SUFFRAGETTES DUPED.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXII, Issue 879, 16 August 1910, Page 4

SUFFRAGETTES DUPED.

AMUSING INCIDENT AT A BANK. An amusing story of duped suffragettes and dishonoured cheques was related at the Marylebone Police Court recently, when the London and South-Western Ban!' sought to recover 10s from the North-Western Women's Social and Political Union and Mrs Elinor Penn Gaskell, its hon. treasurer. A smartlv-dressed woman entered the offices ol the Union on April 7th, and spoke to Mrs Gaskell of her sympathy with her movement and her desire to aid the Union. At first she proposed to present them with a piano, but eventually she said, “ I think my best plan is to give you money ; you know best how to apply it. Where is your bank ? Will you come along there ?” “ I went to the Bank with her,” Mrs Gaskell stated, “and I said to the cashier, * This lady wishes to make a donation to our funds. Isn’t it nice of her ?’ She kept up a rattle of conversation all the time, speaking so fast that I could not tell what she said, but in a fascinating voice. “ She wrote a cheque at a side partition, and pushed it beneath the counter rail to the cashier, who asked me to sign it. As I had forgotten my glasses I could not read the amount, but I signed it. “ The cashier said to her, ‘do you want gold or notes ?’ She hesitated, and said, ‘ Oh, I think gold.’ He gave her and we returned to the offices, where she presented to the Union. “ All the time she was talking she told anecdotes, made some purchases, and eventually said, ‘ I don’t like giving you such a small donation, it does seem mean, I gave to the Union at Brighton. I should like to give you more, but I don’t know whether I dare draw any more. Let me see what I can do. Please give me a pencil.’ 1 ‘ She sat down and jotted down some figures. After a short time ske said emphatically, 1 I’ll do it. It may be overdrawn, but my dad is a rich man.’ Then she told me she was Dr Alice Jeans.” The visit to the bank was repeated, and a cheque tor 10s was cashed. Out ot this sum “Dr Alice Jeans ” presented another £3 to the Union. She presented Mrs Gaskell with flowers, and left after more conversation.

When Mrs Amelia Myers, the shop organiser of the Union, reached the offices later, Mrs Gaskell showed her the eight sovereigns, and mentioned the cheques, Mrs Myers remarked, “ Cheques ! I hope they’re good.” “That gave me a fearful fright,” Mrs Gaskell observed. “ I telegraphed to Clement’s Inn and found they did not know any Dr Jeans.” The cheques were dishonoured, and the bank now sought to recover the money. It was stated that Mrs Gaskell had not power to sign cheques on behalf of the Union, and Judge Selfe decided against the bank, holding that the cashier had taken a risk on its behalf.