A SECOND MRS PANKHURST.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXX, Issue 13101, 14 June 1913, Page 6

A SECOND MRS PANKHURST.

MAKES FUN FOR THE BOYS,

(Special to Herald.)

AUCKLAND, this day. •Some diversion was caused on the drilling grounds behind tlie training college, when a female anti-militarist "ran amok" m a squad of 200 youths From the Technical College. The boys were being put through their regular weekly- course of instruction, and were lined up fn squads, Avhen a well-built, well-dressed woman of about 40 years of./ige got through the wire fence which encloses the drilling grounds, and marched determinedly to the attack. The boys were standing four deep between the woman • and the instructor, but lhat fact was ,a mere nothing to the anti-mil itari-^. person. Waving her arms and talking loudly, she bore down on tho ranks, and boldly pushed her way through to the front, scattering, the boys on parade to the right and. left, as sho pursued her course towards the instructor. Once *" through the ranks she- turned -round 'and began to address the .boys. "You foolish youths," declared the woman. "Do yon know what you are-, doing? They cannot make you soldiers unless you want to be. Don't do it !- Don't do it !" The m ti:i*<ctor m charge of this particular' §quad .-ventured a remonstrance, suggesting that the lady was possibly not aware that she .was trespassing. "Trespassing ! What do I care, about that:" came' the answer. • "I^ly own son is man enough to refuse to be compelled to .parage. He has been fined seven times. 'I've j>aid seven fines for I liim and I. will pay seven more.' ' I Thii time. 4he instructor suggested , that the woipan should leave the grounds. j "Indeed I :W,ill riot," came the reply, j "I'm a second Mrs Pankhurst, and I'm not going to i give m, to this form of •tyranny;' "' 'Ay , y An attempt 1 was then made by the instructor to ignore the woman and go ahead with the drilling, but the antimilitarist was not to he so lightly disposed of, and she followed the officer round, out-talkirijg^Jvim, keeping up a running fire of comment, and occasionally Hustling and shoving the instructor out of the way when she wanted to take his : place m frorit of th© boys . to better continue her .address. Usually the drill lasts, till 3.45 p.m. jOn this occasion 'the boys -were disI missed a few after 3.30, whereupon the lanti-militarist triumphantly , claimed that she had routed the whole i-aforce. She invited all and sundry to hear her discourse on the subject of military training from the front Of the Technical College, and for quite a while she amused a large, audience on the footpath.