SUFFRAGITIS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1751, 16 May 1913, Page 5

SUFFRAGITIS.

ITS MANY DEMONIACAL PHASES. BOMBS AND FIRE. FURIOUS RIOT AT ST. LEONARDS. By Tclcffraph—Frees Association— Coprriffbt (Rec. Alny 15, 11.10 p.m.) London, 3lny There was a riot extending over a period of two hours at St. Leonard's, in Sussex. The riot took place in connection with an auction sale of floods belonging to ! t\vo ladies who refused to pay taxation as a protest against tlio non-enfranchisement oi women. Tlio Suffragettes formed into a procession, which included decorated motor-cars with Hags. A hostile crowd of two 'thousand people pelted those in the procession with eggs, (lour, and filth, and destroyed their banners. The carriages of the Suffragettes were overturned, and four of them were thrown out. The crowd then tried to pull off the Suffragettes' clothing, and the police had difficult}- in rescuing them, The police sheltered the women in' a blacksmith's shop. Tlio auction salo bad, on account of the riotous demonstration, to be abandoned. A FIENDISH PACKAGE. POSTED TO A MAGISTRATE. (Rec. liny 15, 11.20 p.m.) • London, .May 15. | A postal package was delivered to Mr. Curtis Bennett, Metropolitan Police Magistrate, at Bow Street. It contained a tin box filled wtih gunpowder and cartridges. The bomb included a cartridge with a percussion cap, which was exposed, and there was a nail driven through the lid which would have caused an explosion if the date had been stamped over tho nail. The parcel arrived• while Mr. Bennett was 011 the bench. He detected its nature, and it was given to the police. ATTEMPT TO BURN A CHURCH. THREE. ARRESTS MADE. (Rec. May 15, 11.20 p.m.)

London, May 15. An attempt, has been made to burn the historic parish church of Peun, in Buckii.U^anishire. Three women have been arrested on suspicion in connection with tho occurrence. Tho vicar noticed dense smoke coming from the church, but managed to extinguish IJle outbreak before the brigade arrived. Paper, staffed underneath tho pedals, set tho organ on lire, and it lias been ruinei". 'Suffragist literature was left in the building. BUSY DAYS, BOMBS AND PAMPHLETS. ' London, May 11. Three bombs ware discovered in an occupied carriage of a train at Ivingston-ou-Thames; also pamphlets declaring that life and property would' be unsafe until women- got the vote. THE PETHICK LAWRENCES. "FIGHTING AN UNJUST LAW." London, May I{. An official receiver has b:eu appointed to deal with the estate of Mr. l'ethick Lawrence, the advocate of woman suffrage, who was recently declared a bankrupt on the petition of the Government, for non-payment of law costs. The sunn of JCGOO is involved. Mr. Lawrence declares that 'ha is quito I able to pay, but is fighting an unjust law that enables tho Executive to crush anyone siding with revolt. [The Treasury sonro time ago issued a jvrit against Mr. Pethick Lawrence for the recovery of i£GOB, balance of costs due on tho conspiracy prosecution. In March last year Mr. and Mrs. Petliick Lawrence and Mrs. Tuke, leading member,? of tho Women's Social and Political Union, were arrqstwl on charges .of conspiring to commit damage lo property and to incite others to commit similar ofl'cnccs. Miss Christabel I'ankhnrst, against whom Vi warrant was also, issued, succeeded in evading arrest, .s'lib.-Wjiiently escaping to Paris. Ill's. Pank'hursl, who w.os already under arrest and sentence. was included "in the charge. After several hearing .Mrs. Tuke was discharged, and tho others weto committed for trial, with the result that Mr. Justice Coleridge sentenced them to nino months' imprisonment in tho second division, at the same time ordering Mr. Lawronco and Mrs. Pankhurst to pay the costs of the prosecution. Later Mr. and Mrs. Pethick Liiwrsnce toured Canada, and while absent their residence was entered by the Treasury's instruction, and their furniture taten in payment of costs of the trial. On May 1 the Government tiled a petition in bankruptcy against Mr. Pethick Lawrence for law costs, which he refused to pay, on the ground that he declined to be victimised.]

THE CONSPIRACY CHARGES. THE MILITANTS' SALARIES. London, May 11. The principal evidence in the Suffragette case indicated that Miss Agnes Kennev was paid a salary of JM- 4s. a week, Mrs. Driimmond and Miss Kerr .£3 10s. each, Miss Sanders and Miss Barrett .I'.'!, and that Miss Christabcl I'ankhurst had received .£175 for four months' salary and travelling expenses. "THE SUFFRAGETTE" AND ITS STAFF. A DECLINING CIRCULATION. (Itcc. May 15, 11.10 p.m.) London, May 15. Evidence was given at the trial that tho circulation of "The Suffragette" had declined in a few weeks from J7,000 weekly to 7500. Mrs. I'ankhurst refused to admit that this was due to the militants' outrages. It was also .stated that a hundred persons were employed at the headquarters of the Women's Social ami Political Union. Th.se were paid twenty-live shillings weekly. Among their number were Mary Loigh and Gladys Evans, who were concerned in the attempt to set fir,.' to (lie Theatre lioval, Dublin, last year. I During Ihe vHt Id Dublin of the Prime Minister, Mr. Asc|iiitli, In 4 .Inly, a hatchet was thrown at him. 11, missed Mr. Asrinitli. bit.t graz.d Mr. Uwluioii'l's ear. drawing blood. For throwing the hatchet, Mary licigh was arrested, and subsequently three other women, including (Hadys Evans, were arrested on a charge of conspiring to cause, grievous bodily harm. The two women named v.ere -nlisequeiitly .-enteueed to tivt l years' imprisonment, the charges against them including one of attempting to set tire lu 111-' Dublin Theatre Koyal during a political addrc-s there bv Mr. Asquith. During the tiiiif they wire in g-io! they "hii.ngerMl'lu k" and li;id to be tnreibj.v Ji'd. tlt imirlely tjic.y were Iwth released iroiu prison.]