THE MORNING POST MAY 1 1913

HEADQUARTERS RAIDED

LEADERS ARRESTED AND PAPERS SEIZED

HOME OFFICE WARNING

Acting on authority from the Home Office and Sir Edward Henry, Chief Commissioner, the police yesterday raided the offices of the Women's Social and Political Union in Kingsway, arrested a number of leaders, impounded all documents, and took possession of the establishment. The type and manuscript intended for the publication of this week's issue of the Suffragette were seized at the printers`. Later in the day Mrs. Drummond and five other officials of the Union were charged at Bow-street with conspiracy and remanded in custody until to-morrow. Mr. Bodkin, who conducted the case for the Director of Public Prosecutions, said the Union had furthered its unlawful actions in three ways:

[1] By speeches of a violent and inflammatory character, and the organisation must be put a stop to.

[2] By a paper called the Suffragette. That organ must be put a stop to.

[3] By money which had been obtained from persons who appeared to sympathise with the criminal objects of the organisation.

He went on to warn sympathisers that -

[1] If any person made a speech encouraging the class of crime to which he had referred proceedings would at once be taken.

[2] If anyone could be found to print and publish the literature of the Union he might find himself in a very awkward position as an aider and abettor of persons engaged in carrying out the objects of the Union.

[3] If persons who had money could find no better use for it than the commission of crime they also would find themselves in an awkward position.

Mr. Bodkin added that serious as the present charge was other charges of a still more serious character might be preferred against the defendants when the papers, &c., now in the possession of the police had been fully examined.

THE RAID

The Union, of which Mrs. Pankhurst is the head, since leaving Clement`s Inn has occupied Lincoln's Inn House, on the eastern side of Kingsway. It is a convenient building, several storeys high, with a lift. The entire building was in possession of the Militants, who employed a large staff of typewriters, telephonists, secretaries, and clerks. On the upper floors each room was fitted as an office, with all kinds of time saving appliances, and a considerable degree of comfort. On the ground floor was a set of rooms in which were displayed books, pamphlets, and other printed matter for sale to callers. On the floors above the various leaders had their several departments.

At half past eleven yesterday morning Mr. Quinn, Superintendent of the Special Service Branch of Scotland Yard - the organisation which is charged with all matters of a political or international character - arrived at Lincoln's Inn House, with Chief Inspector McBrien and Inspector Riley, also of the Special Service Branch. The premises were at once raided, the inmates being taken by surprise. The doors were locked, and until the detectives had completed their examination no one was allowed to leave the building. Possession of the premises was taken before any of the papers could be destroyed or preparations made by the Militant leaders against the raid. A force of fifty police in uniform reached Kingsway at the same time as Superintendent Quinn entered Lincoln's Inn House, and they were disposed on every floor from the ground to the roof, where one of the first thing they did was to pull down the Suffragist flag.

ARREST OF LEADERS

Chief Inspector McBrien held the necessary authority for the proceedings of the police. He warned all within the building that he was a police officer in possession of full powers, and that he proposed to search the desks, cupboards, and other places for letters and documents. He informed Miss Kerr, the acting secretary, that the charge was one of conspiracy, and that he would be compelled to arrest several whose names were on the warrants. These included Miss Kerr, Mrs. Sanders, treasurer; Miss Barrett, assistant editor of the Suffragette; Miss Lennox, sub-editor of the Suffragette; Miss Lake, business manager of the Women's Press; Mrs. Drummond [who is chief of the organisation in the absence of Mrs. Pankhurst and Miss Christabel Pankhurst], and Miss Annie Kenney.

The warrant in the case of Miss Annie Kenney could not be served as she is at present in Paris with Miss Christabel Pankhurst. Mrs. Drummond as also absent, and did not arrive at the headquarters of the Women's Social and Political Union until about half-past twelve. She had no idea that a raid was in progress, and was promptly put under arrest.

