WOMEN'S REIGN OF TERROR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume L, Issue 15235, 24 February 1913, Page 7

WOMEN'S REIGN OF TERROR.

FFHAGETTES' CRIMES, ATTEMPTS TO BURN MORE BUILDINGS. PILLAR-BOX OUTRAGES. MANY WINDOWS SMASHED. GOLF LINKS DAMAGED. By Telegraph.—Press Association.—Copyright (Received February 23, 12.5 p.m.) London, February 22. Further outrages by the militant suffragettes are reported. Three more letter box outrages have occurred at Lewisham (London). A postman was slightly burned^ A fire has occurred in the ladies' waiting rooms adjoining the Royal Pavilion in the Ivempton Park racecourse. The outbreak was quickly extinguished by the brigade. It is supposed that the fire was caused by suffragettes. Suffragettes also set fire to the old Manchester. Golf Club pavilion. The brigade extinguished the fire. Disorderly scenes occurred at a women's . suffrage meeting at Edmonton (Middlesex) last night. The police broke up the meeting and cleared the building. Filling Keyholes with Shot. Other suffragettes have filled the keyholes of many houses in Moseley (Worcestershire) and Birmingham, with small shot, making it impossible for the owners to insert their latch keys.

Another band of suffragettes placed tubes of Greek fire in a Battersea, pillar box and destroyed a number of letters. Others smashed 14 plate glass windows in Ashford (Kent) and damaged the golf links at Horsforth (Yorkshire) and set fire to the shelter. Precautions are being taken to guard the Oxford eights' boat at Putney .against damage by the suffragettes. The Kew Gardens Tire. Since the recent destruction of orchids in the Kew Gardens a special watch has been kept for tljie militant suffragettes, but in spite of this they eluded the watchers and set fire to the teahouse, which was totally destroyed. The men on duty saw flames in the . teahouse, and then saw two women running. They whistled for the police, who rushed up and caught the two young women (Joyce Locke and Lilian Lenton).

The women dropped cards inscribed " Peace on earth, good will to all men, when women get votes.'' They wore men's clothing under their skirts, and it is presumed that they intended to escape in disguise. Forty waitresses have been thrown out of employment by the destruction of the teahouse.

Mrs. Drummond states that Miss Lenten and Miss Locke have been voluntary workers in the office of the Women's Social and Political Union. There is, she declares, an ample reserve of militant suffragettes to carry von the campaign indefinitely.