Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-06-28
SIX SUFFRAG|STS
BEHIND JAIL BARS
Women Arrested Before White
House Accept Prison Sentence
in Lieu of SIS Fine.
NO HUNGER STRIKE ATTEMPT
Hold Song Service and Suffrage
Meeting for Other Forty
Female Inmates.
NO HUNGER STRIKE ATTEMPT
tBy Associated Press. !

WASHfNt;TON. June 27.-Beh,nd jail
bars tonight. six women sunragists.
convicted in police court to-day of OBJ
structinG the sidewalk by dispiayinc
propaganda banners before the White
House. held "A song service and suffrage
meeting for the other forty women in
mates of the prison.
The sunraEists were given their
choice of s25 fines or three DAYS in jail.
and decided to go to Jail They did
not attempt a hunger strike, and will
be released on Friday morning, part
of to-day and a few hours of Friday
being counted as full days
The District prison house women's
section presented an extraordinary
scene tonight. AT little organ In
the carpeted corridor sat Miss Mable
Vernon, OF Reno. New. playing God
BE With You Till We Meet Again" and
other hymns. while about her stood the
little group Of singers. Miss Katherine
Morri Of Boston, Miss Virginia Arnold.
of Asheviile. y. c.; Miss Lavina Dock.
Of Phi,adeipha; Miss Maud Jamison.
of Norfolk. Va, and Mrs Annie T.
Neil. Of Wilmington. Del.
MAKE FERvENT PLEAS
FOR "vOTES FOR WOMEN,
Huddled on a stairway behind
barred petition were thirty negro
women and "A few white women who
joined in the refrain. The Jail matron
gave the suffragists permission to ad-
dress their fellow prisoners. and the
meeting which followed developed fer
vent pleas for the cause OF votes for
women"
Each sunraFist has been assigned 70
a separate cell on the lowest tier of
the cell block. with individual berth,
toilet facilities and towels. The berths
are clean, the walls are white, and in
the corridors windows. overlooking
green courtyard and the eastern branch
OF the Potomac. potted gcraniums
bloom.
considering that 1t is a Jail. We are
very comfortably fixed" said Miss Ver-
non to newspaper man who was per-
mitted 10 call. we had shoulder, kale
bread and tea for supper. and now We
are just having little singing bee
before bedtime"
The other young women smiled
wanly and nodded approval of the
statement.
Bessie Jones. negro woman charged
with larceny. interrupted al this poirt.
shouting through the bars:
And don't you forget that we've
been here a long time. and were hav-
ing a good time tonight for once"
DECLINE TO DISCUSS
THEIR IMPRISONMENT
The suffragists smilingly declined TO
discuss their imprisonment. Nor was
any comment forthcoming from head
quarters of the National Woman's
party. which has directed the picket
ing demonstrations during the last
eight months. and whose leaders agreed
in police court that jail sentences
should be accepted instead of fines.
Tomorrow the women may even see
callers through the bars. For break
fast they will have rice, molasses. bread
and coffee: for dinner. beef stew. bread
and coffee, and for supper. beef stew
bread and tea They are provided with
paper. pens and ink. and will spend
part OF the time writing arguments TOR
woman suffrage to be published later.
Charges of obstructing the sidewalk
are pending against other women
pickets. but the date for their trial
has not been set In the mca ntime. :he
suffragists are making no announce
ment as to further activities in front
Of the White House.