Within Lincoln's Inn House the police arrangements were so perfect that each constable knew his post and what he had to do. The premises had been visited from time to time by certain of the detective force, and thus the interior was perfectly familiar. Experienced men were put in charge of the lift, which was normally worked by one of the very few men employed by the Union. The typists, clerks, and other employees were first examined by the police, and their hand bags were searched for papers. After their names and addresses had been taken and verified they were ordered to leave the building. The leaders named were despatched to Bow-street Police Station in custody, and after that the authorities had the entire premises to themselves. They made a thorough examination of the rooms, and a careful arrangement of all the papers found. Later in the afternoon the documents were conveyed in a pantechnicon van to Scotland Yard for further investigation by the police and the Home Office staff who are detailed for the duty.

IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS SEIZED

It is understood that the search has revealed some very extraordinary documents and communications from people in high positions. Not only has a mass of important correspondence and other papers been obtained a Lincoln's Inn House, but simultaneously with the raid on the building detectives, duly provided with search warrants, visited the homes of the several leaders and took away all the correspondence found there in each case. Here, again, it is understood, important material for the prosecution which the Government has instituted has been secured.

The Home Office issued instructions that the type, proofs, and any manuscripts or other documents at the offices of the Suffragette should be seized. This duty was entrusted to Sergeant Fitch, who has recently been engaged in a number of the cases of espionage by Germans in this country. There had been some change in the printing arrangements for the paper, which only nominally published at Lincoln's Inn House. The contract for printing had been lately placed with a firm in St. Martin's-lane, and from the premises large quantities of manuscripts, including leading articles and special articles intended for forthcoming numbers - some of them of a very remarkable character - proof, correspondence, and also nearly forty "galleys" of linotype already in order for this week's issue of the Suffragette were removed for further investigation.

The raid was so well organised that it caused little excitement in Kingsway. Only a very small crowd gathered and the Suffragists were themselves prevented from communicating news of what was going on, members of the police force being placed at the telephone receivers. This is the second raid which has been carried out on the offices of the Union, but it was of a much more thorough character than in the former case. On that occasion the leaders and an inkling of what was intended, and Miss Christabel Pankhurst was enabled to escape to Paris, where she still remains. So far as can be ascertained up to the present it would appear that she is also in possession of the funds of the Women's Social and Political Union, or, at least, in control of them, and that they are in a Paris banking establishment.

LEADERS AT BOW-STREET

BAIL REFUSED

Mrs. Drummond, described as an organiser of the Women's Social and Political Union; Harriet Roberta Kerr, manageress and officer of the same Union; Agnes Lake, business manager, of the Suffragette newspaper of Walwood-road, Leytonstone; Rachael Barrett, assistant editor of the Suffragettes, of Mecklenburgh-square; Laura Geraldine Lennox, sub-editor of the Suffragette, of Regent-street; and Beatrice Helen Sanders, of the Women's Social and Political Union, were subsequently charged before Mr. Curtis Bennett at Bow-street Police Court with conspiring together, and, with Miss Annie Kenney, Mrs. Pankhurst, and Miss Christabel Pankhurst, and diverse other members of the Women's Social and Political Union, maliciously to cause damage and spoil in and upon property belonging to tradesmen and others, contrary to the Malicious Damage Act, 1861.

Mr. Bodkin conducted the case on behalf of the Director of Public Prosecutions, Sir Charles Mathews, who occupied a seat near him. Mr. Marshall, solicitor appeared for the defendants.

Mr. Bodkin, in opening the case, said the proceedings had been taken with the object of putting down what had become a danger to the civilised community - to peaceful citizens, traders, and private persons throughout the country. The organisation known as the Women's Social and Political Union, of which the defendants were active and prominent members, was an organisation by which and under whose auspices and encouragement an enormous number of crimes, involving damage to property and danger to life and limb, and a vast amount of inconvenience to the public had been brought about, almost daily for months past. The six women in the dock were, beyond all doubt, among the leaders of the Union. It was less than twelve months since he [Mr. Bodkin] asked the Magistrate sitting at that Court to deal with the ringleaders of the Union, but the organisation contrived to carry on its nefarious practices. Warnings had been disregarded, and the crimes committed had increased in number and seriousness, owing to the encouragement the perpetrators of them had received. The Union had furthered its unlawful acts in three ways. The first was by speeches of a violent and inflammatory character addressed to a number of emotional female members in public places in London and elsewhere; and the organisation must put a stop to. In the second place, crime had been encouraged persons to commit damage against property. That organ must also be put a stop to, as a danger to society in disseminating writings of this kind. The third way in which crime was encouraged was by money, which was, of course, necessary to an organisation of this kind. If the statements published in the paper were true large sums had been obtained from persons who appeared to sympathise with the criminal objects of the organisation.

