AFTER THE RAID.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 281, 20 August 1908, Page 8

AFTER THE RAID.

SUFFRAGETTES IN THE DOCK. THREAT TO THItOW A BOMB. . Of tho twenty-nine.. women who wero arrested as tho outcome of tho riotous scenes in Parliament "Square occasioned by the ,Suffragette demonstration, all but ono were sentenced at 'the London police courts oh July 2. The two who threw, stone 3 through', 'windows 'at' the residence of tho Prime Minister,in Downing Street were sent to prison without tho option- of -a fine, andtho Magistrates' refused to • allow them tho lighter punishment of the second division. Twenty-fivo" others clectcd to go to prison rather than iind • sureties. • i

Tho two;women charged with breaking Mr. Asquith's wiijdows wcro. Mrs..' Mary Leigh, aged twenty-six, and; Miss Edith New, aged thirty-one, 'Organiser. They . were brought betora 'Mr'. Marcham at Bow Street Police Court.".Mrs. Leigh was dressed in a long light'blue coat; and Miss New' was in, white.' Each defendant carried: a largebou--q'uot of .-white and* mauve sweotVpeas.'' Mr, - Muskett, / who. prosecuted, suggested tliat the case was ono calling for imprisonment, without tho option of a fine. 'Aft«r taking part in the disorderly' scenes ifrJiicH arose in-'the course -of tho ovening out-side, tho Houso ' of' Parliament the; defendants drovo in a - taximeter-cab to Downing Street, and each threw a stone at the windows by-tho sido of the, door of ; Mr;'" As-' quith's'"house,' doing: daniago 'to, tbe';amquntfof 10s.'One ■of th'o stones was-picked up-in" tho hall : of 'tho 'Primo Minister s 'residence; The most serious'feature''of'tho : case was that when the -defendants ' were'-' arrested Mrs. Leigh. remarked, "It: will bo a bomb next time.. We: are. martyrs to the cause I" ' Addressing the Magistrate, Miss New said she'wished to state that. they, had tried every other .means to, attain their end, and now they had no other course to pursue. The responsibility for'• anything; they,,„hacl, done,! or said. : rested not,'.upon ;thejr• upon tho autocrat :of. England} who persisted.j in flouting tho majority of his country. They ] wero outlaws. . . .. .i

The Magistrate:: It is' said .that you threatened to- usoborijbs next time. ~ . Miss-New:, I did'.,riot make '.use. of ,that remark. '.• '■...;; You have no idea' of resorting to anything of that"kind ?,—I/cannot' say at" the . present': moment.' ;My action will depend.on tho. action ■of "tho, .Government. ~.. Oao of you seems to havo mado somo allusion to bombs,' and if anything serious occursi in that, way it may .he punishable with hang-v ing.—l;;;cannot : my ; futu,re, aotion. will be.'- It will" depend upon the. doing of, justice'.to' women ;b'y the . Government "of . our . country. ' ', • i Asked if she wished to say anything/iSWIJ Leigh replied: i>y,fe,.have no other e'dttira to take but to rebel.against the pressure pf.ono man;- The fight is going' oil. , . : ' In reply.; to- tho Magistrate she said:. "Iadmit I said it will be; bombs next time." The Magistrate: Do ypu" mean that. still ? —We don't think' there will '.be any/necessity to go further than, we have'done'.Mr. Marsliam said' the defendants would not attain .their object by "trying to 'terrify men in-ariyJway, and if: they adopted these' extravagant: measures there . was not the slightest chancel'of their- being . successful': He did riot think a fine would meet this 6asei and he sentenced each'of the defendants'to, two mouths' imprisonment, and would not make it in the second division. Each of the defendants had {beon- previously convicted'iii' connection, with similar disturbances. .', j.., These women will not. therefore benefit by the decision .of the'Home''Secretary, announced, after one .of the recent'-Suffragette raids,--7.that' - in . ordinaryj/'Votes for 1 women''•. disturbances the prisoners ■ would .be treated- as second-class : misdemeanants.'; These latter i.'are,, of course, detained in prison for'the period-of their sentence, they have, prison food,< clean their cells, and they; have privileges, as to. exercise, ' but'..they, do' not havo to perform any labour, tasks.

: THE TWO PATHS. Twenty-seven of the women wore: brought before Mr.''Francis at Westminster Police Court. ... ■ : ', v. VThe ; first . defendant was Miss Felloon, aged fifty, 181 Westcombo Hill. : PoliceSergeant ; 32 L stated that when ho asked tho defendant to go away'she replied, . "Not for you. 'dirty 'cad." Pointing to Victoria: Street.(from which'Caston Hall,-where the women hold their. meetings, is approached) she said, "That is the way to heaven," and pointing to the House of Commons, "That /is the way>,to.'hell." : ■ ; ■ v. : Tho defendant: Oh,. no; I never said that. She was ordered to be bound over. ' ' When Miss Dorothy. Gibbons, forty-five,, 12, Willow Road, Hampstead ■ Heath, was called, she linked arms with two other defendants' and 'shouted, "Votes for women."' "A month, please," she exclaimed whon ordered to'find, a surety of £20 or go to prison for a month. . Miss Isabel Logan, thirty-three, daughter of a former M.P. for a Leicestershire division, .was represented by Lord Russell, who, said that , the opinions of tbeso : women* on tho franchiso. were to them, tantamount to a religious bolief. Tho magistrate imposed the alternative of a' surety of £20 or a month's imprisonment.- -

In the caso.of Miss Maud Joachim; thirtyeight, 118.Choyno Walk, Chelsea, who had a previous conviction, a penalty of finding two sureties, with tho alternative • of three mouths' imprisonment, was imposed. When arrested she said, i"I am so happy." Dr. Octavia Lewin, thirty-six,- 25 Wimpole Street, .was stated to have urged the crowd to make; a rush and push through into' Palace Yard. She was knocked down' in the crowd. The defendant was represented by a solicitor, who asked several questions'of tho constable suggesting that a mistake had been made., • The constable asserted_ that at tho police station tho defendant said: "I don't mind what I do for tho causc."

The defendant said that she and a friend went to the square with no intention of causing a disturbance, and, after being knocked down, she was assisted to her feet : by a constable. She was'astonished to''find herself .being taken'to' Cannow Row Police Station. . ' , ■ The-Magistrate, expressing' the opinion that a person has:a right'.to bo ih ; tho streets for anhour, .even ■to see,that " sort'of a show," dismissed tho case.' Other defendants, having had previous convictions, were ordered to find two '■ sureties' of £25 each, or go to prison for three months.'