The preliminary hearing of the charge of high treason against
Sir Roger Casement opened before Sir John Dickinson at Bow Street on Monday. It was a surprise that a second prisoner appeared in the dock with Casement—D. J. Bailey, a soldier of the Royal Irish Fusiliers, who is alleged to have joined the " Irish Brigade" in Berlin, and to have accompanied Casement to Ireland. Sir F. E. Smith described how Casement, born in 1864, had served as Consul at various places in Africa and South America, had written the Report on the Putumayo atrocities, and had retired in 1913 with a pension. Nothing could have been more loyal, and even subservient, in tone than the letter of thanks which Casement sent to Sir Edward Grey on receiving a knighthood in 1011. The stages of Casement's change are not known, but early in the war he appeared in Berlin. Soon afterwards began the attempts to seduce the Irishmen, which were received with anger and ridicule by the vast majority.
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