Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1918-08-17
begin HUNGER STRIKE

SuilragetteS IN Washington JAN De-
mand Treatment For Political PriS-
cuers-Dr. Sara!, Lockre" Freed,
Tells Of nisc0mforts
Twenty-Five OF the twenty-six SUI
fragettes who were imprisoned
Thursday nave completed =, first
.,twcEty-four hours of hunge'' strike.
They are demanding the rights OF
political prisoners.
Two of the twcnty-six have been
released on the payment of their
fines. pr. Sarah LocErey. Of rhiia-
delphia, who is taking the practice
of surgeon doing war work, re-
turned to Philadelphia to perform
major operation, and the son Of Mrs.
Margaret Oakes, of Idaho, pad her
fine and had her released saying
ne needed her at home. Sc pro-
tested, but after her fine was paid
the authorities refused to allow her
20 stay in jail.
The women are at present held in
communicate, no visitors being per-
mitted to see them. Gone visitor 4
week is permitted each prisoner"
SAID the superintendent "After the
women are here a week, each can
have one visitor week."
Dr Lcckrcy brought out word OF
the hunger strike. and said that the
women were chilled through Thurs
lay night. \ hasty cal! was Scnr
out for flannel paiamas, but three
grips filled with these and other
warm clothing were refused at the
Jail when delivered, and the prison
nrs had to do last night with the
insufficient clothing they kal the
light before.
Rights of political prisoners" as
defined by the W0man's National Suf-
fraga Party, are, in foreign countries,
free communication with friends,
visitors. food from the outside, their
own clothes, books and personal be-
longirgs."
Treated Like Others.
"They're just like any other pris-
oners who break the law: AID will
receive the samc trcatmert.' sail the
superintendent. Il don't want to
iscuss their hunger strike yet. And
can't tell you whether weV resort
20 forciblc feeding, or il we do, how
}onr we'll wait for them TO atandon
it first. The situation is NOT serious
now
During the last hunger strike the
authorities rescrted to forci';'; feed
ing after five days in sone cases and
after ten in others.
The suffragettes have refused to
nern,it two Of their nuTHa: to join
he hunger strike because of their
age. These two are Mrs, Irving Gross,
of Boston. and Mrs. Anna Kahn, Of
Baltimore.
The women are he.i in wing
# the Jail, which has recently been
lone over. It. is clean, but the cells
ire in five tiers. and are only . by Z,
With no windows. and too dark for
eading. The windows are fifteen
'eet from the floor, so that the prlso-
,ers canno. communicate with
friends as they have in the past.
The women are in the lowest tier
,f cells.
Defective Drains.
"Defective open drains make the
,Iace unsantary," said Dr.. Lockrey
,ftcr her release. u suspect thats
vhv~ il was abandoned. So fan the
,ufragcttes are allowed t. walk m
ho corriodor. At first Supt Zink-
nam refused to allow the windows
opened last night and the odor was
horrible. but later all the windows
,,.crc opened and VIZ pulled our beds
out in the corridor to sleep
"Whe,, left this morning, some
of the women were already feeling
faint from the hunger strike, but an
were full Of courage to go on, ana
we're planning to celebrate the 0irtn-
dav Of Mrs. Helena Hill Weed wn'cn
she was spending in jail
Miss Doris Stevens, in charge Oh
the headquarters during the Impris-
onmcnt of Miss Alice Paul, IS plan
ming demonstrations for next week
in LAFAYETTE Park, and kilograms
are pouring from over the county,
telling of members of the party VIC
will be heer to assist.
Names of Hunger Strikers.
The following are the hunger strlN"