SIRS PANKHURST’S RETURN.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 1215, 3 March 1914, Page 4

SIRS PANKHURST’S RETURN.

We fiw Mm Pankliurst safely into Exeter Gaol alter her Atlantic voyage (writes a London correspondent). She stayed there until the Sunday night with a suflragencbodyguard patrolling night and day outside. At St. Paul’s Cathedral on Sunday sultragettes interrupted the service with their save Emmeline Pimklmrsi” chant. It, may have been partly in order to obviate anything of the kind that the Dean of Exeter allowed the prayers of. the Congregation in his cathedral to be desired for her as a, sick person. -V erowd ol 4000 attended a suffragette meeting outside the prison oh Sunday evening. At 10 o dock the inevitable happened. Mrs Pankburst was role: set! alter three days of hunger-striking, and driven to a hotel where a nurse awaited her. Next dav she came to London, reaching Paddington at 1.34 p.m., where she had a mixed reception from a crowd. A stretcher was n.-ceitled, but she walked to the horeo ambulance, which conveyed her to the suffragette offices in Kingsway. These now include nursing homo accommodation for “martyrs." To the surprise of moist pco o!e. she left next clay for Paris, where she arrived in such a weak state that she had to be carried on a stretcher from the train to the carriage. Cynics have not concealed their view that she will not. hurry her return, but the official version is that she has gone for a few days to see her daughter, Christnbol, and recuperate, and will bo back for Monday’s suffragette demonstration. Meanwhile Miss Sylvia Pankliurst is again .in durance. Her prolonged immunity as a “mouse” had astonished many people, especially in view of tho truculent, use she made of her liberty in the East, End. in connection with lier new “People's Army.” -Men with sticks guarded her a-s usual when she went to Shoreditch Town Hall on Tuesday night, but they so mismanaged matters that onlyone or two men and v, omen had sub.se-

fluently to be charged in connection with the proceedings. A dummy was to be smuggled out at the Rick entrance. Apparently the ruse deceived the bodyguard more than tlio police, who seemed Miss PankhurA with little, difficulty as she left by the front of the building. No doubt, ii is a matter of days at most, when this “mouse” will be free again. Public opinion is mure than over disturbed by this seemingly hopeless business, which entails great rxpen.-o. while property continues to bo destroyed. Three more houses have, been burned in ten days. In the. state, of general feeling, not much sympathy is to be expected for the latest suffragette grievance, tiie alleged interference by the post, office with, suffragette correspondence. as flamed ,<m( years ago when Sir James Graham tampered witli Mazinni’s letters. One paper tells of a militant who bitterly denounced tin- “abominable” eondiiet of the post office—she having herself just • lone time for setting fire to pillar-boxes.