"BROKEN WINDOWS."

Marlborough Express, Volume XLVI, Issue 118, 16 May 1912, Page 2

"BROKEN WINDOWS."

MISS PANKHTJRST DEFENDS

RECENT TACTICS

STILL AT LARGE

LONDON, March 16. Miss Christabel Pankhurst on Thursday still retained her liberty. ; Though the police cannot find her; hiding-place a manifesto signed by her ! was on Saturday night distributed in j the streets of London.. It bears the j title "Broken Windows," and con- j tains the following:— j ' "Every step in the militant campaign, including the first, has provoked at the moment when it was made a new outburst of censure. For practical reasons, it is impossible for us to regret this. It is part of the effect of militancy that it shall excite regret arid consternation. Our very definite purpose is to. create an in- [ tolerable situation for the Govern- j ment, and, if needs be, for the pub- ; lie as a whole. "The attack—Tiot indeed a very serious one. but still an attack on pri- ' -vate property —-.is the latest subject of ; censure. •'Government property,' says j the critics, 'you are justified in at- j tacking but not private property.' j Militant suffragists would, of course, ( be glad if an attack on Government ] property were sufficient to attain | their purpose. j « "They would have been yet more; glad if the even less mjlitant action; of the earlier days had sufficed. But j the pi'esent policy of the Government ; proves that these measures are not j powerful enough to produce the effect | desired. They have produced only a \ sham concession to our demand. More! drastic measures have been proved to j be essential to gain the genuine con-1 ' cessions that we seek. That is why private property has now been attacked, j message of the broken pane is 'that women arc determined that i:*hevlives of their -sisters- shall no ■! \ longer be broken, and that in future j Jkhose who have to obey the law shall '! have a voice in saying what that law shall be." Another window-breaking outburst i by the suffragists imprisoned ir> Hplloway. Gaol took place on Friday, afternoon. ' i In the outbreak m the prison last Sunday several sewing machines were broken, and __ an organ used for juvenile services was smashed. Th© uniforms of the wardresses were +orn and their bonnets knocked off their heads. . ■V-- •'■". ■ : . r - : FIia^HER;-SENTEN.GES. v :;,!,; : ,iAfurt^r batch of suffragist offendf Wra foame*l)efor« the Magistrates at Irßow^ Street last Saturday for window-'..-■ ' nmashing. These included Mrs Brackenbury, widow of General | Braokenbxiry, and her two daughters.

Each took occasion to address, tha Maigstrate at considerable length,, and urged Mr Hobhouse's inciting, speech. They were given the option of being bound over, but instead accepted 14 days* imprisonment.. An elderly woman, in.widow's ''garb, expressed deep regret at haying broken a ivindow, and promised if given the option of a fine never to come thereagain. The Magistrate said she was old enough to know better, and sentenced her to two months'' hard' labor. One prisoner, Mary Macalpine, spoke with a paculiarly broad north of Scotland accent, which proved too much for the Magistrate, and the prosecuting solicitor and the Court official' acted as temporary interpreters. The 'prisoner,- who was charged with breaking a window, offered to,pay.for the damage. She was sentenced 7 to two months' imprisonment with hard' labor. Elizabeth Lawless, who, it was stated, broke the police station window while visiting a friend, received sentence of one month's hard labor. Several other defendants were sentenced to like ■nunishment, including Dr Ethel Smyth. A large number of further cases remain over.