The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1908-07-22
MONSTER SUFFRAGETTE MOB
Siege of British Parliament Most
Iy a Mere Frolic.
Huge Crowd Packed London Streets
in Hope Of a Scrimmage-Police
Handle Situation With Skill.

London.-Modern London has new
err witnessed a more extraordinary
spectacle than the last night demon
stration by the s~uffragettes. For
three or four hours a vast multitude
Of men and women besieged the
House of Commons. Five thousand
policemen had their energies tested
to the utmost to protect the precincts
of Westminster from the invasion. A
small fleet of police boats was sta
toned on the Thames to ward off at
tacks by water.
The land forces, including all the
mounted men of the metropolis, had
the Warmest time since the Trafalgar
Square riots twenty years ago. It was
the largest assemblage seen in Parlia-
ment Square and vicinity within liv-
ing memory.
It was not a violent demonstration,
but those who took part in it were so
persistent that some rough work was
unavoidable and the air was filled
from time to time with the shrieks
and screams of women who were be-
ing crushed by the charges Of the
police afoot and mounted. There
were many arrests. Those held num-
Der Twenty-Five, all women. Two are
charged with breaking windows in
Premier Asquith's official residence
in Downing street. The others are
charged with o%bstructing the police.
The elimination of the militant
suffragette party's agitation was the
outcome of Premier Asquith's sug-
gestion that the women Of England
had not shown any intense desire for
the suffrage. Mrs. P~ankhurst's CO.
horts replied that they would prove
the contrary.
The police mounted and on foot
were in strong force in the neighbor-
hood of the Parliament buildings, and
for two or three hours that neighbor-
hood was the scene Of riots aid sxir-
the suffragettes to break through the
police Gordon and reach the lobby Of
the House of Commons.
Numerous ruses and DISCUSSES
were employed for this purpose, but
none succeeded. In the end, twenty
nine of the women were arrested, in
Guiding two bold spirits who drove In
a cab to Downing street and threw
stones and smashed the windows Of
the Premier's residence, and others
who chartered boats ON the Thames
and tried to harangue the members
of the House on the terrace through
megaphones. ...
Mrs. Asquith and her daughter
watched the scenes from the balcony
overlooking Parliament Square.
Mrs. Asquith had been watching
! events in the street with her daugh.
ter and a governess, but the party
was swept away by a sudden rush OF
the mob and somewhat roughly adj
dressed and handled by a policeman,
who supposed they were suffragettes.
| Mrs. Asquith then disclosed her iden-
tity, and the policeman escorted her
to safety in the hotel. She afterward
expressed her strong disapproval Of
| the methods of the militant suffra-
| gettes. -,
The Premier himself left Parlia-
ment on foot and passed unrecog-
nized, although there were enormous
| crowds about. Scenes Of the greatest
disorder occurred, but it Is estimated
that not more than five per cent. Of
those gathered in Parliament Square
were women.
C%ontrasted with the recent orderly
and impressive suffragette demon
| STATIONS this demonstration was a
comparative failure. Indeed, 1t was
calculated rather to injure than to
advance the cause it intended to
serve.