THE SUFFRAGE TRIALS.

Mataura Ensign, 16 May 1912, Page 5

THE SUFFRAGE TRIALS.

COMMENCE m LONDON. BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.—COPYRIGHT. PER UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION. Received Mav 16, 11.30 a.m. LONDON, I'.lay 15. The trial of Mrs Pankhurst and Miami Mrs Pethick-Lawrence has commenced at the Old Bailey. There are 54 indictments. Mr and Mrs Pethick-Lawrence, Mrs Pankhurst and Mrs Mabel Tuke were in the dock at Bow Street on March 28, when more of the letters seized by the police at the offiee.s of the Women's j Social and Political Union were read in support of the charge of conspiracy to 1 commit damage. Mrs Pethick-Lawrence, who is a native of Bristol, joined the committee of the Women's Social and Political Union as honorary treasurer, and at the first meeting held by the union in the Royal Albert Hall raised £7OOO. In the autumn of 1906 she interviewed one of the Liberal Whips as to the intention of the Government with regard to a measure, for votes for women, and received a message of "no-'nope." She assisted iu the suffragette demonstration which followed, and was arrested with Miss Annie Kenney and sentenced to imprisonment for two months. Owing to her serious illness, however, she was released after three days on giving an undertaking to keep the peace. "I promise to pay £lO per day as long as my wife is kept in prison," was the ambiguous pledge which her husband gave at a Women's Suffrage meeting following the arrests. j Her husband, Mr Pethick Lawrence,, was at one time editor and principal proprietor of the London 'Echo,' which ceased publishing some years ago. He was born in 1871 and educated at Eton and had a distinguished career at Cambridge. He has travelled extensively and was the adopted Unionist candidate! for North Lambeth in 1900, but retired, owing to his opposition to the South African War. I