The Mena weekly star., 1913-04-10
MRS. PANKHURST IS
 GIVEN THREE YEARS
Convicted of Inciting SufRragettes to Do Damage to Property and Mails-SayS Will Starve
 Herself to Death.

London, April 3-Mrs. Emmeline Pankhurst, the leader of the mili- tant suffragists, was today found guilty and stenced to three years penal servitude at the Old Bailey session on charges of melting per- sons to commit damage. The trial required two days. The jury added to the verdict a strong recommen- dation for mercy, and when the judge pronounced the heavy sen- tence of three years, the crowd of women in the courtroom rose in angry protest.
 As Mrs. Pankhurst stood up in the prisoners enclosure her sympa- thizers cheered loudly and then filed out of court singing, March On, March On,' to the tune of ''The Marseillaise."
 She Called No Witnesses.
 Mrs. Pankhursts closing address to the jury lasted 50 minutes. She informed 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. She denied any malicious incite- ment.
 Neither l nor other suffra- gettes are wicked or malicious" said she. Women are not tried by their peers and these trials are an example of what women are suf- fering in order to obtain their rights. Personally 1 have had to surrender a large part of my in- come in order to be free to par ticipate in the suffrage movement -
 Criticised Man Made Laws.
 Speaking with much feeling, Mrs. pankhurst tlercely criticised man made laws and said that the divorce law alone was sufficient to justify a revolution by the women. In i'm passioned tones she declared:
 Whatever be my sentence, 1 will not submit. From the very mo- ment I leave the court 1 will refuse to eat. I will come out of prison dead or alive at the earliest possible moment"
 Justice Lusch, in summing up, told the jury that Mrs. Pankhursts speech was an admission that she had melted to the perpretation of illegal acts.
 Almost Broke Down.
 Mrs. Pankhurst almost broke down when the jury pronounced the verdict. Leaning over the front of the prisoners enclosure she said:
 If it is impossible to find diff ferent verdict l want to say to you and to the jury that it is your duty as private citizens to do what you can to put an end to this state of affairs"
 She then repeated her determina- ton to end her sentence as soon as possible, saying:
 "I don't want to commit suicide. Life is very dear to all of us. But l do want to see the women of this country enfranchised. 1 want to live until that has been done. l will take the desperate remedy oth- CT women have taken and l will keep it up as long as l have an ounce of strength.
 Deliberately Broke the Law.
 ''I deliberately broke the law, not historically and not emotionally, but for a set and serious purpose. l honestly believe this is the only way.
 This movement will go on whether I live or die. These wom- en will go on until women have ob- tained the common rights of citizen ship throughout the civilized world"
 Justice Lusch, in pronounelng sentence, said in part:
 "I must pass a severe sentence on you. If you would only realize the wrong you are doing and use your influence in the right direction l would be the first to use my best endeavors to secure mitigation of vour sentence. I could not and l will not regard your crime as tri- vial. It is most serious one"