Suffragettes In The Roof

From the Lincolnshire Echo, 17th January 1910SUFFRAGETTES IN THE ROOF

At Louth the Chancellor spoke in support of the candidature of Mr Timothy Davies. He was subject to considerable interruption from suffragettes, who had secreted themselves in the false roof of the Town Hall. He had not spoken many sentences before a female voice broke in.

“I see some bats have got into the roof”, remarked Mr Lloyd George. “Well, let them squeal; it doesn’t matter.”

He said he had sympathy with the cause of women suffragettes, but nothing made him more despair of their success than their persistence in silly tactics.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer had not proceeded far before there was further interruption from the same quarter, whereupon he said,

“I am afraid we shall have to let loose a cat there.”

There was further interruption, and Mr Lloyd George had to sit down for several minutes while a number of stalwart young men proceeded to the false roof in order to eject the intruders. Before the women were found, however, a flag was thrust through some of the ornamental work of the ceiling, and fell on the platform near Mr Lloyd George. It was covered with dust, and when the suffragettes were ultimately brought down they, too, were so covered with the dirt of their hiding place that they had the appearance of female sweeps. As Mr Lloyd George sat down a stone was thrown through one of the windows of the hall.

OFFENDERS BEFORE THE MAGISTRATES – 25 HOURS IN THE FALSE ROOF

Miss Bertha Brewster and Miss Emily Hudson, of Clements Inn, London, the suffragettes who hid themselves in the false roof of Louth Town Hall and disturbed Mr Lloyd George’s meeting there on Saturday night were brought up at the Louth Borough Police Court today.

Mr Chapman, of Grimsby, who prosecuted, explained that the charge was brought under the Public Meeting Act of last year, and, the prisoners pleading guilty they were discharged with a caution.

It transpires that they went into the Hall at 7.30pm on Friday evening by means of a side door in Cannon Street, which they found unfastened, and gained access to the false roof where they passed the night, sleeping fairly well, although the place was very dirty. They took food with them, including chocolates, hard-boiled eggs, and some of the despised German black bread, which, they explain, is very nutritious. When they were brought down by the stewards, the latter were very polite to them. One man, however, kicked both of them.