Suffragette suffragettes chaining themselves to railings, setting fire to post box contents, smashing windows and eventually detonating bombs. Some radical techniques used by the suffragettes were learned from Russian exiles from tsarism who had escaped to England. In 1914, at least seven churches were bombed or set on fire across the United Kingdom, including Westminster Abbey, where an explosion aimed at destroying the 700-year-old Coronation Chair, only caused minor damage. One suffragette, Emily Davison, died under the King's horse, Anmer, at The Derby on 4 June 1913. It is debated whether she was trying to pull down the horse, attach a
1780 Epsom Derby between the gentlemen of Middlesex and the gentlemen of Wiltshire". In fact, Lord Derby himself was known to prefer cock-fighting to horse racing. Moreover, in those days, the journey from London to Epsom took around 12 to 14 hours over difficult roads. All this combined to mean there were few spectators. The day is reported to have a comparatively meagre attendance, probably fewer than 5,000. Also in contrast to today, there were no professional bookmakers, the gentlemen making books among themselves. All in all, it could be said that, "no public interest had yet attached itself to a race destined