The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-04-03
Suffragette Must Pay
a Penalty.
FOR INCITING DISORDERS
She Preached and Practiced
LaWIesSneSS.
EmmeIine Made Rambling
Speech i'm Own Defense.

London, April 3.-Mrs. Emmeline
Pankhurst, leader of the militant suf-
fragettes, was found guilty at the Old
Bailey session today and sentenced to
three years penal servitude on the
charge of melting persons to commit
damage.
Making Stir About Miss Emerson.
London, April "a letter from Mrs.
Emerson of Detroit, Mich, was hand
ed by Joseph Wadgood, a Liberal
member of parliament to Reginald
McKenna, the British home secretary,
today. 1t demanded permission for
Mrs. Emersons own physician to ex-
anime her daughter, Miss Zelie Emer-
son. the militant suffragette who is
said to be suffering from the forcible
feeding employed by the officials since
she started her hunger strike" in
Holloway Jail.
The United States embassy, accord
ing to Mrs. Emerson, has promised in
the event of failure of Secretary Nc
Kenna to comply with her request, to
place the matter before the British
foreign office. A letter from pris-
oner confined in the next cell to Miss
Emerson states that the release of the
American 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 Civ
ing her neighbor a portion of her
food, started her hunger strike" IA
days before the prison doctors discov-
cred the ruse.
Criticised Man-Made Laws.
Speaking with much feeling Mrs.
Pankhurst fiercely criticised man
made laws and said that the divorce
law alone was sufficient to justify a
revolution by the women.
In impassioned tones she declared:
Whatever may be my sentence,
will not submit. From the very mo-
ment, 1 leave the court, I will refuse
to eat. I 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 speech
es were an admission that she had in
cited to the preparation of illegal
acts.
Mrs. Pankhurst almost broke down
when the jury pronounced it's YER
diet. Leaning over the front of the
prisoners enclosure, she said:
eff it is impossible to find differ
ent verdict, I want to say to you and
to the jury that it is your duty as pri-
vate citizens to do what you can to
put.an end to this state of affairs" %
She then repeated her determine
ton to end her sentence as soon as
possible, saying:
Il don't want to commit suicide.
Life is very dear to all of u.s. But I
enfr--lchised. l want to live until
that has been done. I will take the |
desperate remedy other women have
taken, and will keep up as long as |
have an ounce of strength.
81 deliberately broke the law, not |
Historically and not emotionally, but |
for a set and serious purpose I hon |
estly believe this is the only way. This
will go on whether live or /
die. These women will go on until
women have obtained the common /
rights of citizenship throughout the
civilized world
Justice Lush said: 81 must pass a
severe sentence on you. If you would
only realize the wrong you are doing
and use your influence in the right
should be the first to use
my best endeavors to secure miti-
CATION of your sentence. I cannot and
I will not regard your crime as trivial.
1t is a most serious one.
The jury made a strong recommen-
dation for mercy and when the judge
pronounced the heavy sentence of
the court room 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 HMarseillaise.'
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.
Mrs. Pankhurst denied any malicious
Indictment Neither I nor the other
suffragettes are wicked or
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 I
have offered to surrender a large part
of my income in order to be free to
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