The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-02-01
Conspirators Declared to Have
Planned Premier "Remov-
al by Poison
ARTHUR HENDERSON
ALSO MARKED MAN
Chemist, a Conscientious OBJ
jcctor to Military Service,
and Three Women lndig-
nantly Deny Charge

Derby, England. Jan. 3f.-Four
persons were arraigned quietly In the
Police Court at the Derby Guild Hall
this morning charged with plotting
the murder OF Premier fIoyd-George
and Arthur Henderson. the premiere
right hand man In the war council.
The accused persons Indignantly
dIned the charges declaring they
had been trumped up as punishment
for their conscientious objections to
compulsory military service.
Information laid by an inspector OF
scotland Yard charged that the de-
PENDANTS on divers days between De
cemher rs and the date of laying
this information did amongst them
selves unlawfuily and wickedly con-
spire, confederate and agree together
against the Right Hon. David Lloyd
George and the Right Hon. Arthur
Henderson. wilfully and with malice
aforethought TO kill and murder. con-
trary TO the Offences Against Persons
act of 1861 and against the peace Of
our lord, the King, his crown and
dignity
The information is signed by A. H
Bodkin, prosecuting on behalf of the
crown.
After formal evidence concerning
the arrest had been given the case
was adjourned until Saturday.
Mrs. Wheeidon. who is fifty years
OF age, resides IN Derby with her
daughter. Ann. aged twenty seven.
who Is school teacher here. Mason
who is twenty-four. is a chemist of
southampton. On being arrested the
defendants denied any knowledge Of
the charge. They declined TO make
any statement.
No details were disclosed in the Po-
lice Court proceedings, but il is un-
derstood the charge VIII be made that
the defendants purpoSed to use poison.
The inquiries by Scotland Yard be-
gan during the Weekend The Wheel
dons, who live in Pear Tree Road, a
good district. are we'll known in Derby
in connection with the suffrage move
ment. Mason is q conscientious OBJ
jector to military service.
Both Mr.. Lloyd George and MFR.
Henderson are known as very demo-
cratic and accessible. Recently there
has been some agitation for better
protection of the nations leaders.
Ample precautions were taken here
TO protect the prisoners. and the con-
sentative British law. circumscribing
the matter which the newspapers may
insures against any efforts in the
press to arouse feeling against them
Three Women and Man Involved.
London, Jan. Si.--A conspiracy to
murder Premier Lloyd George is re-
ported by the Daily Sketch. which
says, arrests have been made in this
connection. The persons arrested are
described as three suffragettes and
a man, a conscientious objector to
military service"
The Daily Sketch says:
The police have unearthed what is
believed to be a plot to murder the
premier, with the result that Mrs
Wheeldon. of Derby: Miss Hetty
Wheeldon. her daughter; Mrs. Mason,
another daughter, and All Mason. the
latter's husband. have been arrested
They were taken to the police station
and formally charged with conspiring
together to murder Mr.. Lloyd George
They will be taken before a magis-
trate at Derby on Wednesday, 1t is
understood only formal evidence will
be given then. but later in the week
the charges will be thoroughly inves-
tigated.
The details are yet unknown. but
1t is understood the conspirators aim
ed at causing the premier's death by
poison"