Arising out of the scenes towards the close of the Liberal meeting held on Friday night in the Free-trade Hall, Miss Christabel Pankhurst, of Manchester, and Miss Annie Kenny, the latter an Oldham lady, appeared as defendants at the Manchester Police Court, on Saturday, charged with assaulting the police and also causing an obstruction in South-street. There was a full Bench of magistrates, including Mr. Halliday (in the chair), Mr. Reynolds, Mr. W. Holden, Mr. W. Buckley, Mr. Gaskin and others. Mr. Bell prosecuted on behalf of the police; the two ladies were not defended.
Mr. Bell said the offences charged were two ╤ first, disorderly behaviour in the street; and, secondly, obstructing the foot and carriage way in South-street. Miss Pankhurst was further charged with assaulting the police.
On Friday night there was a large Liberal meeting in the Free-trade Hall. The matters complained of, of course, did not arise at that meeting; he mentioned the fact simply as indicating that the defendants had gone with the set intention of causing a disturbance. They put questions to certain of the speakers on a subject in which they were interested, and in order to emphasise them, one or both mounted the seats they had occupied, ╥and yelled and shrieked to the utmost of their ability╙ ╤ so Mr. Bell said, he was told. They were induced, however, to remain quiet for a considerable period. But near the close of the meeting, not being satisfied with an assurance that questions sent up in writing should be answered, they renewed their shouting, and eventually those in charge of the meeting saw fit to have them ejected. Even a serious matter of that kind had in it sometimes elements of humour. One of the defendants╒ appeals during the evening was: ╥Treat us like men╙╤an allusion, of course, to woman suffrage; but when ejected from the hall, by men, they asked: ╥How can you treat women in that way?╙ In the ejection of these ladies the police were requisitioned, and it was in an ante-room of the Free-trade Hall where Superintendent Watson endeavoured to persuade them to restrain themselves, that the assault in the first instance took place. Miss Pankhurst spat in the face of the Superintendent and also in the face of Inspector Mather; and the latter officer she also struck. They were then put out of the building. There was no intention at that time to detain them. In the street they were told both by the police and their own friends that they ought to go away quietly. They did not, and the inspector was a second time assaulted. Then Superintendent Watson determined to withdraw the police, in order that the ladies might have an opportunity of getting away; and had they gone the matter, so far as the police were concerned, would have been carried no further. But the defendants were not satisfied. They turned into South-street, and there began to yell and shriek at the pitch of their voices, with the result that a large crowd assembled, consisting mostly of people from the Free-trade Hall. Then the police arrested the defendants and took them to the Town Hall. If the evidence was to be believed, the defendants╒ behaviour was such as one was accustomed to attribute to women from the slums. It was regrettable that such a charge should be brought against persons who ought, at least, to be able to control themselves. The police, in bringing the case forward, disclaimed any prejudice or bias; they did not seek the infliction of any heavy penalty; all they asked was, if the magistrates considered the charges proved, to take measures which would prevent a recurrence of such scenes.
Inspector Mather said he was on duty on Friday night, and at 8.50 visited the Free-trade Hall when the Liberal meeting was in progress. Police assistance was called for during the meeting, and he was present when these ladies were ejected. Superintendent Watson asked them to behave as ladies should, and not create further disturbance. They were then at liberty to leave. Miss Pankhurst, however, turned and spat in the Superintendent╒s face, repeating the same conduct by spitting in the witness╒s face, and also striking him in the mouth. They had been told that the two officers were police officers in plain clothes.
Mr. Bell: After being ejected from the large hall, were they in an excited frame of mind?
The witness: Yes; Miss Pankhurst said she wanted to assault a policeman. That was before she struck me. After this they were conducted down stairs and into the street. In the street Superintendent Watson again asked them to go quietly away. This request was repeated several times. They had their liberty then; but Miss Pankhurst again struck me in the face. The superintendent, after this ordered the police to withdraw in order that the defendants might get away without further trouble. Their own friends likewise urged them to depart quietly. Five minutes later, in South-street, they gathered a crowd of people, and were shouting at the pitch of their voices. The street was blocked. Superintendent Watson gave me instructions, and I asked them to go away. They did not go ╤ they said they would be locked up, both of them. I took hold of Miss Pankhurst. The other defendant clung to her. On the way to the Town Hall Miss Kenny said to Miss Pankhurst: ╥Never mind; we have got what we wanted.╙ Miss Pankhurst replied: ╥Yes, I wanted to assault a policeman.╙ There was no violence used by the police in any way whatever. On the way to the Detective Office, Miss Kenny, in clinging to her friend, trod upon her skirt, and the garment was left behind.
Mr. Bell said his only object in bringing out this fact was that in a newspaper report of the occurrence the statement was made that a portion of one of the ladies╒ clothing had been found in the street. The suggestion might have been that this was owing to rough usage.
Inspector Mather continued: ╥The skirt was brought to the Detective Office. I charged both defendants with behaving in a disorderly manner in Peter-street and South-street; with obstructing the footway by causing a large crowd to assemble; and Miss Pankhurst I further charged with assaulting me by striking me in the face twice, and also by spitting in my face. She was also charged with spitting in the Superintendent╒s face. To this she simply said: ╥It╒s done.╙ Miss Kenny made no reply.
