The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1913-04-02
mrs. PANKHURST ACTS
As HER OWN ATTORNEY

vened few days ago, the houses Of
parliament we're subjected to more
rigid search and vigilant guard than
they had seen in many generations.
Fear OF suffragettes caused this sur
veillance. Cabinet ministers are
guarded in their offces, at home and
on the streets. Something awful"
that would ''stagger humanity was
the promise Of the militants for the
new parliament unless the govern.
ment put through another franchise
reform bill providing votes for wo-
men.
Not since the great gunpowder plot
of 1905 have the parliament houses
been under such vigilant surveillance
as since the new parliament met.
From nethermost sub-cellar to top
most chamber, the guards overlook no
room nor cubby-hole. The police and
parliament authorities professed to
believe that the suffragettes intended
to "stagger humanity" with an at
tempt to blow up the houses OF par
lament. They said they were appre-
hensive that some female Guy Fawkes
would try bomb outrage when the
new parliament was convened. And
the new precautions did not strike the
public as overdrawn.
Apparently the London public has
undergone a revulsion OF feeling on
the suffrage question. From the
amusement with which the people at
first received the suffrage activities
because of their novelty, the feeling
gradually changed to mere tolerance.
But with the bomb incidents, tolerance
has become actual hostility. At Hyde
park and Wimbledon recently, the wo-
men had their clothes torn from them,
their hats torn off and trampled and
/, some Of the anti-suffragists even spit
in their faces
| Home Secretary McKenna has caus-
ed the counsellors to prepare several
new bills relating to the suffragettes
TO be introduced In this parliament
The home ofiice proposes to give the
/ courts power to punish the militants
more drastically than is possible un
4 der present laws which contemplated
SO much outbursts as have shattered
Z the peace of sthe island The home
secretary has conferred much with
King George and 1t is supposed the
king and queen are suggesting many
of the steps the government is takinf
to combat the spirit of violence thai
has been making England uneasy Il
not fearful.
pleaded Not Guilty.
[By Ed. l.. Keene, London correspon
1 dent United Press.1
LONDON, April 2.-Half a minute
before she stepped into the prisoners
dock at Old Bailey today and in ;
clear ringing tone pleaded not guilt.
to the conspiracy charge against her
: Mrs. Fmmeline Pankhurst, militan
I leader OF England's suffragettes. il
: an interview, told the United Pres
3 that she fully expects to be convicted
!, Further. she gave frank warning tha
J. she would stop at nothing to beat tn
case or 20 escape, If possible.
l II fully expect conviction and an
9 prepared for the tortures of imprisor
/ ment and forcible feeding" Mrs
+ Pankhurst said as she stepped from
: an automobile into the midst or
1 cheering throng of women and me-
i sympathizers at the court entrance
y It was remarked by watchers that tn
: automobile was driven by woman
e a "chauffeuse" as facetious BY
I stander dubbed her.
t "But will fight the case to the bi
J ter end Mrs. Pankhurst continued
/ and unconsciously she assumed tn
o look that she was to wear shortl
when she faced the grim magistrate
= and. as her own counsel, dramatica
!. " pi.ted her wits against the eminen
i, kings counsel.
j. sI will not hesitate to use any an
l. every means possible to escape, or
fContin,Jed on page g.