1Sir,
2
3A short time back the remark was made in my pres-ence, that in London
4no Englishwoman was safe from the hands of the police.
5
6I regarded this statement with the cool scorn with we are apt to
7^regard^ unreadable those ^statements^ which we regard ^consider^ ^as^ ^who make^
8uncritical , ^statements^ & nothing we unreadable ?away A few miserable
9& for-lorn women with out money or friends might suffer; but the mass
10of English women armed with friends & intellectual power were safe
11from insult. There It is an ^imperturbable^ ^certain^ marvellous
12philosophic calm with which from ones study fire^side^ one surveys the
13wrongs ^sufferings^ of one’s fellow^s^ men.
14
15Before setting down the facts which I wish to make public, but^to avoid
16mis-conception^ it may be well ^necessary^ to state - that I am a writer,
17that I have taken an interest in the ?raising the protected age ^in^ of
18girls, that my name will be found among the two hundred Englishwomen
19who signed the recently published letter on the^at^ subject.
20
21On Sunday I spent the evening with a friend whose husband is a well
22known medical man at the West End; on leaving, a friend, a wellknown
23 [wordspace] ph [wordspace] connected with one of our large hospitals
24offered to accompany ^conduct^ me home. The square in which I live is a
25large & quiet one, well lighted, & closed at one end by a convent.
26
27We alighted from the le cab, the man having drawn up at the wrong
28number. We walked slowly up ^& down^ the square & down ^for a few moments^
29continuing our conversation ^dis-cussion^. A police-man passed us & said
30good evening in an ^somewhat^ insulting tone ^manner^. He then turned
31short, n & said – “What’s this, what’s up here ^what’s up here^
32what are you doing here; I won’t have this ^what are you doing here^”
33– or words to exactly that effect.
34
35My friend said that the house before which we stood was the one in
36which I lived.
37
38He said he didn’t believe it: he had watched us from the ^being
39standing at the^ corner of the square: what was I doing out at that
40time of night” ^&c^ (it was about twelve o’clock) & he ^said^ would
41ring the bell.
42
43My friend^We^ said that he might ^do so^ My friend offered him his card, & said
44^?ruefully^ with selfrestraint & politeness that he was astonished at
45the his interfering with two persons who were in no way breaking the
46public peace. The man then ^He^ said, “I’ve nothing to do with you,
47I don’t want to interfere with you. It’s her want ^I’ve to do with^”.
48 unreadable ^He had touched the knocker bell but too lightly to be heard^
49He had appeared to ring the bell but too lightly for anyone to have
50heard it.
51
52We moved a few steps further. He said I had better stand still where I
53was that if I tried to go away ^otherwise^ he would walk ^take^ me off to
54the station: he said something about keeping busy on on I asked my
55friend for his pencil & a piece of paper that I might take his numbre
56number. He said something of an insulting nature about having his eye
57on me & add, ^He said “want my number do you^ “I’ll walk yer off
58the the station.”
59
60He touched the bell lightly again & then came down the steps & said in
61a skurlking ^skulking^ whisper, that if if I would give him my address
62he would go away. It was evident that he wanted money. I told said I
63told him to ring the bell again loudly & he would be answered & learn
64my address. He touched the knocker lightly; but as some one was
65expecting me the door was at once opened. We asked him if he were
66satisfied: he slunk down the steps with the look of a disappointed
67wild animal greed.
68
69If anyone thinks it a matter of ^any^ importance than an individual well
70able to defend themselves should be insulted, they are entirely
71mistaken: but there are in London more than a hundred thous-and women
72who are unable to defend themselves against the our police.
73
74Anyone wishing for the number of that police-man may have it on
75application. My address is enclosed.
76
77Yours &c
78O.S
79
80London Dec: 28th 1885.
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