Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1913-10-22
MRS. PANKHURST
FIGHTS TO STAY
Militant Barred by U. S. Appeals
to Washington.
CALLED" ON ELLIS ISLAND
Caminetti and Louis F. Post to Decide
Whether or Not Suffraqette
Leader Can Enter America
to Deliver Lectures.

Washington, Oct 20.-President Will
son will personally take up the case
of Mrs Emmeline Pankhurst today.
He has summoned to the White House
Secretary Of Labor Wilson and Com
missioner General Of immigration
Caminetti for a conference before the
hearing is resumed
New York, Oct. 20.-Mrs. Emmeline
Pankhurst, foremost of British militant
suffragettes, who reached America on
the liner Provence to appeal for the
support of Americans in the "revolu-
ton" for which she says she is fight
ing, is a prisoner at Ellis island under
order of deportation awaiting the issue
of an appeal, which is expected to be
decided at Washington. Meantime she
is denied the privilege of landing under
bond
With Miss Rheta Childe Dorr, one of
the British militant's strong sympa-
thizers who was voluntarily detained
that she might be with the leader,
Mrs. Pankhurst occupies the commits
BiOner's suite of two rooms in the ad-
ministration building at the immigra-
ton station
The rooms are comfortably fur
nished and are the best in the build
ing. They are the rooms in which
CiprianO Castro, former Venezuelan
dictator, was detained while his case
was pending. From the broad windows
Mrs. Pankhurst can see the statue of
liberty.
Barred on Conviction Record.
Mrs. Pankhurst was detained by an
immigration inspector on arrival of
La Provence and was at once taken
before a special board of inquiry,
which, after examining her, decided
that because she had been convicted
abroad of "acts involving moral turpi-
tude,' she was an undesirable alien.
The board therefore ordered her ex-
clusion
An appeal was entered Immediately
and immigration Commissioner Cami-
nettf will hear arguments on her case
in Washington.
May Seek Habeas Writ.
Mrs. Pankhurst, however, had an
other recourse under consideration.
Even if the appeal fails we still
have the habeas corpus proceeding"
she said.
Because of the uncertainties sur
rounding the immediate course of the
proceedings in her case, the meeting
at Madison Square garden, at which
Mrs. Pankhurst was to speak, was
postponed.
Mrs. Pankhurst herself seemed to
have little doubt that she would be
freed in time to speak at that meeting
She was on the point of starting a
hunger strike" when she heard that
the order of deportation was issued
but on learning that speedy decision
Of the appeal was probable she broke
fast and swallowed with evident relish
chicken sandwich and a pot of tea
which she had requested.
Holds Detention Unjust.
II am confident that, whatever hap
pens, it will be good for the cause in
which l am interested" she said. 81
have great faith in the sense of justice
and fair play of the American people
and l know they want to give me a
chance to defend the movement which
has been so misrepresented. There is
no doubt that my detention is unjust"
Three things i'll the examination of
Mrs Pankhurst seemed particularly to
arouse her indignation. One was that
she was accused of moral turpitude,"
another that the proceedings were in
nd lO irI tI7ot
opponents in England had, in her be
lief, furnished much of the language
used by the special board in questions
put to her. Her examiners were cour-
teous, more or less she admitted.
Contrasts Self With ParneII.
"The climax came" she declared
when they said l was guilty of moral
turpitude. Then it was that I said:
Your ancestors were guilty of moral
turpitude when they threw the tea into
Boston harbor.'
Z reminded them that Charles Stew
art Parnell, Michael Davitt and John
Redmond, Irish political leaders, who
were actually convicted under the
same act of parliament under which
was convicted, were received here
with open arms, although they de-
stroyed property and were guilty OF
acts of political nature and convict
ed by parliament of them"
Mrs. Pankhurst, according to the
stenographic report of her examina
ton, admitted that she had made in
cendiary speeches in England, but de-
MED she ever advocated the taking OF
life.
Her object in coming to America
was that which the ancestors of pres
ent-day Americans had in visiting Eu-
rope in the time of the revolution, ''for
support and sympathy She admitted
that she had several times come in
contact with the English authorities