The San Francisco call., 1896-08-16
They Are Charged With OBJ
structing the Street and Dis
turbing the Peace.
1ND1GN1TY OFFERED THE FLAG
Indignation Meeting Held at Socialist
Headquarters and Future Ac.
tion Decided Upon.

The Socialists are determined to fight
for the liberty of free speech notwith-
standing the decision of the jury in Judge
Lows court on Fridy convicting William
Edlin for obstructing the sidewalk. Ediln
appeared for sentence yesterday morning
and was fined S. with the alternative OF "A
hours in jail.
In view OF Edlin's conviction a mass
meeting of Socialists was called for last
night at the corner of Seventh and Market
streets. They began to gather before 8
o'clock and by that hour there was fair
sized crowd.
The trustees of the Odd Fellows Hall
Association were holding a meeting and
when the speaking commenced on the
street they sent word to police headquar-
ters that they could not hear themselves
talking. They went outside and when
they saw the crowd they sent word to
police headquarters that the sidewalk was
being obstructed. Captain Splllane was
mott fed by telephone and he sent PONCE
men Whalen, OConnor and Jackson to
see that the law was not being violated.
William Costley had opened the meet
ing and spoke for about fifteen minutes,
standing upon a chair few feet from the
edge of the sidewalk. He was followed by
E. T. Kingsley, a cripple, who is the NOM
inee for Congress OF the Socialist Labor
party in the Fourth Congressional Dis
trict. He had just commenced his ad-
dress when The policemen arrived. They
were ioined by Policemen ODea, the OF
ficer on the beat, and the four pushed
their way through the crowd and Whalen
told Kingsley to move on and not obstruct
the street.
"Why?" asked Kingsley.
Without giving him an answer they
dragged him roughly from the chair and
placed him under arrest. Kingsley re-
monstrated, and claimed that they were
using their privilege as American citizens
to peacefully assemble and discuss their
grievances. Costley also protested and
was placed under arrest.
As soon as Kingsley was dragged from
the chair George Speed mounted the ros-
trum; but he had only uttered a few
words when he was also pulled down and
placed under arrest. George Aspden, NJ.
Speeney, J. Postler and E. Lux followed
in succession, and were treated in slDI-
liar manner Then the seven were
marched down TO Seventh and Mission
streets, where the patrol wagon was sum-
moned from the Southern station.
When the wagon arrived they were
bundled into it, and the wagon was driven
10 Seventh and Market. I. Anthony was
addressing the meetlng at tne Ilme, anu
he had an American flag in his hand. The
officers dragged him off the chair, and
one of them tore the flag out of his hands
and was in the act of throwing it on the
street, when another officer grabbed it
from him and saved it from being dishon-
ored. A howl of indignation went up at
the indignity shown the stars and stripes.
AS the wagon started off for the South
ern station some one yelled, 'Three cheers
for socialism p and the crowd joined in
Justify Then some one started in to sing
Hail Columhia."
At the Southern station each of the
eight men arrested was booked on charges
of obstructing the street and disturbing
the peace. They promptly gave $40 bail