NURSE CAVELL'S LAST WORDS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21876, 11 August 1934, Page 3 (Supplement)

NURSE CAVELL'S LAST WORDS

"GLAD TO GIVE MY LIFE"

GERMAN CHAPLAIN'S STORY What is claimed to be an authentic account of the last moments of Nurse Cavell has been revealed. The German Lutheran chaplain, Dr. Le Seur, who accompanied her to the place of her death, has broken his long silence.

"I went with Miss Cavell," Dr. Le Seur says, "in my capacity as a German Army chaplain, as she went to her own death and funeral. She remained calm, and listened to the passages from the Bible and verses from the Psalms which I continued to repeat throughout the slow procession to the firing ground. She had wonderful control over herself. When we reached the ground, the firing squad, commanded by a general staff officer, was already under arms. I. felt it my duty to be as brief as possible. I took Miss Cavell's hand in mine, and I said to her, in English, the simple words: " 'May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father, the communion of the Holy Ghost be with thee in Eternity. Amen.' " Miss Cavell shook my hand warmly, and said to me: ' Tell Mr. Graham, so that one day he can repeat it to ipy dear ones, that my soul is ready, and that 1 am glad to give my life for my country.' I went with her the remaining few paces that separated us from the fatal post. A bandage was placed cfver her eyes. The soldier who tied it told me they were filled with tears. "There were quick, short words of command, followed by two salvoes from ten rifles, at five paces' distant. During all this time my eyes did not leave Miss Cavell. As the sound of the shots died away, she lifted her arms to the sky, in absolute silence, and then fell forward. "I take God as the witness to the truth of my words."