The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-05-05
Proceedings Against Leaders in
Police Court Today.
FIGHT IN COMMONS BEGINS
Bill Enfranchising 100000
Women in the House.
Supporters Parade Streets With
Abusive PIacards.

| LONDON, May 6.-Great interest was
taken in he police court proceedings
against the suffragette leaders, held
on charges of conspiracy under the
malicious damage act, which were re-
sumed at Bow street today.
| Archibald Bodki-, the prosecuting
| counsel for the treasury in opening the
case described the law of conspiracy
and said the defendants had been con-
stantly meeting together. He referred
to General Mrs. Drummond as "a
violent and unscrupulous woman
He said Clayton, the chemist. in
whose possession were found docu-
ments describing plan of campaign for
burning down buildings in London had
put his brains at the disposal of the
women for carrying out crimes and
and producing what their own paper
described as "a reign of terror in
| London"
From the comfortable seclusion of
| Paris Mr.. Bodkin added Miss Christ
abel Pankhurst sent an article every
week t. the suffragette' paper either
commencing what had happened dur
| ing the preceding week or inciting to
further acts of militancy.
| Influence of Mrs. Panl<hurst.
In Illustrating the control exercised
| by Mrs. Emmeline Pankhurst over the
| ''Wild V 1men," Mr.. Bodkin called at
tention t. her declaration of a truce
while par ament was discussing the
government franchise bill. At word
from her, he said, militancy stopped
only to be resumed at her command
when the bill was withdrawn. The
doings of these miscreants, ''he con-
tinued, were openly published in the
newspaper, The Suffra gette, which is
an organ of crime.
Referring to the conspiracy revealed
in the correspondence Of the Chem-
list Clayton with Miss Annie Kenney,
Mr.. Bodkin said:
''It is a terrible thing for a man to
prostitute his knowledge to carry out
such wicked acts as the burning of
buildings and the explosion of bombs.
1.-THE document seized at the head
quarters of the militant suffragettes in
clude receipts for money paid to suf-
fragettes convicted of crimes which
apparently qualified them to be placed
on the pension list.
"In Miss Harriet Kerr's room were
found letters from an engineer named
Buckner living in Hamburg, Germany,
offering to sell for $3.50, large guam
tity of pungent powder for use in
music halls theaters and other places.
The powder was guaranteed to cause
violent sneezing and tremendous irri-
tation to the skin"
Another letter was read by Bodkin
gettes to damage some stockyards in
Great Britain. The cost of the scheme,
100000 was probably the reason why
it was not Immediately accepted. The
letter said:
''The results of the job will be ex-
cellent.''
Mr. Bodkin said that when Mrs.
Beatrice Saunders was arrested and
searched at the militant headquarters
she attempted to destroy a letter CIV
dnta Of ha
by the Women's Social and Political
union in foreign bonds. A number of
checks for very large amounts were
found. In concluding his address for
the prosecution Mr.. Bodkin asked the
magistrate to hold all the defendants
for trial at the sessions.
Struggle in Commons.
The struggle for woman suffrage
began again in the house of commons
this afternoon. Second reading was
moved for Willoughby Dickinson's
womens franchise bill. Whether this
measure, which proposes to enfran-
chise 100000 women, shall be given
a fighting chance or whether the
whole question shall be buried for the
lifetime of the present parliament will
be settled tomorrow night.
The vital sections of the brief bill
are as follows:
"1-Every woman who
''a-If she were a man, would be
entitled to be registered as a parlia-
mentary e1ector in respect of a house
hold qualification within the meaning
of the representation act of 1884, or
OFF the wife of man entitled to
be registered in respect of a household
qualification and has resided in the
qualifying premises during the period
required by law to enable a person
to be so registered
"ShaIl be entitled to be registered
and when registered to vote as par
liamentary eIector in the constituency
wherein the qualifying premises are
situated
to be registered unless she has attain
ed the age of twenty-five years.
"a woman shall not be disquali-
fled by reason of marriage from being
registered and voting
Not Satisfactory to All.
The bill is backed by seven liberals, |
two unionists and two labor members.
Although the measure meets the
wishes of most of the men supporters
of woman suffrage, it does not go far
enough for others. The parties are
so hopelessly divided and even the
asunder on the question that a fore
cast of the outcome of the debate is
difficult
The members when they arrived at
the house today had to run the gaunt-
let of many women parading in the
precincts carrying sandwiches, boards
with placards directed at their cabi- |
net ministers. such as Traitor As
quith.'' .Deport Reginald McKenna
and Chancellor HobhouSe.''
Wild Disorder Sunday.
Scenes of the widest disorder oc-
cured Sunday at the demonstra ton in |
Trafalgar square under the auspices of
the Free Speech Defense committee.
Police tried to prevent speeches from