LETTER-BOX OUTRAGE.

Evening Star, Issue 15076, 7 January 1913, Page 2

LETTER-BOX OUTRAGE.

STRAIGHT TALK BY A JUDGE. At Manchester Assizes Margaret Louise Tver .Ninan, a, Liverpool University student was sentenced to tliree months’ imprisonment in the Second Division for placing OT !i 5 : ' JI a letter box at Liverpool on October 28. When arrested the prisoner said she was a. suffragist, and had not done it lor amusement. Mr Justice Coleridge said, addressing the prisoner : “ You have been found d e Dstroying letters in public post boxes. Ido not know, and I have not gathered from your learned counsel, whether you realise the gravity of what you have done. Because the public rely on the Post Office to forward, and to forward safely, communications of every sort from one person to anotner, any interruption of such communication may produce the direst mischief, both public and private. It may disorganise commercial intercourse, it may create or keop open bitter persona! misunderstanding or unhappy domestic strife, it may prevent a poor person from getting a situation which it is life and death lo that person to obtain. It may even prevent a person who is summoned from attending the deathbed of one who is loved, it is not necessary for me to multiply instances if these cases. Ton say you did it to call attention to a grievance. I suppose it will erdv he wasting my breath to point out to jou that such conduct as yours is certain to exasperate and arouse the hostility <,! a ll classes. Sitting here to administer the law which you have broken, 1 have an i.upc-ra-ti\ e duty cast upon me. and mv dntv is to protect the public and to enforce- the law. It is p plain and simple duty, and. regard, less yff all else, I must perform it.” A cry of "Shame!” was hoard from somo ladies in the gallery, but silence was immediately enforced.

Mr Riley asked that prisoner might be committed to the first division in order that she could use her books for tho c utinuatioii of her studies. The Judge, however. declined to accede to the request..