Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-04-03
Militant Suffragette
Promises to Starve
Herself as She's
Led OFF to Jail.
FOLLOWERS CHEER AS
SHE LEAVES OLD BAILEY
In Fifty-Minute Plea to Jury
Prisoner Denies That She
Ever Broke Law with
Malice or Intent"

LONDON, April 3.-Mrs. Emmeline
Pankhurst, the leader of the mill
tant suffragettes wss % lay found
guilty and sentenced TO three years
penal servitude at the Old Bailey
sessions ore this charge OF melting
persons to Iymmit damage.
The trial had lasted two days.
The jury added to its verdict of
guilty strong recommendation for
mercy, and when the judge pro-
nounced the heavy sentence of three
years the crowd of women in the
courtroom rose in angry protest.
AS Mrs Pankhurst stood up in the
prisoners enclosure, her sympathizers
cheered wildly and then filed out of
court singing March On, March On
to the tune of the "Marseillaise."
Mrs. Pankhurst's closing address to
the jury lasted fifty minutes. She in
formed the court that she did not
wish to call any witnesses. In her
address she frequently wandered so
far from the matter before the court
that the judge censured her.
No Malice, She Says.
Mrs. Pankhurst denied any mali
cious incitement. "Neither / nor the
other militant suffragettes are wicked
or malicious" she said. Women
are not tried by their peers and these
trials are an example of what women
are suffering in order to obtain their
rights. Personally | have had to
surrender a large part of my income
in order to be free to participate in
the suffrage movement"
Speaking with much feeling Mrs,
Pankhurst fiercely criticised man
made laws and said that the divorce
law alone was sufficient to justify
revolution by the women.
In impassioned tones she declared:
Whatever may be my sentence
will not submit From the very mo-
ment / leave the court | will refuse
to eatu--f will come out of prison
dead or alive at the earliest possible
moment"
Justice Lush in summing up told
the Jury that Mrs. Pankhurst's
speeches were an admission that she
had melted to the perpetration of
illegal acts.
Mrs. Pankhurst almost broke down
when the jury pronounced its verdict.
Leaning over the front of the pris-
oners' enclosure she said
IF it is impossible to find a differ
ent verdict want to say to you and
the jury that it is your duty as
private citizens to do what you can
to put an end to this state of af-
fairs"
She then repeated her determina-
ton to end her sentence as soon as
possible, saying:
Hints at Suicide.
II do not want to commit suicide.
Life is very dear to all of us. But
/ want to see the women of this
country enfranchised. ] want to live
until that has been done. | will take
the desperate remedy other women
have taken and I will keep it up as
long as / have an ounce of strength.
II deliberately broke the law, not
historically, and not emotionally, but
for a set and serious purpose.
honestly believe this is the only way.
This movement will go on whether
[ live or die These women will go on
until women have obtained the com
mon rights Of citizenship throughout
the civilized world
Justice Lush said:
'I must pass a severe sentence on
YOU If you would only realize the
wrong you are doing and use your In
f1uence in the right direction | should
he the first to use my best endeavors
to secure a mitigation of your SEN
tence | cannot and l will not regard
your crime as trivial. 1t is a most
serious one"
A letter from Mrs. Emerson, of De-
troit, Mich, was handed by josiah
Wedgwood. a liberal member OF
Parliament, to Reginald Mc1<enna,
the British home secretary, today.
It demanded permission TOR Mrs.
Emersons own physician TO examine
Ter daughter, Miss Helie Emerson,
the militant suffragette who is said
to be suffering from forciole feeding
employed by the officials since she
started her hunger strike in Hollo-
way Jail
The United States embassy, accord
ing to Mrs. Emerson. has promised,
in the event of The failure of Secre-
tary McKenna TO comply with her
request. to place the matter beiore
the British foreign office.
letter from a prisoner conf1ned
in the next cell to Miss Emerson
states that the release of the Aineri-
can woman within a few days is
necessary in order to save her rea-
son and perhaps her life This letter
also asserts that Miss Emerson by
giving her neighbor a portion of her
food. started her hunger strike"
fourteen days before the prison doc
TORS discovered the ruse.