Source 55, Pg.3:  Written questionnaire (actions of the police towards suffragettes)

 

Description

Mrs Emmeline Pankhurst, leader of the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU) was due to address a public meeting at St Andrew's Hall in Glasgow on 9 March 1914 as part of a Scottish tour. Mrs Pankhurst had recently been released from prison as part of the 'Cat and Mouse' Act, and the police intended to re-arrest her so that she could serve the rest of her sentence. Many of the women who attended the meeting complained about the behaviour of the police; witnesses said that they used unnecessary force to control the crowd.

A leading Scottish suffragette, Janie Allen, who attended the meeting campaigned tirelessly for an enquiry into police tactics. She contacted local magistrates, as well as local and national politicians. She wrote to other women who had attended the meeting and asked them to complete a written questionnaire relating to the incident. This source is an example of one of the completed responses.

Grace MacKinnon, who completed this questionnaire, taught Modern Languages in Glasgow schools from 1902 - 1928.

Completed questionnaire, Janie Allan Archive (Acc 4498)

Transcript

Did you hear any orders given to the police. If so what?

I did not hear any orders given.

Can you say whether any request was made to Mrs Pankhurst to surrender?

I cannot say.

Was the action of the police provoked in any way by the conduct of the ladies on the platform, and if so, how?

In no way so far as I could see.

Give a detailed general statement as to the conduct of the police.

Any of the police I saw rushed or jumped wildly on to the platform. They seemed to me ready to attach any one who stood in their way.

Did you see any women armed and if so, with what?

Yes, with Indian clubs. I did not see these actually used by women the police were wrenching them out of the women's hands.

Were they attacking the police or merely defending themselves?

Defending themselves.

Did you see any police injured?

No.

Were any of the women arrested?

None that I saw.

Would the police have had any difficulty in arresting them if they had wished to do so?

None whatever.

Can you explain why the women who forcibly resisted and struck the police were not arrested?

No.

Is it the case that the police instead of effecting arrests took the law into their own hands and administered punishment on the spot?

Yes.

How many plain clothes men did you see on the platform?

I can now only recall two that I saw.