The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-06-12
Explode Bomb Beside Famous
Coronation Chair in West
minister Abbey.
M'KENNA is OPTIMISTIC
Secretary of State for Home At
fairs Discusses Methods of
Dealing With Suffragettes.

when they exploded bomb in West
minister Abbey at the very moment the
Right Hon. Reginald Mckcnna. Secre-
tary of State for Home Affairs Was dc
livcring an optimistic speech In the
House Of Commons nearby. regarding
the governments method of dealing
with the wild women"
The bomb was placed beside the
famous coronation chair In Edward
the Confcssor's Chapel. Although It
did little damage. it's report penetrated
to the House chamber intcrruptinE
Mr.. Mckcnnas oration. and bringing
members into tho street to learn
what had happened.
The chair, generally called 81. Ed
wards chair. out .; respect to Edward
the Confessor, near whose shrine 1t
stands. was made by order Of king
Edward L. TO hold the coronation stone
or stone of destiny" on which the
ancient Scottish Kings used to sit
when they were crowned.
SrATEMENT ISSUED
BY SCOTLAND YARD
a statement Issued by Scotland Yard
gives the facts iu a conservative form:
at : o'clock" says the statement.
"a small bomb was exploded in inn
mediate proximity TO the coronation
chair. II IL luIposed some member Of
a large party OF sight-scers Jagged be-
hind the rest and deposited the bomb
when the others had left the chapel.
The damage done was slight. y
portion Of the carved wood at the back
Of tn" chair was blown of. and some
OF the stone carving of the screen OF
the great altar was damaged:
The bomb. thin metal. nickel
plated. was exploded by "A fuse. y
wornan's feather boa. Il ruidebook and
small black silk bag were found on
chair nearby. The pieces blown off
can be put together again
Explosion sTAnTLEs
NISIVoRS IN ABBEY
Tho explosion startled hundred or
more visitors. who were being conduct
ed about the abbey. and women ran
screaming for the doors.
y -rca; cloud OF dust hlled the
chapel and those Within first thought
lightning had struck the building.
Two young women who were nearest
the chair were taken To the police
station, but we're released when they
proved they We're foreigners.
Discussion Of the militant campaign
in the House of Commons showed tina;
the government contemplatcs no new
measures except TO attempt to make
Subscribers TO the funds of the Wo-
mons Social ana Political Union re-
sDonsiblc for damage the mli;ants in
nict
Tho Home secretary. who made a
lengthy speech. dismissed the suggcs-
zion OF the lcportation OF the militants
IS !upractica bic, and declared To let
them commit suicide in Jail by starva-
tion likely would arouse sympathy. He
appealed 10 tho newspapers TO Kill the
agitation by ccasius to give them ad-
vcrtiscmcut.
TO SUE StnscR!UtIs.
10 MILITIA STS' FUNDS
IN" Home Secretary announced II.
the House OF Commons to-day that he
hoped the government had obtained
sufficient evidence 70 enable il to bring
suit against Subscribers TO the funds
OF tho militant sunrapctte organize
lion. He added the further hope tnat
the government would bc able to make
IN" subscribers liable for the full ex.
tent OF the damage done by arson
SquHos, destroyers OF mail and picture
slasEers.
Tho announcement was made in re-
sponse 10 bitter criticism OF the in
activity Of the government against
what Lord Robert Cecil described as
nothing less than anarchy" for which.
III hiS opinion, the only real remedy
was deportation.
"rrm"nt faced a situation absolutely
without precedent. The number of No-
men actually engaged in committing
crimes connected with the militant suf-
,ras'''c movement ia small, he said,
"ut SNmhathizers are numerous. He
.'''''''-N'' Vic til!i4tS We're Increasing
IN seriousness. and he recognized the
growing sense of public INDIGNATION
Against tn, militant SuffraEcttes. more
'SpeclSliy in regard TO their rudeness
10 k,ng George ana Queen Mary.
"LET THEM DUE" IGJiCY
WOULD CAUSE UEA CTIoN
IN discussing various suggestions for
uealihg with the militants the Home
Secretary said he believed IN. "J of
'hem ne policy would act only as n
greater incentive To militancv. ana
would, IN due course, lead to a reac-
'ioh IN pubic opinion Dcportation he
considered impracticablo
AS to treating the auffrarcttcs =.
iunaticS, Mr. AlcEe emma said he could
not ask Parliament to sanction an act
defining people rs lunatics who had
not medically been certified as such.
Inc iaSt proposition. he saiu was
TO give women The vote, but he thought
that could not be seriously considered
as n remedy for cNistina; conditions
Mr. Mckcnna showed he had nm
abiding faith in the c;yt and mouse
act lie denied that many OF the
crimes attributed to sunragcttcs hnd
been committed by women released
under that law. Some of those re-
leased. he said, had abandoned mill
nancy; others had fed the country.
The Home Secretary appealed to the
newspapers to cease reporting suf-
fragcttc outragcs, and thus deprive
the 'nilitants of advertisements which
I've maintained. was the handspring OF
their existence.
Hf fSTERICAL FANATICS
WHO WANT ADNI:HTISENENT
Many of these women he said. are
hysterical fanatics. who arc possessed
of courage that would risk any
thing. Many Of them wanted to. die
I" gain what they believed TO he
martNrdom. Advertisement of their
acts was II thing they desired above
all
Mr.. Mck"nna urged the prosecution
OF subscribers to the militant funds
"If this succeeded" the Home Sccrc-
tary said, there is no doubt that the
Continued ON Ninth Pago)