"SUFFRAGETTES" REVOLT.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8274, 30 October 1906, Page 7

"SUFFRAGETTES" REVOLT.

PREVIOUS DISTURBANCE. Ihe ladies concerned in the disturbance at the House of Gammons, referred to in oar cables lust Thursday, were conspicuous in a somewhat similar demonstration made against Mr Asquith on the occasion of a speech delivered by the Chancellor of the Exchequer at Northampton about six months ago. One aooount of the affair says:—The scene caused by Miss Kenny and Miss Billington was the wildest that has yet occurred in the course of their campaign for female suFiage. No sooner did Mr Asquith stand up than this scene began. From the orchestra, occupied entirely by ladies, three jumped up, showing flags inscribed "Votes for Women," anil shouted at the top of their voioes, "Will Mr Asquith withdraw his oppoaitiDn to women's suffrage? ASQUITH THE TRAITOR. to liberty and juHtioe." Tbey were Miss Kenny, Miss Billington, and Mrs Rnwood. Deafening uproar followed. The hall rang with shouts, the audience jumped on the chairs, and the stewards rushed to seize the interrupters. No sooner had a steward laid hands on Mies Billington when she drew a whip from under her cloak, and lashed ont wildly on the heads and shoulders of the men. She was seized by three men FIGHTING LIKE! A TIGRESS, and incontinently bundled down the steps, shouting at the top of ier voice. The other two women were still protesting. More men rushed to seize them, and the ladies sitting round helped in their ejection. After much difficulty and amid wild cheering, mingled with hisses, the women were carried, struggling violently, on the shoulders of several men. No sooner had they been ejected than some Socialists at the bottom of the ball began a disturbance. To ejeot these was a more difficult matter, and it was quite half an hour before order was restored. No sooner had Mr Asquith resumed his seat than another exciting scene oocurred. Mrs Pankhurst sprang to the front of the ladies' gallery, and in ringing, passionate tones, damanded to ask a question. Uproar followed, but she stood facing the storm undaunted, and shouting above the din, "Will Mr Asquith give justice to the women of this country? 1 am a mother of ohlldren, and want to know whether the Government will-—-" The rest of the sentence was drowned in shouts of "THROW HER OUi'." The stowards delayed laying hands upofo the courageous woman till, emboldened by the angry cries of the audience, tbey seized her and oarried her from the hall. Meantime outside the hall Mias Billington was calling upon the cheering orowd to help her in attacking Mr Asquitb as be left the ball. News of Miss Billington's threat reached Mr Asquith and his friends, and special precautions were taken. A heaw rain and the long wait bad the effect of dispersing the greater portion of the mob before he left the hall, accompanied by Lord Northampton, and proceeded through the avenue of police to a motor-car waiting outside. Here Miss Kenny rushed forward, and tried to shout something in Mr Asquitb's ear, but a burly policeman seized her and pushed her back |into the crowd. Miss Billington shouted, "Come on girls! We will fight him if the tren don't," but the appeal was unavailing, for the polioe closed round the motor-oar, which whiz2ed away amid an outburst of cheers and groans. '