Suffragette Page #7

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BENEDICT:

Superintendent Burrill.

BENEDICT shakes hands with BURRILL -

BURRILL:

Mr Haughton. Thank you for coming

here. This is-

BENEDICT already in, reaching his hand out to shake STEED’s.

BENEDICT:

Inspector Steed. Benedict Haughton,

Home Office. I am reliably informed

(looking to BURRILL)

...that you have considerable

experience of counter surveillance

within the Special Branch-

STEED, the calm centre of the room.

(nods)

STEED:

I’ve gathered intelligence on

various anarchists, sir, including

Fenian agitators in Liverpool and

Manchester. I can show you.

STEED moves to the table and nods to DETECTIVE MALCOLM WALSOP

[40s] who passes the camera to BENEDICT. He reaches for a

second, passing this to another OFFICIAL on his left.

STEED (CONT’D)

(to BENEDICT)

Employment of these cameras would

be the first of its kind in this

country. They’re considerably more

advanced than anything we’ve used

before.

BENEDICT picks up a camera, examines it.

STEED (CONT’D)

Compact enough to be used without a

tripod, it means we can operate

them covertly on the streets.

CLOSE on BENEDICT’S eye, peering through the viewfinder.

INT. DARKROOM. POLICE STATION. BETHNAL GREEN. 1912. DAY.

A CONSTABLE stands in front of a bench, developing a batch of

photographs. STEED looks over his shoulder, WALSOP and two

other OFFICERS by his side.

A washing line of surveillance photographs hanging above

them, including HUGH and EDITH.

STEED:

Right. Let’s start with Mrs Edith

Ellyn. Chief commandant. She’s

clever. Been arrested nine times,

incarcerated four. She’s educated,

without scruples. Makes her

particularly dangerous. It’s worth

noting her husband, Mr Hugh Ellyn,

pharmacist. He’s been incarcerated

twice for abetting his wife’s

activities. Fully paid up member of

the Men’s League.

A PHOTOGRAPH OF VIOLET is pegged on the line, other

PHOTOGRAPHS of MISS WITHERS and MISS SAMSON visible.

STEED (CONT’D)

(tapping photograph)

This is an old hand. Mrs Violet

Miller. She moves around a lot.

Been arrested a number of times,

incarcerated twice. Spits out

children. Husband’s a violent

drunk. She agitates, gets her hands

dirty. They’ll be using her zeal to

recruit-

STEED and WALSOP step back, admiring the row of PHOTOGRAPHS.

STEED (CONT’D)

... to justify the unjustifiable.

MAUD’s surveillance image catches his eye - MAUD leaving the

pharmacy with GEORGE.

STEED (CONT’D)

Now, who’s this here?

STEED picks up MAUD’s SURVEILLANCE PHOTOGRAPH, hanging it on

the line.

WALSOP:

Watts. Maud Watts. Not seen her

before.

STEED, peering closer at the photo of MAUD.

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