CAVELL 388 CAVENDISH ed soldiers. At first there was no obsta- cle put in her way by the German au- thorities, for German soldiers as well as French, Belgian, and English were nursed without discrimination. The Dutch frontier was not far away and a secret service was organized by the Allies and their sympathizers to enable wounded English soldiers, as soon as they had suf- ficiently recovered, to get across the bor- der into Holland and ultimately be trans- ferred to their own country. Miss Cavell was intensely patriotic and aided in this work, as she freely admitted, when later on she was brought to trial. In an or- ganization so extensive it was almost a foregone conclusion that sooner or later some traitor would reveal its ramifica- tions. This occurred in the case of Miss Cavell, who was denounced as participat- ing in this plan of escape and arrested by the German authorities Aug. 5, 1915. She was confined in the prison of St. Gilles, was not allowed to communicate with her friends, and it was three weeks before the fact of her arrest was made known. The British Government at once took steps in her behalf to see that she should have a fair trial, and communi- cated with the American Minister at Brussels, Mr. Brand Whitlock. He took up the matter at once and communicated with Baron von Laneken, the chief of the political department of the German military government in Belgium. The inquiry was made August 31, but no re- ply was vouchsafed, and after a delay of ten days, Mr. Whitlock wrote again, and at last was informed on September 12 that a Belgian advocate had charge of Miss Cavell's case and that no interview with the prisoner would be permitted. Further attempts on the part of the American Legation were also fruitless. On October 4 Mr. Whitlock was informed that the trial was to take place on the 7th. On the 8th the trial was concluded and judgment reserved. After the trial was concluded Miss Cavell was taken back to prison. Her friends sought in vain to find out what sentence had been passed and when it was to be carried out. They were either denied information or put off with falsehoods. The adviser of the American Legation, Mr. Leval, and Minister Whitlock himself strove with all their power to get information in order that they might, if possible, avert the doom that they feared was impend- ing. They prepared pleas for pardon, that were to be presented to the authori- ties in case Miss Cavell should receive the death sentence. All their efforts came up against the blank wall of official indifference or pretended ignorance. On October 11 Miss Cavell was told that the death sentence had been passed upon her and that she would be shot the next morning. Two hours later the American officials were being positively assured by German officials that no judg- ment had been passed. At 6 o'clock news was brought to the American Lega- tion by some of Miss Cavell's friends that she had been sentenced. Mr. Whit- lock was ill and could not leave the house, but he set all his secretaries to work and himself dictated another note to Von Laneken. At the same time he instructed his aids to seek out the Span- ish Minister, Villalobar, and go at once to Von Lancken's house to seek a com- mutation of the sentence. The Ameri- cans pleaded with him, and Villalobar added his entreaties. To all their ap- peals Von Laneken was adamant. She had been sentenced. She must die. The Kaiser himself could not help her. The next morning early Miss Cavell was shot. She met her fate with fortitude and without the slightest sign of fear. On May 15, 1919, her body, which had been exhumed at Brussels, was taken to West- minster Abbey, where an impressive service was held. All London turned out to do homage to her memory. Flags were flown at half-mast. The body was borne on a gun carriage, covered with flowers and the national flag and escort- ed by a regiment of the Guards, while hundreds of thousands of spectators with bared heads lined the streets through which the cortege passed. After the cer- emony the body was taken to Norwich, her native town, where the burial took place. CAVENDISH, WILLIAM, Duke of Newcastle; born in 1592. Son of Sir Charles Cavendish, he was made Earl of Newcastle by Charles L On the ap- proach of hostilities between the crown and Parliament he embraced the royal cause, and was invested with a commis- sion constituting him general of all his majesty's forces raised N. of the Trent, with very ample powers. Through great exertions and the expenditure of large sums from his private fortune he levied a considerable army, with which, for some time, he maintained the King's cause in the N. When the royal cause became hopeless he retired to Holland, He returned after an absence of 18 years, and was rewarded for his serv- ices and sufferings with the dignity of duke. He was the author of several mediocre poems and plays, and a treatise on horsemanship. He died in 1676. CAVENDISH, WILLIAM, first Duke of Devonshire, a British statesman and
