Not a suffragette

Some excitement was occasioned in the early hours of Monday morning, when the police were informed that a suffragette had been found inside the old Town Hall.

The hall had been safely locked up about 8.30 on Sunday evening, so the caretaker was astonished to find a well-dressed woman sitting on a seat inside the hall when he went there at 4.30 on the Monday morning.

He at once informed the police, and Supt Reed and P.c Maxsom proceeded to the hall and conveyed the woman to the police station. As a result of his enquiries Supt Reed was satisfied that the woman was not a suffragette, and after giving her a good meal allowed her to go.

It seems that the woman, who gave the name of Jessie Bradshaw, and a London address, had lately met with misfortune, and had to give up her home. She was on her way by road to Manchester, where her sister lives.

She had set out from London on Saturday, and had arrived at Hatfield early on Sunday morning, attending the six o’clock service at the parish church. Going on to Welwyn, she attended the eleven o’clock service at the church there, and then proceeded to Hitchin arriving about 7.30 p.m.

Feeling faint and tired and seeing the Town Hall open she went inside, sat down and dropped off to sleep. When she awoke she found that the place was locked up, and she went off to sleep again, being awakened by the entrance of the caretaker.