The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1918-08-14
mrs. L.N.ASCOUCH
MILITANT LEADER
TELLS HER STORY
Arrested For Protesting
Against Disenfran-
chisement.
MISS ELSIE HILL
ALSO ARRESTED
Interesting Account of Mill
tant Activities in Wash
ington.

(By Lillian NJ. Ascough, Conn. State
Chairman National Woman's Party.)
Again have been arrested, this
time twice within an hour, for stand
ing in the shadow of the statue of
Lafayette, opposite the White House,
and protesting against the continued
unenfranchisement of women.
Our meeting having been broken
up last week, Illegally as we are adj
vised and believe, 81 women, of
whom 1 was one, marched out from
the headquarters OF the National
Woman's Party yesterday afternoon
(Monday, Aug. 12). to continue our
interrupted protest against the delay
of our measure in the Senate and the
attitude of the administration that
makes such delay possible.
AS before. our banner bearers were
led by Miss Hazel Hunkins, carrying
the American flag. Our three 1ettered
banners which followed were inscrib-
ed:
"Mr. President, how long must
women wait for Liberty?" (The last
words publicly uttered by Inez Mil
holland-Boissevain.) This was car
ried by Elsie Hill of Connecticut
Justice delayed is Justice denied"
Since we. are frequently accused
of insulting President Wilson by our
banners, it is only right that people
should know what our banners are"
Behind these lettered banners fol-
lowed the little procession of women
carrying the purple white and gold
banners of our organization. OF
these the first was carried by Miss
Lucy Burns, the second to myself.
No policemen were in sight as we
emerged from our headquarters. and
we made our way, unmolested,
through the dense crowd which had
gathered on the sidewalk and in the
street, but which opened readily and
respectfully to allow us to pass. Un-
molested we proceeded the short half
block to the corner, then turning to
the left marched down the sidewalk
skirting Lafayette Park to the statue
which stands at one of the four
corners of the square.
The crowd followed US, making no
attempt whatever to interfere with
US. But on arriving at the statue, we
found, as we found last week,
platoon of police awaiting US.
Again they divided, allowed us to
mount the base of the statue, take
our places on the borad plinth sur
rounding it, and then, as Mrs. Lewis,
chairman Of our meeting, stepped for
ward to speak, the signal was given
to arrest US. Again we were taken
in police vans to the station house,
while the police roughly dispersed the
crowd that had gathered to hear US.
This time the officers who arrested
US appeared to be nervous and anx-
ious to get rid of US. Miss Elsie Hill,
who turned back to speak to one of
our group as she was being urged to
step down on the turf, was jerked
forward and nearly lost her footing.
The policeman who arrested me, held
my arm in a vice-like grip, pinching
it until was forced to appeal to a
sergeant of police who ordered him to
relax his hold. Mrs. G. l.. Kornig of
Hartford had her arm badly wrenched.
None of us resisted arrest, and there
was at no time the slightest excuse
for violence or rough handling.
At the station the usual farce was
enacted of taking our names and as
surfing US that we were violating the
law. We were asked If we were pre-
pared to give bail for our appearance
in court on Wednesday to which we
replied we were not, and that we
would not again give bail. We refused
to give our word that we would ap-
pear on Wednesday as directed, but
we were nevertheless released.
without our banners. but wearing
our regalia and led by Miss Hunkins
carrying the American flag, we march,
ed back to the Lafayette statue to re-
sumo our meeting. The police had
hastily preceded us, and the scene of
an hour before was re-enacted. This
time. however, the group of people
who, on seeing our approach had
gathered again at the statue, greeted
US with a storm of applause. and
watched in silence or with open ex-
pressions of resentment, our second
arrest.
Again Mrs. Lewis was arrested al
most with the first words she uttered.
But before I was arrested, and for
the first time, I spoke to the crowd.
1T am from New England" said,
1.-THE cradle of liberty, and I protest
against the continued unenfranchise-
ment of American women, and against
the unjust arrest Of women whose
only offense is that they are asking
for their political liberty"
On arriving at the police station we
were herded into a large room, and
ordered to give up our regalia, the
tri-color sash worn at all our suffrage
gatherings. My own regalia belongs
not to the organization but to me. I
have worn It from coast to coast, and
I saw no reason to give it up. To the
plain clothes man who insisted that
1t was part of the demonstration"
and as such the police had a right to
take 1t, I tried to explain this, but
suddenly at a signal from him two
policemen behind me grasped my
wrists, drew them violently back and
held me helpless while the plain
clothegman took from the purple,
white and gold ribbon that for the
first time appeared to have offended
the law.
At the same time and with the
greatest violence and brutality, the
policemen in the room more than
| thirty in number, were stripping the