Birmingham Suffragettes

Whole of the Women Released from Winson Green

Result of the Hunger Strike

All the Suffragettes incarcerated at Winson Green as a result of the disturbances which took place in Birmingham on Monday, the 21st inst., have now been liberated, the last two leaving the prison yesterday afternoon.  These were "Eliza," a small well-dressed woman of middle age, who refused to give any account of herself, and was charged with breaking a window at the offices of the London and Lancashire Insurance Company in Colmore Row.  Her arrest caused a good deal of amusement at the time, owing to the fact taht she was of such small stature.  At the police court she stated that she broke the window to protest against the "Cat and Mouse" Act and the white slave traffic.  She was eventually committed for trial to the Sessions and declined to ask for bail.  

The other prisoner released was Mrs. Louisa Sheppard (38), of 19, Leicester Street, Walsall, who was charged with using an iron bolt to break a window in Colmore Row of the smake(sic) room of the Grand Hotel.  A fine of 40s. or twenty-one days in the second division was ordered.  Before being sentenced the prisoner stated that she broke the window to protest against the "Cat and Mouse" Act," which she thought very horrid and cruel.

The license of all the prisoners expires on Saturday next, and they are, of course, being kept under observation by the police.  Three of them are living in Birmingham.  The release of all of them is due to the hunger strike, and on being liberated many were in a very feeble condition.  It was owing to this that the authorities thought it advisable to let them out under the "Cat and Mouse" Act.