The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1914-06-11
Ancient Stone of Scone, on
Which Sat Robert Bruce, Bad
ly Damaged by Pankhurst
Bomb-Near-Pani
FIRST THOUGHT HOUSE OF
COMMONS DYNAMITED
Explosion Heard in Parliament
as Home Secretary Defends
Suffrage Party

LONDON, June 1l.-Suffragists to-
day ANoded bomb under the coro-
nation chair In Westminster abbey.
II Is reported that the historic stone
OF Scone was clipped but that other.
wise no serious damage was wrought
No arrests OF the suffragists sup
posed TO have exploded the bomb
were made. The police at once threw
Gordon around the famous abbey. but
so fRT as is known, there is no clue
TO the perpetrators OF the outrage.
The stone OF Scone IS one OF the
most famous relics in the British EN-.
pire. Its origin Is lost in antiquity
but history says that on IL sat Nal
colin Canmore, an almost mythical
king OF the Picts when he was in.
vested with the crown. For cen
turtles the stone furnished a throne
for Scottish kings on the day OF their
coronation. IL remained in Scotland
until captured by Edward the First OF
England, and taken TO London Des-
perate resentment by the Scottish
nation at their deprivation OF relic
they held sacred was in great meas.
ure the cause Of the uprising OF VII.
liam Wallace. the Scottish hero and
the crushing defeat suffered by the
English at the battle OF Bannock-
burn, when Robert Bruce won the
himself the crown OF Scotland
Ever since Bruce's day Scotland
sought to recover the famous Scone
boulder. But II had been incorporat-
ed into the coronation chair of the
English kings and could not be recov.
cred. II was specially mentioned In
the act OF union between Scotland
and England and under the law no
British king can reign unless he Is
crowned while seated on the sacred
stone
Explosion OF the bomb used In the
attempt to wreck the Scone relic and
the coronation chair was heard In
parliament and caused great sen.
satlon Many believed that an at
tempt had been made TO blow up-the
house OF commons. When news or
the attempt reached the city excite
ment was great and the suffragists
we're unsparingly denounced.
IL was believed that tide OF public
opinion, already setting against the
sufrragists, would, demand the most
severe punishmenti such outrages as
that OF today continue.
Just before the explosion in West
minister abbey Reginald McKenna,
home secretary, defended the govern
mentS policy regarding the sufrag-
lists He told the commons the gov
ernment objected TO letting militants
die In prison, deporting them or con-
nning them in asvlums, but announc'
ed that the government would instl'
tHte civil suits against every SUB,
scriber to the Women's Social and
Political union, the body from which
the suffragists draw their funds.
list OF those who have contributed
To- the suffragist cause was revealed
i'm a. search OF one OF the w. > P.@U.
headquarters, following a police raid
according to popular report
McKenna declared that operation OF
the "cat and mouse" act was already
reducing the number OF mlhtants ana
appealed to the press not to adver
tise their outrages.
Two women were captured by inc
police Gordon after the explosion as
they were trying TO leave Westmin-
ster abbey, but II was not certain
that they were concerned In the out
rage. There were two explosions IN
the abbey one evidently premature,
having occurred in the chapel OF Ed
ward the Confessor.
The stone OF Scone probably broke
the force OF the explosion OF the
bomb set under the coronation chalr
as the chair itself was only slightly
injured.