The Birmingham Daily Mail, Tuesday, April 22. 1913

Suffragette Outrage at Handsworth Park

During the night Suffragettes made a determined but only partly successful attempt to burn down the boat-house and its contents at the Victoria Park, Handsworth.  A few minutes after six o'clock this morning Mr. Howard Thurston, who has charge of the boat-house, went to the place, and upon opening the doors was met with dense smoke.  He immediately summoned assistance, and an effort was made to extinguish the fire.  Mr Bailey, the park superintendent, telephoned to the police, and Inspector Lomas, after communicating with the fire station, went to the scene.  The Handsworth contingent of the Fire Brigade arrived and extinguished the fire.

It was then found that an entrance had been obtained into the boat-house through a small window opposite the pool.  The glass having been broken and the catch moved.  The intruder who carried out this portion of the work evidently cut her hand, for blood stains were found on the window sill.  Prior to this an attempt had evidently been made to obtain admittance through two windows from the verandah this position having been attained by climbing the pillars to the verandah itself.  Two window panes were broken, but the windows were found so securely fastened that it was impossible to open them.

Inside the boat house was stored a number of rowing boats and boating apparatus, and on the floor, in the middle of the building, was a box containing a large quantity of boat cushion, of the approximate value of £20.  Two gallon tins of paraffin were poured over the box, and a light applied.  The box did not cause the great flame which was evidently anticpated for the nature of the contents was such that they appear to have smouldered away rather than flared.  The heat which the fire caused, however, was so great that two boats on a platform directly above the box were practically destroyed, as well as one on the floor, whilst several others were badly charred.  The damage to the boat house itself was only slight.

The police found that not only had the box been fired, but two firelighters, one of which had been used, had been brought to assist in causing the fire in addition to some pieces of flannelette which had been steeped in paraffin.  The two empty tins which had contained paraffin were found in the boathouse.  They had been covered with brown paper, and one of them was badly burned.

There is little doubt that the outrage was the work of Suffragettes, as there was found near the building three flags of the colours of the Women's Social and Political Union and five copies of a current issue of the "Suffragette" containing a message from Mrs Pankhurst.  The police incline to the theory that the fire was the work of two persons, and footmarks which were found near the boathouse were apparently those of women, who are supposed to have entered the part from the churchyard.  No arrest has been made in connection with the affair.