Did you know there were explosives trials in Belfast long before 'The Troubles'?

Did you know there were explosives trials in Belfast long before ‘The Troubles’? In April 1914 two suffragettes, Dorothy Evans and a lady referred to as Maud or Madge Muir were arrested at their flat in University Street on what were described as ‘explosives charges’. Dorothy Evans was head of the Belfast branch for the Women’s Social and Political Union, the WSPU and ‘Madge Muir ‘was an alias for the Scottish suffragette Florence MacFarlane. The two women appeared at Belfast’s Summons Court for a special sitting on Saturday 4^th April 1914 where it was put to them that on the previous day they had in their position “certain dangerous and noxious things with intent thereby or by means thereof…to commit certain felonies relating to malicious injury to property”. The two women were in the public gallery when the charges were read out and it is from there that Dorothy Evans announces, “we are the only true Ulster militants and you cannot keep us in prison”. After the judge orders the two women to come down from the gallery as what is described as a “continuous hub bub” occurs as the two women are dragged into the court room. Eventually the judge, Mr Garrett Nagle orders the court cleared and about forty suffragette supporters (men and women) are ejected from the court. According to the newspaper, the men leave quietly, but the ladies “stoutly refuse to move…a small battle royal then ensued in which the ladies fists could be seen hitting out left and right, and the policemen dragging the militants towards the exits” (Irish News and Belfast Morning News April 1914). After an hour the court resumes with a running commentary from the two women and as the evidence is produced Madge says “This is really a farce gentleman. Why go on with it? You are simply making fools of yourselves in the eyes of the world”. Dorothy follows up with “I consider the whole thing so utterly ridiculous that I intend to leave”. She does indeed attempt to leave and after a struggle with the police she is restrained. Madge also says she’s leaving and she manages to get away before being chased through the court and brought back. Even their solicitor, George McCracken, asks the women to be quiet so he can cross examine the police constable who searched the flat and found the explosives. At this point Madge is able to grab a satchel (presumably containing George McCracken’s papers) and she throws it at the resident Magistrate, hitting one of the reporters instead whilst Dorothy manages to get hold of a walking stick and when she is prevented from using it she faints! She is attended by one of the women who was allowed to remain in the court, Doctor Elizabeth Bell. George McCracken asks for bail for the two women, which is unsurprisingly refused and they are carried out of the court room to be taken away to Crumlin Road Gaol. They are already on a hunger and thirst strike, which they continue, and they are quietly released on Sunday the 12^th of April after the prison doctor refuses to take responsibility for them. They’re brought up to Doctor Bells house at College Park to recover. Interestedly the tea rooms at Bellevue are burned to the ground four days later – did they recover sufficiently to get back to the campaign so quickly?