desire to guard the interests OF
the owners of the nursing school which
she headed.
Because of Miss Cavelrs self-sacri-
ficing nature persons less brave than she
imposed on her or this she sometimes
complained. but she never refused her
services. One day she came to DR.. Bull
greatly upset because thirty-four allied
soldiers had been brought to her hospital
from Mons, where the people were afraid
{. keep them. yet she kept on until the
end which she foresaw from the first
came to her.
M. Leclcrc who did his share by en-
craving false German passports and
Identification cards. owes his life to the
fact that a compatriot overheard two
German soldiers complaining of not be-
ing able to find the nest OF spies in a
jewelers. shop because the name of the
street had been changed. This man inn
mediatcly ran 70 NJ. Leclerc's shop and
warned him. At first the jeweler denied
his part In the work, but when the man
threw himself on his knees and begged
him TO destroy the evidence before II
was too late he complied. and with the
help Of the stranger succeeded in doing
so only just In time. for a few minutes
later German soldiers entered the shop
and made a thorough search for evil
dence.
Leclerc later was arrested for some
small offense and deported to conccn-
tration camp until after the armistice.