New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-03-30
To FREE MISS EMERSON
AngIO-American Society Women
Asked to Lend Aid.
u. S. GIRL IN ENGLISH JAIL
Suffragettes Plan to Serenade
Her Nightly with Airs
from Native Land.

London. March 29.-Mrs. II. r. Emerson,
Of Detroit Mich. assisted by MISS Scott
Troy. of san Francisco, and others, is try
ing TO enlist the good offices OF a number
OF American women married to titled
Englishmen IN order 10 secure the release
Of Miss Zelie Emerson from Holloway
jail. where she is serving a time OF imprls-
onment for breaking windows IN company
With other militant suffragettes. Miss
Emerson. who started hunger strike
on entering prison. has suffered much
from the methods of forclble feeding en-
poyed there.
II IS hoped by Mrs. Emerson that the
support OF tho Duchess of Marlborough.
who was Miss Consuelo Vanderbilt before
her marriage. will be obtained The duch-
ess has considerable influence I'm official
circles in Great Britain and ia a suffragist.
although. II course, not Of a militant
variety
The American Embassy cannot take any
steps in the matter unless instructions are
received from Washington. because Miss
Zelic Emerson is being treated exactly
I'm the same way "a are the English wom-
en- In prison for window breaking. and
her life thus far has not been endangered.
Exceptional Privilege Granted.
Mrs. Emerson IL much distressed about
her daughters condition. She obtained
permission for a visit 10 her lasting three
quarters Of an hour. as the result OF a re-
quest made by Irwin b. Laughlin. Charge
d'Affaires at the American Embassy al
though a quarter of an hour IS the limit
prescribed by the prison rules. Mrs En-
incline Pankhurst was permitted at the
same time To see her daughter. but only
FOR quarter OF an hour.
Mrs Emerson said afterward that her
daughter had grown very thin and ner-
vous as a consequence of self-staryation
aternated with forclbIe feeding.
Her condition is extremely bad said
Mrs. En- crson "While she has stronger
constitution than most of those who have
undergone the stme ordeal | greatly fear
that her health will bc permanently i'm
paired"
Miss Emerson, who has been incarcer-
ated for i've weeks. has three more weeks
to serve. Two prison doctors visit her
daily. but she complains that they are
disposed TO regard the matter jokingly-
she was st first fed through her nose but
the process became SO painful that lat
terly tho food has been passed through
her mouth. which is less trying. When II
was suggested to Mrs. Emerson why do
you not advise your daughter To eat the
prison food" she said "She never would
do that. II Is a matter OF principle"
Workers from California.
Miss Mae Scott-Troy, who has become
prominent in the militant sufragette
movement. is n sister OF h. p. T. Troy, OF
san Francisco, a politician and reformer.
During the dock strike In 1912 she gave
the children of the strikers 5000 meals
made by herself She was unpopular with
employers. who complained that had she
not fed the children the strike would have
been broken long before ii was.
Miss Scott-Troy proposes to serenade
Miss Zelie Emerson nightly outside Holo-
way Jail with American tunes TO cheer
her In her loneliness. and Baron Won
Horst. also OF California, Is organizing a
guard of American men to protect the
serenaders from insults. He distinguished
himself last night by knocking down n
hoodum with his fists
a body Of l25 prominent suffragists has
pettioned the Home Secretary To order
an investigation into the methods of the
police. The suffragists charge that the
police have treated their prisoners indie
Gently in many of the recent arrests and
they cite several cases.