WARNING TO SYMPATHISERS

He [counsel] wished to state publicly, and to give a public warning, that is any person made a speech encouraging the class of crime to which he had referred, proceedings would at once be taken against that person. If, after this warning, anyone could be found to print and publish the literature of the Women's Social and Political Union he might find himself in a very awkward position as an aider and abettor of persons engaged in carrying out the objects of the Union. If persons who had money could find no better use for it than the commission of crime they also would find themselves in a very awkward position. The warrants against the defendants, which were granted on Tuesday, were executed that morning. Some of the arrests were effected at the headquarters of the Union in Kingsway, and a large quantity of writing and printing taken possession of by the police as evidence of the crime with which the defendants were charged. It was impossible to go fully into the case on this occasion as the papers seized by the police had not yet been examined or classified. It was necessary, therefore, to ask for a remand to enable him to deal with the case in a comprehensive way. He could only add, as germane to this case, that, serious as the present charge was, other charges of a still more serious character might be preferred against the defendants when the papers, &c., now in the possession of the police, had been fully examined.

A number of police officers gave formal evidence as to arresting the defendants. When Mrs. Sanders was taken into custody, at the headquarters of the Union, she said nothing. Miss Kerr was arrested in the general office of the Union on the second floor. When the warrant was read to her, she said to Chief Detective-Inspector McBrien: "Very well; I suppose I must go with you." Mrs. Drummond was arrested as she was entering the Union offices at half past twelve. When the warrant was read to her by Detective-Inspector Riley, she said: "Then it is the same as Mrs. Pankhurst was charged with." When she was formally charged at Bow-street Police Station, she said: "I suppose it is all right, if you say so." Miss Lennox was apparently in charge of the editorial department on the fourth floor of the building when she was taken into custody. She said nothing. Miss Barrett was also in the editorial department, and when the warrant was read to her, she said: "On what date did this take place?" Detective-Sergeant McLaughlin replied: "On October 1s^t, 1912." Miss Lake also put a question as to the date of the alleged offence, and when the same answer was given to her, she said: "I was not here on that date. You cannot have me." Detective-Sergeant Frost explained that the warrant referred to "divers other dates," and she then said "All right."

    Mr. Bodkin said that all the evidence he proposed to call on this occasion.

    Mr. Curtis Bennett remanded the defendants until to-morrow, and said he would not grant bail.

    Mr. Marshall - Will you hear me on that point?

    Mr. Curtis Bennett - No bail: I have said it.

    Mr. Marshall - I should like to mention certain particulars that apply to these ladies.

    Mr. Curtis Bennett - Next case

    Mr. Marshall - Can they see some friends to arrange about clothing and domestic matters?

    Mr. Curtis Bennett - Yes: not more than one each.

The defendants were then removed.

SUFFRAGIST COMMENT

Votes for Women, in its issue for this week, has an article on "What We Think of the Raid on the W.S.P.U." It says: "The latest act of coercion adopted by the Government against the revolutionary section of Suffragists is perhaps the stupidest thing they have done yet. The only effect that it can possibly have will be to stop the Constitutional side of the movement and drive it entirely underground; there is not the slightest reason to suppose that it will operate to reduce the revolutionary activity of the Union; on the contrary, it seems not unlikely, judging from past experience, that it will have a precisely opposite effect.

"We cannot believe," it adds, "that a body whose record in successful crime is so extended as that of the W.S.P.U. during the last few months is likely to have been guilty of the amazing indiscretion of conducting its secret operations from its official headquarters, still less of keeping there incriminating documents, particularly in view of the repeated warnings which have appeared in the Press that this action was likely to be taken by the government."