The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1912-05-23
MRS. PANKHURST AM
TWO OTHERS SENTENCED
TO TERMS IN PRISON
Suffrage Leader and Mr.. and
Mrs. Lawrence Condemned
To Serve Nine Months
CALL CONVICTION UNJUST
Defendants Convicted of Crimi-
nal Conspiracy For Break
ing Windows

LONDON. May 22-"May Goo ue-
:end us as our cause is just"
StuGned by the weight OF GRIM
flal conviction, made heavier because
Il was unexpected, Mrs. Emmellne
phnkhurst Frederick Pethick Law
renee. and his wife. Mrs. Emmellne
Lawrence, leaders OF the militant SUI
frageites of England, expressed this
sentiment as they stood in the dock
at Old Bailey today awaiting sentence
following their being found guilty by
jury OF conspiracy.
The three fighters whose campaign
at the head of the army OF sur
fragottes eliminated in the breaking
Of valuable windows In London, ana
the exposing 20 looters of millions OF
pounds OF costly merchandise ana
rare gems. mad hoped at the worst
10 nave the Jury disagree. When the
Jurors announced that they found all
guilty as charged although they
mitigated the blow by recommends
ton for mercy. the three were on
the verge OF collapse and 1t was sew
eral minutes before they recovered
their composure.
Finally Mrs. Pankhurst, although II
was plainly great effort, pushed for
ware 10 the edge of the dock ana
clinging TO IL made an appeal 10 the
court 10 treat the offense as politi-
cal aud not a criminal one. In a
voice choked with emotion, and with
her eyes dimmed with tears, she de-
Tended her actions and those OF her
companions She protested against
TIE characteriZations of the Crown
that she and her companions were
criminals.
81 am in dreadfully bad health
caused by the authorities keeping me
IN cold damp cell while serving
the sentence recently imposed on
me-" she cried, and l have not had
fair trial here. We women have
no voice in the making of the laws
and are denied all rights and this
conviction is un~arranted by the
facts and Is bitterly unjust"
The court Needed the appeal to the
extent that. in imposing the sentence
OF nine months Imprisonment, he
specifically directed that II be not ac-
co,npanied with hard labor.
The defendants fought against con-
viction bitterly, Lawrence, who de-
Tended himself. having assailed the
motives of the government In bring
ing prosecution under the Grim
inal section Of the code and Mrs.
Pankhurst, in a two-hours' impas-
stoned 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 luke, were arrested on
March 8, following a raid by the po-
lice on the Offices of the Womans So
cial and Political union. at Clements
inn, the Strand, in which all or 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 Cristobal
Pankhurst. daughter OF Mrs. Pank-
hurst, but she eluded the police and
has since successfully been concealed.
Mrs Pankhurst served two months In
jail for the window breaking that ac-
companied the alleged conspiracy on
which todays convictions resulted, as
did Mrs. luke. but the conspiracy
charge against the latter was dis
missed.
The government introduced as EVIL
dence against the prisoners, docu-
ments and papers seized In the raid
on the Offices which tended to show
that the window breaking campaign
~ Of annnrol nonnnaiUn N
force the authorities TO grant women
the right of suffrage. In this connec-
ton the crown attorneys demanded a
conviction on the following grounds:
THAT the defendants, by their
speeches and writings, OF a violent
and lawless character, stirred up the
excitable rank and file OF a lawless
army they had gathered, to perpetrate
organized damage and injury to the
extent of many thousands OF pounds
upon traders and peaceable merch-
ants Of London, and that, In pursu-
anee OF the orders and advice OF the
man and women on trial, there had
been brought into the police courts 10
suffer the indignities Of prison. num-
erous people, who, but for the infu-
ence OF these leaders, were respect
able members OF society.
That the evidence proved that
from a recognized and customary
meeting place. women had gone forth,
armed with Identical weapons, all con-
cealed In the same way, to parade
along the streets of London and at
prearranged times and places, with
the approval and under the orders OF
these leaders, to smash ruthlessly
property worth thousands of pounds.
Unless this method OF campaign Is
halted by an example. property, and
eventually life. will not be safe in
England"