The Murder of Nurse Cavell

Kai Tiaki : the journal of the nurses of New Zealand, Volume VIII, Issue 4, 1 October 1915, Page 159

The Murder of Nurse Cavell

Probably no act of aggression since the "war began has roused so much indignation and feeling of horror as the cold blooded murder of Nurse Cavell. Miss Edith Cavell, late bead of a training school for nurses in Brussels, was arrested last August for harbouring fugitive British and French soldiers and Belgians o f military age, and assisting them to escape from Belgium. Last week word was received that she was brutally muvdered on October 13th, and had died like a heroine. Miss Cavell made no attempt to deny what she had done, there was no chargo of espionage, but German " Kultur " desired a further manifestation, German frightfulness demanded another victim, and so the prisoner was not allowed to see her lawyer, and the lawyer was not shown any of the documents of the prosecution. The American and the Spanish Ministers, who

had been making every possible effort on Miss Cavell's behalf, were told after the trial that no sentence had been passed. The following morning the victim was led out into the garden and shot, butchered to make a " German '". holiday. Lord Lansdowne, speaking m the House of Lords on the execution of Miss Cavell, said : " That doubtless she was liable to punishment ; but she might have been cxc cute d with a measure of that mercy which no civilised country would refuse to a brave and devoted woman who had given her energies for the mitigation of th/> sufferings of others." An impressive memorial service was held m St. Paul's, London, which was attended no doubt by thousands who would do honour to the woman who had spent her days m doing good, and had given her life for her country.