Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-04-04
THE EMERSON AFFAIR.
American Suffragettes Fight for Re-
lease of Miss Zelie Emerson.

American Suffrasettes Fight for Re-
lease of Miss Zelie Emerson.
4
| London. April 3.--American suflrag
lists. who are fighting for the release
| from Jail of Miss Zelie Emerson of
jackson, Mich. scored their first Sue
| cess, today, when Irwin b. Laushi;n,
| the American charge daffaires, asked
| the British foreign office TO expedite
| the request made by Mrs. Eemrson to
| Home Secretary Mckenna for permis-
, sion to have her daughter examined
| by her own physician.
On Mr.. Laughlin's assurance that
| the American embassy could take no
steps in the matter until Mrs. Emer-
sons request was in the hands. of
Secretary McKenna, n delegation
composed of Miss Scott Troy and
Baron Won Horst of San Francisco
and Mrs. Mary Ford of New York. in
vaded the inner lobby of the House of
Commons where they persuaded
| Josiah Wedgwood, a liberal member
personally to place the missive in the
hands of Secretary McKenna. They
| then informed Mr.. Laughlin of their
! successful onslaught on the House of
| Commons. and Mr.. Laughlin imme-
diately visited the foreign office.
| The letter addressed by Mrs. Elmer
son to Secretary MeKenna was as
, follows.
Il am the mother of Miss Zelie
! Emerson, who Is now confined in Hol-
loway Jail. 1t was evident to me on
my visit hiatt her health had become
| seriously impaired by her confinement
in prison and by your system of forei-
| lie feeding. She was also excessively
! nervous broken down. | am extreme
: " anxious about her and desire to
| have her examined by a physician OF
| my own choosing. so that | may know
! exactly how much more she Will b,
: able to stand before being reduced tC
the dying condition that seems neees-
sary for her release. / do not ask
| YOU to grant my demand as a favor
! but simply as the act of Il man who
is, presumably, a civilized being
(Signed .Zelie +. EMERSON.
jackson, Mich, {. :. A,
a certain section of Americans ir
England, indignant at the alleged in.
action of the United States embassy
| i>t"' iiotituNtu movement III Nll'
| removal from the embassy of irwin
| b. Mclaughlin, the charge d'affaires
| Mrs. j. J. White of New York ha,
| written to President Wilson and othel
prominent Americans demanding ths
scalp of the charge daifaires, giving
| as their ground his failure to protec
| American citizens.
During an interview concerning
Mrs. Emersons letter to Secretar,
Mckenna, Miss Scott-Troy stated
Mr. Laughlin said: 4 am afraid TIL,
/ british government may refuse Il
recognize the American embassy /
the matter should be taken up befor,
! all legal methods are exhausted TIL
, law must be exhausted before tn,
embassy can intervene. This state
ment has been given to General Mrs
Drummond to be used at a grea
, meeting in the Albert hall, so tina
the whole world may know how weak
knoed our embassy has been in TIL
matter of protecting an American CIR
from torture
The delegation which presented III
letter to Home Secretary MeKenn;
is highly eated over the ruse b.
: which he was reached personally i
this connection, Miss Scott-Troy said
Il am not sure that our frien
| Josiah Wedgwood would have prove
l such willing messenger had h
t known the contents of the letter.
A petition signed by l25 promnen
physicians including Sir Victor Hors
lev, DIR. Mansel- Moulin, Dr. Pember
J ton Peak, DIR. Cuthbert Locker an
DR. Octayia Levin, has been sent t
Home Secretary McKenna, strongl
protesting against forcible feeding
jails and declaring that THE case
) | where the operation is resisted are az
companied by immediate risk TO III
life of the patient In addition thel
: is danger of permanent damage
the health of the body and mind
A copy of the petition has been ser
: to thee American embassy.
Miss Emerson sent a letter to tn
q | American charge, Mr. Laughlin, stat
, | ing that she has received no reply I
J her letter to the home secretary an
urging Mr.. Laughlin to take immed
/, ate steps in her daughters behalf.
4 She says on recent visit to Hollo
way Jail, she found her daughter III
terly exhausted, on a verge of merry
9 Gus collapse from forcible feedin;
The tube used by the doctors ha
torn the lining of the nasal passae
a to such an extent. she asserts, thi
|, the process had to be discontinue
= but the condition of the nose woul
q probably result in permanent disabi
Eity. unless careful local treatment wa
received. In other respects, the syglI
= toinnHdisplayed by her daughter ind
ca he immediate need Of speei;
medical treatment
se Miss ScottTroy called on Sylvt