The Brownsville daily herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1897-1910, 1909-11-10
SUFFERINGS OF
SUFFRAGETTES
CLAIM THEY WERE BADLY
TREATED IN GAOL.
Mrs. Leigh, One of the Victims Tells
a Story i'll Which Handouts, Pad
ded Cells and Worse Atrocities
Figure.

so greatly concerned about atroci-
ties in the Congo, or Russia, or Mo-
rocco, now have an opportunity to
shed a few tears about homegrown
cruelty Whatever one may think
of the suffragettes and their meth
DDS of commanding attention, no
real man can read of the atrocities
perpetrated upon defenseless women
in British jails without experience
ing boiling of the blood The
water cure, as administered in the
Philippines were kindness compared
with the treatment of some of the
suffragettes. The physicians and
jailers implicated in the atrocities
do not deny them, but take a sort
of pride in what they call the thumb
ling" of the suffragettes.
Mrs. Leigh, one of the victims,
tells a sworn story in which hand
cuffs, paded cells and worse atroci-
ties figure She was one of those
who, when confined in prison, re
fused to partake of food. Her story
is in mart as follows.
On my arrival at Winson Green
Gaol 1 protested against the treat
ment to which l was subjected, and
broke the windows in my cell. Ac-
cordingly, at nine o'clock in the ev-
ening l was taken to the punishment
cell, "a cold, dark room on the
ground flOOr--light only shines on
very bright days; no furniture in it.
A plank bed was brought in;
was then stripped and handcuffed
with the hands behind during the
day, except at meals, when the
palms were placed together in front
with the palms out On Thursday
food was brought into the eell-po-
tatOes and grUel-but | did not touch
It.
Thursday afternoon the visiting
magistrates acme l was taken be-
fore them handcuffed After hear
ing to whatI had tosay they sentenced
me to nine days close confinement
with bread and water, and to lose
fOrty-two days remission marks and
pay IS damage. The handouts were
removed at midnight on Thursday
by the matrOn's orders / still re-
Trained rom food.
About noon on Saturday I was
told the matron wished to speak to
me, and was taken to the doctor s
room, where I saw the matron, eight
wardresses. and two doctors. There
was sheet on the floor and an arm
chair on it. The doctor said ] was
to s.o down, and I did
4 was then surrounded and forced
back on the chair, which was tilted
backwards. There were about ten
Of them The doctor then forced
my mouth so as to form a pouch.
and held me while one of the ward
resses poured some liquid from a
spoOn-it was milk and brandy.
After giving me what he thought was
sufficient, he sprinkled me with eau
de Cologne, and mattresses then es-
cOrted me to another cell on the
first floor, where I remained two
days.
On Saturday afternoon the ward
resses forced me on the bed, and the
two doctors came in with them, and
while ! was held down nasal tube
was inserted. 1t was two yards
long, with a funnel at the middle to
see if the liquid is passing. The end
is put up the notsrils, one one day
and the other nostril the other day.
Great pain is experienced during
the process, both mental and physi-
cal One doctor inserted the end
up my nostril, while I was held down
by the mattresses, during which they
must have seen my pain.
The sensation is most painful;
the drums of the ear seem to be
bursting, a horrible pain in the
throat and. breast. Before and after,
they test my heart and make a lot of
examination The after effects are a
feeling of faintness, a sense of great
pain in the diaphragm. or breast
bone, though I cannot feel it below
there.
L was very sick on the first oc-
casion after the tube was Withdrawn.
have also suffered from bad indi-
gestion- am fed in this way very
irregularly. I have used no violence,
though having prCvocatiOn IN being
fed ~ force. ! resist, aud an over
como nv u-ofrb. Oe ,,up,ho,. Tf a.,