The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-01-22


 en's local union, and headed tht who left the city January 10 t the watch fires burning in from gates with Mrs. VerVane were. oline Weaver, Miss Eva Wea
 The story of the trip is best told in Mrs, VerVane's own words. When the message came asking for volun- teers to tend the watch fires, and for women who would be willing to go to jail for the cause, I persuaded four other members to go with me. We left at one o'clock on Friday after non, January 10, and reached Wash 1ngton at 10:30 D. m. Nothing was done that night, as we were tired af- ter the trip, but early next morning we were instructed to go to the Capi- tol and see Joseph Tumulty, secretary of the President. He was out, but we talked to his assistant regarding the condition of unemployment in Bridge port. He promised Ito call the matter to the attention of MT. Humility, and through him to the President. While we were on this subject everything was serene, but as soon as we hroached the subject of Women's Rights he had nothing to say except that the President was still deeply in terested and was constantly sending messages regarding the matter
 That afternoon we called on Sen ator Mclean, and he emphatically re- fused to support the cause. He claimed that several years ago he had promised his sister to refuse any aid he might be able to give, and he saw no reason to break his promise He was much surprised at the reports oi the industrial situation in Bridgeport, and promised to immediately interest those in power in some action regard ing the matter. He took the entire party to lunch, including three women from Delaware.
 About o'clock that afternoon we left the suffrage headquarters bear l ing a copy of one of the Presidents s 1 speeches regarding suffrage, another | piece of paper, and a small stick of l wood. One of the leaders always starts the fire, and the next woman 1 in line places her paper, wood and 1 speech on it. This procedure is fol- 1 lowed so long Is the police will allow 1t, which usually is not very long. The police entreat the ladies to plea Sc go away and be good,' or at least to go on some other cops beat to make their fires. They also shovel the fire I in the street, and the next suff must light another. When the women per sist they are taken in custody by the reluctant copper, who ooesn't like his 1 job little bit When came up with my little contribution to the blaze one enterprising policeman had swept the 1 fire into the street, and merely laid down my wood and started to chase my speech which had blown away. One cop spied me, and thinking to escape his eye tried to lose myself ID the crowd but he called to me and had to wait to be 'pinched.' Abso- lute silence Is maintained by thes uf- fragists, and in spite of the jibes of the hoodlums who gather around very nttis disturbance is made. When the
 call was sent in for the patrol wagon
 there were P of us waiting for the joy ride to the station We were lei out on bail and after supper IA women tried 1t again. They were not re-
 arrested, however.
 At the U. s. Federal court the nex
 morning we all appeared for trial -Four at a time were haled before the judge, who asks the usual question as to name, age, place of residence The officer who arrested me wal
 called to testify against me, and h;
 told narrowing tale of an immenst
 fire I had built which, according tt his story, threatened the destruction
 of the entire District of Columbia
 Not only had I used big logs, but
 had also carried an immense can O
 oil Had I done what he said I dit
 I would have needed a truck.
 Upon this convincing evidence was sentenced to pay a fine of S10 0 go to jail. When was asked whicl
 preferred. I simply said "'I will g. : to jail, that's what came to Wash
 ington for.'
 'T forgot to tell you that we ha = also called at the Jafl to see Mrs Toscan Bennett, and were refuse ad1nittance. We told the taller tha - we were coming back later as hi - uninvfted guests. He was most in
 hospitab1e and said, for Heaven sake stay away but wfer he foun
 out that we were in earnest, he a , once started proceedings for our ac commo dation.
 "Over 40 colored women are in 10 long terms, and he started the entir crew on general cleaning and paint 5 ing orgy. They swept, scrubbed an' painted even the bath room, which a = Mrs. Bennetrs entrance was filthy ! so that it was spick and span for tn l reception of the already famou
 guests from Connecticut.
 When we landed in jail at ' o'clock Tuesday afternoon. 22 Of us
 the jailer nearly collapsed. He hal l. expected the five Connecticut women but when he saw the crowd augment ? ed by women from Texas, California ' Colorado, and many other states most of them women of culture am 5 means, he had visions of the next fiv days which could not have been nor Y distressing that what actually hap D pened. During that period of tim that poor man certainly earned hi
 salary, and was more than delighte' . 10 see the last of us. He bitterly re sented our statement that we woul |. see him again soon. and most inhos pitabIv declined to invite us to com
 back for another sentence.
 Well. we were paired off. two t I each cell. Of course the first thIui ' va id was to investigate the accom- U nodations which we were to ento,
 while guests of the city. We foun' p the cells already inhabited by all sort