Asked if she wished to put any questions to the witness, Miss Pankhurst said she had nothing to ask him. There were some slight mis-statements, but of no importance.
The Magistrates╒ Clerk (Mr. Wilby): Do you accept the evidence given by the Inspector?
Miss Pankhurst: Not entirely in all its details; but that is not of importance to me. The main points he has put forward are perfectly correct. There are details I could deny, but I do not wish to trouble to do so.
Superintendent Watson corroborated the last witness╒s evidence. It was true, he said, that Miss Pankhurst also spat in his face, after doing all that he possibly could to persuade her and her friend to leave quietly. He explained that they were police officers, and asked them to behave like ladies.
The Clerk: Was that before Miss Pankhurst spat in your face? ╤ It was. When she did that she knew that we were police officers.
Miss Pankhurst (to the Superintendent): Is it not a fact that at the time I assaulted you by spitting you had both my arms held? ╤ No; you were at perfect liberty then to retire if you had chosen; but you did not.
You do not understand my question. Had not two individuals hold of my arms so that I could not move them? ╤ No.
Miss Pankhurst: I assert that my arms were held.
The Superintendent: They were afterwards.
Miss Kenny said she had no recollection of being told by the witnesses that they were police officers.
Addressing the Bench Miss Pankhurst said: I have no intention to deny the main facts which have been put forward. The charge I do not deny; but what I plead in my defence is that my conduct was justified owing to the treatment I received at the hands of Sir Edward Grey and other persons at the Free-trade Hall. I want to explain as clearly as I can that at the time I committed the assault that is complained of I was not aware that the individuals concerned were police officers. I thought they were Liberals╤ some of those responsible for the meeting. I am only sorry that one of them was not Sir Edward Grey himself. The reason I was forced to adopt the mode of assault that I did was because my arms were firmly pinned down so that I could not raise them. There was no other course open. My conduct in the Free-trade Hall and outside was meant as a protest against the legal position of women to-day. We cannot make any orderly protest because we have not the means whereby citizens may do such a thing; we have not a vote; and so long as we have not votes we must be disorderly. There is no other way whereby we can put forward our claims to political justice. When we have that you will not see us at the police courts; but so long as we have not votes this will happen.
The Presiding Magistrate: I do not wish to interrupt you in anything you may say relevant to the charge. Other matter we cannot listen to.
Miss Pankhurst: Well, what we did was this. We put a question at the meeting to a responsible leader of the Liberal party ╤
The Magistrate: We have nothing to do with that.
Miss Pankhurst: And it was refused; therefore we had a right, as members of the public, to protest; and we did so, to the best of our ability. Nor is it the last time we shall do so. The answer we asked for we could not get. Sir Edward Grey sat there and would have ╤
The Magistrate (interrupting): Excuse us; you must leave out Sir Edward Grey and his friends altogether. What you have to deal with is the charge brought against you by the police.
Miss Pankhurst: I have nothing against the police. They were carrying out their duty, no doubt, as far as they saw it.
Asked if she wished to say anything further regarding the assault, Miss Pankhurst said she admitted the charge; she could point out some mis-statements, but would not trouble to do so. ╥In the main,╙ she added, ╥all that has been said is perfectly true; I stand by it, and I shall do it again. As regards the meeting outside, evidently the witnesses who have been called do not understand the nature of an open-air meeting. Later on they may learn what it is. We mean to hold open-air meetings to protest against the treatment of English women asking for their rights.
The Magistrate: Meetings cannot be held in the public streets of Manchester, causing obstruction to the citizens.
Miss Pankhurst: That may be so; if we were citizens we should be law-abiding.
Miss Kenny also addressed the Bench on her own behalf. She said that when spoken to by the witnesses in the ante-room she did not know that they were police officers; she thought they were officials who had cruelly hustled herself and her friend out of the meeting, and after they had got outside they said they meant to protest against the treatment they had received. This they did at the corner of the street.
The magistrates reminded Miss Kenny that nothing had been asked of the police about the cruel hustling. Miss Kenny admitted the charge of being disorderly.
The Clerk: If you admit the charge that is all we have to do.
Miss Kenny: I do admit it. We are determined that something shall be done.
The magistrates then retired to consider their decision. Whilst they were outside a white flag, said to have been exhibited in the Free-trade Hall, and bearing the legend ╥Votes for women╙ in large letters, was
produced and the ladies hung it on the dock rail. It was, however, removed before the magistrates returned and announced their decision, which was that for assaulting the police Miss Pankhurst must pay a fine of 10s.6d. and costs, or seven days, and for causing an obstruction in South-street each of the defendants must pay a fine of 5s., or three days.
Miss Pankhurst: I shall pay no fine.
Miss Kenny: Hear, hear.
The Clerk: Have you any goods which may be distrained upon?
Both ladies answered in the negative. They were taken below. A little later they were taken in a cab to Strangeways Gaol.
