The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-05-22

iOnQOn, May 22-The. worst blow vet suffered by the militant suffragettes of Great Britain 'came today when Frederick ,Pethick Lawrence. barrister, his wife, Mrs. Emeline Pethick Law renee, the joint editors of Votes for Women, and Mrs. Ehnmeline Plank f hurst were found guilty with having, between November, 1911, and March 5th. last, ''unlawfully conspired and agreed together to commit damage and injury to property and with hav- ing aided and abetted and procured ofenses against the malicious injuries to@property act"
 the three defendants being sentenced to serve nine months each without hard labor.
 In announcing their verdict of guilty as charged. the jury recommended leniency for the prisoners. After passing sentence, on motion of the prosecutor, the court assessed the costs of the prosecution on the three defendants.
 They had fought against conviction bitterly. Lawrence, who defended him. self and Mrs. Pankhurst. having as- sailed the motives of the government Tn bringing prosecutions of political
 
 the code, and Mrs. Pankhurst, in a two hours impassioned speech, having protested against trial before a. male magistrate and jury when the right of suffrage was denied her and her associates.
 The three convicted today with Mrs Mabel Tuke. were arrested on March 5, following sensational raid by the police on the offices of the Woman's Social and Political Union at Clements Inn. the Strand, in which all of the books and papers of the militant or ganization were seized and confiscat- ed by the authorities.
 : Included in the warrant was the name of Christobal Pankhurst. daugh- ter of Mrs. Pankhurst, but she elud- ed the police and has since success fully been concealed.
 Mrs. Pankhurst served two months in. jail for window breaking that ac- companied the alleged conspiracy on which today's convictions resulted, as did Mrs. Tuke, but the conspiracy charge against the latter was dismiss ed.
 The government moved under the conspiracy act because it was believ- section of the law the individual re- sponsibility of the organization direct ed by the defendants could be estab- lished and thus they. could be held re- sponsible for the actual damages caused by their raids in which hum dreds of plate glass windows in the shopping district were destroyed. Some of the funds of the organization are now impounded by the courts but the biggest amount, which it was hoped to get, had been hurriedly drawn by the officers just prior to the ] arrests.
 Sir Rufus Isaacs, the attorney gen. eral, summed up for the Crown. Old Bailey courtroom was crowded with spectators who expected a dra- matic finished of the trial. They were not disappointed.
 Mrs. Pankhurst frequently interrupt | ed the attorney general by vehement | and impassioned denials of his asser- | tions and kept the courtroom in an uproar. Judge Coleridge repeatedly Mrs. Pankhurst but appar- ently she was unable to keep silent under the arraignment of the prosecu- tor | Isaacs asserted that the officers of he Woman's Social and Political Un- on withdrew the funds of the asso- ,iation from the bank before their campaign because hey realized the unlawfu1ness of their tets and knew that their money was fable to seizure.
 .The government introduced as evil l.