Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-09-19
English Suffragettes Maintain
Secret Range, Where They
Learn to Shoot.
WILL RESIST WITH GUNS
ARREST UNDER NEW ACT
Fear the Government Will Apply
Mental Deficiency Test in Deal.
ing With the Leaders.
LONDON sen,emn.r ,o,a

LONDON. September :. 1919
A rife range is the latest acquisition
Of the militant suffragettes. It's location
Is kept close secret but an official OF
the Women's Social and Political Union
has admitted its existence and stated
that the range was in use every day by
members of the organization, who are
rapidly becoming expert shots
This weeks issue OF the Suffragette, the
official organ of the W. s. P. L.. contains
| an advertisement Offering to teach women
to shoot straight. The official who gave
the information in regard TO the rifle
| range said that the militants were pre-
pairing for the next repressive step OF
the government. which they fear will
be the use OF the recently enacted mental
deficiency bill to confne the suffragette
| leaders in asylums where they will not
be amenable to the usual court pro-
cedures. If any of the leaders are con-
| fined under the new act, the official in
| question declared, the resolution not to
| endanger human life would be rescinded
and the skill acquired at the butts would
be brought into play.
BEST Hated" Cabinet Minister.
Home Secretary Reginald McKenna.
| the best hated of the cabinet ministers
| because his department has been respon-
sible for the forclble feeding OF suf-
| fragettes and the enforcement OF the cat
| and mouse act. is living in a house al
| most surrounded by the homes of mill
| tant agitators. Mrs. Emily *. Marshall.
whose record for acts of violence is well
known, recently moved into a house
! adjacent to the town residence of Mr.
Mckenna, and ever since the home sec
rotary has had two stalwart policemen
ar I'D n ind Irs Mo-
| shall does not deny that this precaution
| is altogether useless, for she declares
that the home secretary's windows are
| constant temptation to her.
Has Record for Understanding
Mrs. Marshall is the wife OF the at
| torney for the Womens Social and Po-
litical Union and the possessor of long
| understanding record. She now has
as neighbors two other militants, who
this week leased houses within few
steps of the Mckenna home, which is in
| Westminster, near the houses OF parlia-
ment. This influx OF mIlitants into the
| neighborhood, hitherto almost entirely
given over to the homes Of cabinet min
| listers and members OF parliament. has
caused some alarm among the politicians
| whose opposition TO woman suffrage
| has brought them threats OF vengeance.
Mrs. Marshall has already served time
| for breaking windows in the homes OF
| cabinet officers, and she was arrested
few weeks ago for assaulting a Scotland
| Yard detective. Mr.. Mckenna does not
| regard her as desirable neighbor. nor
| does he care about her friends. She was
| asked for the names of her comrades
| who have taken the two houses so close
| to her own, but declined the information.
| She did, however, express the fervent
| hope that their presence would not add
to the comfort of the home secretary.
| Title Sometimes Prevents Arrest.
The Difference of the police to title
will sometimes save a woman from ar
rest, even If she is militant suffragette.
and this fact was no sooner observed
| by the leaders in the women's campaign
| than it was put to effective use
During one OF the recent battles at the
| London pavilion, where the suffragette
| detail of Scotland Yard was going
| through its usual weekly exercise of ar
resting Mrs. Pankhurst, number of her
| defenders were locked in a small room
| and placed under arrest 1t happened
| that most of these women were subscrip-
| ton and advertisement solicitors for the
| Suffragette, and on account of their serv-
| ices to the official organ of the w. S. Z.
U. 1T was not desirable that they should
| 60 to Jail.
The leader of the solicitors was a
dignified and stately looking woman, and
| one of her companions secured her re-
| lease by making of this fact While
the women were being charged at the po-
| lice station the stately solicitor was sew
| eral times addressed as your grace by
| her companions When her turn came to
sign the prison register the inspector in
| charge of the police declared that a mis-
| take had been made and that he had no
complaint to make against her Then
constable was detailed TO escort the
pseudo-duchess to a taxicab.
The suffragettes charge that similar
reasons led to the almost immediate dis
charge of Lady Sybil Smith. who was ar
| rested with Mrs. Pethick Lawrence while
attempting a raid on the house of COM
mons.