Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1917-12-20
mrs. MURRAY HOSTESS
AT A LUNCHEON
Guests Of Honor Two Victims Of
Occoquan Workhouse
TELL THRILLING EXPERIENCE
Grandmother OF Picketers" Says She
Didn't Know American women
Could Be So Rrntalized Under
The American Flag
Ihe Amerlcan FIap


attractiyeness, the home of Mrs. Spen-
Ger Murray was the scene of a de-
lightful luncheon yesterday after
noon at which the guests of honor
were Mrs. Mary b. holland, of Florida
better known of late as the Grand
mother Picketer" (who suffered the
indignities of Occoquan Workhouse,
| and District JaiD, and Miss Lucy
Branham, of Baltimore, also a fellow
picketer, and likewise prisoner.
| After luncheon the ladies repaired
to the living-room, where they were
entertained with thrilling accounts of
: the experience of Mrs holland and
Miss Branham Miss Branham pre-
| faced her remarks with a talk on the
Federal Amendment, fer which women
have been struggling for years. Peti-
tioning the President, she said, was
called sneeringly "picketing," which
is legal, therefore, permissible, and
is sanctioned by the Constitution of
the United States, and was practiced
hundreds of years ago. Even Queen
Esther of Biblical fame, picketed the
King, whose favor she won "even to
the granting of half my kingdom"
All suffragists, she said, would give
up their lives, if need be, for the free
dom of American women. Suffragists,
Miss Branham said, are criticized for
urging their cause in war time, but
of all times "war time is the most
wonderful sime for electoral reform"
England is so grateful to its women
for all they have done in this war
that a bill introduced in Parliament
last April went through in June,
granting the franchise to women and
giving six million women the right of
self-government.
She told of the right of franchise
in New Zealand, and in Canada, Eng
lands colonies. In every one of the
provinces of Canada, except Quebec,
women have the right OF franchise
Who would have thought that Rus
sia would enfranchise its women
i. before America? Miss Branham
quoted the President, who said there
is something greater than peace, that
thing is democracy-the right TO have
a voice in the government" Yet, she
said, when President Wilson asked us
to go to war there were 20,000,000
women franchised. A woman's right
| is thought not to be worth very much,
just as once it was thought her
brother must be sent to college, there
was no need to educate his sister All
we are asking. said Miss Branham, is
for ourselves to live up to this politi-
cal democracy thing most consist
ent
Since the picketing, she said, forty
members of Congress have come over
: to the side of woman suffrage, one of
I. whom declared: ITO democratize
the nation, to democratize the world,
shall vote for woman suffrage"
Miss Branham spoke with the earnest
ness of one having the conviction of
her conscience, and standing for a
principle for which she had suffered
| Imprisonment and martyrdom.
Mrs. NOland's Story.
The climax of the afternoons en-
tertainment was a thrilling story told
by Mrs. Mary b. holland, upon whose
head the SHOWS of 7S winters have
| fallen, and who is known as the
Grandmother Picket" In a clear,
unfaltering voice, expressed in the
+, best English, she told the horrors OF
her experience at Occoquan Work
house. in the dungeon cell, in the hos
pital and later in Jail, giving a full
detailed account.
| Mrs. holland told how, being a Red
Cross worker, a recruiting officer,
| and doing other work of this kind,
| and being a suffragist at heart, she
| was interested in the cause of picket
ing (petitioning the President) and
engaged in the work, and of that fa'al
tenth of November when she was ar
| rested. with others, for "obstructing
traffic" She gave a graphic descrip-
tion of the ride TO police headquart-
ers in the van, how some on the
| streets jibed and sneered, while 9TH
ers cheered and some called out GOD
bless you,- I'm with you" etc. For
two consecutive days she, with otheT
picketers. was arrested for holding
their banners in front of the gates at
the White House. and their fines were
paid. but on the third day they re-
fused to pay fines. as it seemed to Se
an admission of guilt, and they had
done nothing wrong-merely stood on
the sidewalk, As feet in width.
Mrs. holland, in her own simple
way. telling facts without embellish-
ment. truth without garnishing, gave
vivid description of being arrested
for principle. how one of the officers
offered to pay her fine. but she deciin-
J ed the kindness, telling him she would
not give UP principle for fear OF go
ing 10 Jail. She described the house
of detention, and the courteous treat
ment accorded the picketers there
She told of her ride in the van TO Oc-
eoouan Workhouse and the indignitles
heaped upon these gentleWomen oS
the superintendent and his deputies
one of whom told this aged lady 4
she did not answer his impertinen'
questions he would 'pulyerize her be
meath his heel"