The Prosecution of Lilian Lenton

Sheffield Daily Telegraph, 9th May 1914

SENTENCED AT LAST.

DISORDERLY SCENES.

Scenes unprecedented in the history of the Assize Court at Leeds occurred, yesterday, when throughout the thirty minutes that a case occupied the attention of the Court the prisoner kept up a continuous harangue of the judge and jury. She was Miss Lilian Lenton, 23, the suffragette who while under the "Cat and Mouse" Act, eluded, in the disguise of an errand boy, the vigilance of the police nearly a year ago, after an attempt to set fire to a house in Doncaster. She was arrested earlier in the week at Birkenhead, and brought to Leeds for trial in connection with that offence. The main purport of her remarks was that she refused to be tried by men for breaking laws in the making of which women had no part.

Miss Lenton was attired in a neat mouse-coloured costume, and wore a big black hat trimmed with purple flowers, and her features were partially obscured under a heavy black veil. She also wore a purple and white iris.

After she had been led languidly from the cells to the dock, and accomodated with a chair, she was addressed by the Clerk as follows: "Lilian Lenton, you stand charged that on June 3, 1913, at Doncaster, you broke and entered into the dwelling-house of Alice Fisher with intent to commit a felony therein, namely, to set fire to the dwelling-house. Are you guilty?"

It was then that Miss Lenton commenced a speech that never ceased during counsel's remarks to the jury, the taking of evidence, the Judge's summing up and finally the sentence.

"Gentlemen," she said, "I have some remarks to make before the case goes on. I don't propose to allow the case to be tried at all."

The Clerk: That is a plea of "Not guilty."

Four Days Without Food.

Miss Lenton (addressing the jury while they were being sworn): Gentlemen, I want to ask you to refuse to have anything further to do with this case. I ask you not for my own sake - it makes no difference to me - but for the sake of your own honour. You have become so used to this extraordinary state of affairs which permits women who break laws made entirely by men to be brought before a Court consisting entirely of men that you don't realise the injustice of it. I intend to point out to-day where the injustice comes in. I am making this commotion as well as I can, which, seeing I have been nearly four days without food, is not very easy.

She proceeded to do so, the swearing of the jury proceeding simultaneously. When this formality had concluded the Clerk commenced to inform the jury of the nature of the charge, and the jury listened to him despite Miss Lenton, who had interrupted her own speech, with "Gentlemen of the Jury, don't listen to what the gentleman over there is saying."

The Clerk (proceeding): A plea of not guilty has been entered.

Miss Lenton: It has not.

Mr. Justice Atkin remarked to the prisoner: Miss Lenton, just listen to me. Don't you think you have made enough protest for the time being.

Miss Lenton: I have made nothing like sufficient protest until the Court refuses to sit.

And she was off again about the constitution of the Houses of Parliament.

The proceedings during counsel's address to the jury partook of the nature of a discordant duet in which the suave voice of Mr. C. F. Lowenthal, who prosecuted, was in direct contrast to the high-pitched notes of the prisoner.

That Miss Lenton entered the house at night with intent to commit arson, Mr. Lowenthal observed, would be proved by her own sworn statement. Had that act been successful it might have resulted, and probably would have resulted , in the miserable death of an old lady of 72. There was no doubt --

Miss Lenton, detaching herself from her political argument: It is absolutely ridiculous. No act of ours would result in the death of any woman. We always look in every room when we intend to set fire to a place to see if there is anyone there.

Prisoner's Appeal To Witness.

At the conclusion of Mr. Lowenthal's speech, Mary Temple Beacroft was called to give evidence.

Miss Lenton, appealingly to witness: Miss Beacroft, will you please refuse to answer the questions.

Witness's examination proceeded to the accompaniment of the suffragette's resumed observations on the "Cat and Mouse" Bill.

The Judge (to prisoner): Do you want to ask the witness any questions?

Miss Lenton: I don't want to take any notice of the proceedings at all. I am making a speech of my own.

The Judge (with a smile): Miss Beacroft, you can go.

The assistant to the Clerk to the Doncaster Borough Magistrates produced the depositions of Miss Lenton, who on June 9th, during the hearing of the case against Johnstone and Muss Winchiff, volunteered herself as a witness, and said in the course of a sworn statement in which she exonerated Miss Winchiff:-

I took part in the breaking into of Mrs. Fisher's house. We went to burn the house. I knew it was an empty house.

The judge, to Miss Lenton, who was still continuing her torrent of word: Would you like to say anything more to the jury? (Loud laughter.)

Miss Lenton: I intend to say a great deal more.

The Judge: Unless you are going to address yourself to the offence I think we will go on with the case. Do you want to say anything to the jury about the case?

Miss Lenton: In a minute or two I will go on with what I was saying: I have forgotten it now.

The Judge proceeded to sum up, and Miss Lenton to talk about Ulster and Sir Edward Carson and Mr. Bonar Law. What should be fair for women, she said, should be fair for men, too.

The Judge said that after experiences and adventures, the prisoner had been brought before the jury, and had behaved in a silly fashion. She had had plenty of opportunities of putting her case before them.

Women Ejected From Court.

The jury, after a minute's consultation, during which Miss Lenton continued to address their backs, found her guilty.

The Clerk: Have you anything to say why the Court should not pass judgement upon you?

Miss Lenton: I have already said a great deal. No man who is anything more than a cad can possibly pass judgement upon a woman for breaking a law she had no hand in making.

The Judge: The jury quite properly have found you guilty; in fact they could not have found any other verdict. The offence is that of an intent to burn a house. I assume that would be an offence even when ladies have got a hand in making the laws. Your confederate was sentenced to 12 months hard labour. I find no differences in the circumstances between you and him. And you must be sentenced to imprisonment for 12 months in the second division.

The announcement of the sentence was the signal for an outburst of disorder on the part of a number of ladies who had assembled in one of the galleries. Miss Lenton permitted herself to be led below, exclaiming: "I shan't serve it," but her supporters above leant out over the railings of the gallery shouting and gesticulating. One of them screamed: "This is a gross injustice. How can you, sir, as a judge, allow this thing? Why--" Here her oraction was cut short as some detectuives detached her from the railings and removed her. Another threw a copy of The Suffragette at the judge, but it fell some yards short of its mark.

Three more of them were removed struggling and shouting, by police officers, a lady spectator assisting in removing the hands of one of them from the railings to which she was clinging. the other suffragettes followed them out, the parting shot of one of them being "A travesty of justice."

The Judge looked on with an amused smile. It was rather a coincidence that the flowers upon his bench were of white and purple colour, which with the green of the leaves, comprise the "colours" of one of the most important of the suffrage societies.

Later, there was a demonstration at a city cafe, suffragette literature being distributed, and people being invited to attend a meeting outside Armley gaol.

Women's Suffrage in Kirklees