New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-10-22
Militant Leader Si|enCeS Anti
Suffragists in But at
Garden-Many Empty
Seats.
LITTLET0N QUITS HALL
Files Protest with Manage
ment Because Audience
Tumbled Heller. Shelter
Into Vacant Chairs
Hints at a Humbug.

! Ihe great, CaNernOuS nun OF Maul-
son Square Garden yawned its widest
last night. prepared. with its widest
stretch Of seating capacity, to engulf
all Of 1900 persons to see and hear
u RS. Emmeline Pankhurst make her
first general public. paid speech in The
United States since her triumphant
release from Ellis Island.
Throughout her address Mrs Pank
audience. but after she had finished an
anti -suffragst arose and engaged her
in a persistent bout Of heckling. chiefly
along the line Of questions as TO the
Mrs. Pankhurst was quick with an an
swer Cor every question. and routed her
inquisitor completely.
There was one man in the gallery
too, who attempted to disturb her with
his questions, but she was ready for
him too, and he got laughter for his
pains.
Many extra police guards We're
thrown about the many entrances and
exits OF the garden and a regular cor
don was established about the front
Many ticket sellers rushed about. and
many more suffragettes selling votes
for women literature were there. But
when the set hour came for the show
TO begin. the seats were not an eighth
filed.
The management idgetted about un-
easily. The women looked worried.
The audience looked at the stage for
half an hour and nothing happened.
Despite this delay. and despite the
hopes OF the management, when Mrs.
Pankhurst was finally permitted 10 take
the stage there were not more than
three thousand persons scattered about
the great phalanxes OF seats.
! Instead Of the ocean of faces that she
had expected TO gaze upon she faced
row after row OF empty chairs. While
Charles Edward Russell. the Socialist.
who presided as chairman, was making
his Introductory remarks. chiefly along
socialistic lines. bright idea struck
some one, and something began to hap
pen.
LittIeton Protests and Quits Hall.
Just what IL was that happened is
perhaps best told in a somewhat ruff
fed letter OF protest sent TO the press
gallery and signed by Martin w. Little
ton. Mr.. Littleton's letter, addressed
at the Manhattan Club. was as fol-
lows:
Il just paid s. 80 apiece for three
tickets 10 hear Mrs Pankhurst. and
had no sooner got seated when every
body from everywhere, by some signal.
| which evidently was agreed upon in
advance, tumbled heller skelter into
any seat tor little or nothing.
These people were just as good peo-
pie as | am. and probably in many re-
spects better but the point | am driv-
ing at is this-must everything and
everybody be a humbug? Is this a
money making affair? left the hall
because I did not want to hear any
argument about rights when the whole
meeting was manifestly planned to sell
rights and gentlemen without discrim-
nation"
Mr.. Littleton said afterward that he
registered his protest az the box office
that people who paid 81 and 81 for seats
like himself had paid s. so for He
said that he considered such a pro-
cedure dishonest. but got no satisfac-
tion.
The management for its part ex-
planned afterward that the idea was
to bring people closer 10 Mrs. Pank-
hurst. so that she would have less
difficulty In making herself heard,
while IL was thought only fair, since so
many seats near to her were vacant,
that every one be insured an oppor-
tunity 20 hear her.
At any rate. while the operation was
going on Of herding folk closer in. the
band played lively air until every one
got settled once more. Then. when
Mrs. Pankhurst rose to speak, even il
she did not face a vast sea Of faces, she
had at least a comfortable little lake
of them right in front Of her.
Cheers Greet Militant Leader.
Az she rose she was greeted with an
uproar of applause, and stood silently
for some moments, until 1t died. Then
she began speaking, In clear, strong
voice. evidently her out OF doors voice.
much deeper and stronger and we'll
sustained so that every one could hear
than Il had been the night before, when
she spoke in almost inaudible tones be-
fore the Women's Political Union at
the Aldine Club. But although her
voice was full Of strength, 1t was still
the same we'll modulated, dispassionate
voice that had characterized her at the
Aldine Club, instead Of the militant
clarion tones that had been expected
from one who has stirred her sex to
violence and rioting.
As her speech progressed there was
perhaps lust little disappointment
that she spoke so mildly. There was
Continued on third page. second column.