The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-04-03
MRS. PANKHURST
DEFENDS HERSELF
Famous English sufragette
Pleads Not Guilty to Charges
Against Her.
WOMEN CROWD COURTROOM
Accused OF Being Responsible for
Dynamiting Country Home
of Lloyd-Georgc.
WOMEN CROWD COURTROOM

London, April Mrs. Emmeiin
Pankhurst. from the prisoners incIos-
ure at the Old Bailey Courthouse, TO-
day pleaded not guilty to the charge
of having ''counseled certain persons
whose names are unknown to place,
fcloniously and mnliciously. certain
Sunpowder and other explosive sub
stances, with intent thereby to dam
age" David Lloyd Georges country
house at Walton Heath.
The suffragettc leader. frail looking
and pale, found the courtroom this
lmorninS crowded with women wearing
the suffragette colors She turned COM
poscdly to Sir Charles Montague Lush
tho judge. and announced: II will de-
fend myself"
:, table was assigned her for her
papers.
Archibald H. Bodkin. counsel for the
treasury, had not proceeded far with
his opening of the case when Mrs
Pankhurst interposed with tho objec-
ton:
81 do not mind counsel Introducing
reports of my speeches made by jour
nalists. but 7 object to police reports.
They are grossly inaccurate. very ig-
norant and ungramma tlcal. and convey
an absolutely wrong impression OF what
u said"
Tho Judge soothed her by promising
that She would have an opportunity
later to correct them
Mr. Bodkins speech closely followed
the arguments used during the prelim-
mary hearing In the Police Court. He
said il was not suggested that Mra.
fanlShurst was present Mt the truo
the bomb was placed in Lloyd Georges
house. but the prosecution charged that
s!ie was an accessory before the fact.
Head OF Movement.
Mrs. Tankhurst. together with her
two daughters, Sylvia and Christobal.
has long been before the public rs tho
head and forefront OF the militant SUI
frage movement in England. She has
iIstiSated and helped commit long
series of outrages against English life
and property and has on several occa-
siona served short Jail sentences
Her present difficulty arose ont OF
her assertion that size Was "rcsponsi-
blc' FOR the dynamlting OF the un-
finished country home OF Chancellor
/, Lloyd George on February 10, 1919.
lIor arrest occurred few days later
on n charge OF treason. which carries
with conviction, Al jail sentence OF from
three TO fourteen years.
After spending three days IN iail.
during which time she refused food md
successfully resisted all efforts to feed
her ny force, she was released on bail
Mrs Pankhurst is tho widow of n
Manchester physician She first be-
suffrage about ten years ago as one
or the founders OF tho Woman's Social
and Political Union.
For several years She acted as the
secretary OF this organization.
"inding that tho quiet and orderly
appeals that she and her associates
inado to tho English ministers made no
Impression on them. Mrs. Pankhurst
began to advocate more aggressive
methods Finally when Prime Minis
ter Balfour asscdted that the cause
or woman suffrage would not engage
tho tho attention of tho members OF tho
Parliament until Il became ~ matter
OF practical politics Mrs. Pankhurst
said very we'll, we will mako 1t q
matter OF practical politics."
She became president OF the union
and launched tho militant movement
by hociling members of Parliament
with questions. for which both she
and her associates wnro forcibly eject
ed from the House.
Her aggressiveness increased from
then ca. and In 1870 she led mum