The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-05-07
SHOWERS Of EGGS
FOR SOCIAL lists
They Have a Nasty Expe-
rience on Grant
Avenue.
Yelks and Shells Bespatter a
Large Gathering Of Spec
tatorS.
MiscreaDis Bri ak Up Meeting
Where Political Economy Was
B ing Discussed.

For the first time in many years in this
City public meeting was broken up by
shower of eggs. This disgraceful Incl
dent happened last evening at a street
meeting of speakers of the Socialist Labor
party, who assembled on rant:avenue,
near the junction of o. Farrell and Market
streets. The last time that such thing
happened was when the Salvation Army
first made its appearance in this City.
Those who threw the hem fruit last
evening were as much of mystery to the
besmeared crowd as the identity OF the
man who struck William Patterson. Had
the egg-throwers been caught their gore
| would have been mixed with the broken
shells and yelks that chung to the victims
coats and despatched the sidewalks.
Several weeks ago the socialists renewed
their street meetings and their favorite
places for gathering have been on Sixth
and Market, Pine and Kearny and Grant
avenue and O Farrell street. Twice week
they have held forth in these places discuss
ing their doctrines and their theories upon
matters of political economy. On every
occasion they have gathered large crowds.
Last evening fully 400 people assem- bled
around the socialist speakers, w. Costley,
w. Edlin, A. Appel, and matters went on
swimmingly until u patent medicine VEN
der drove up in an open hack He took
up his position on the opposite side OF the
thorougnfars and began his usual
| harangue.
1t happened that the crowd was more
| interested in socialism than In the wares
the other had to sell, so he pulled his team
in near to the crowd. This, OF course,
caused some feeling on the part of the So
| ClaIiSt speakers, who at last TOOK personal
notice of their rivals presence, and a
| lively exchange of verbal shots took place
| from both sides.
This amused the crowd hugely and 9TH
ers joined the gathering, until the street
| was blocked with people. A policeman
strolled up, but passed on along his beat,
as there was no disturbance. few min
utes after he was out of sight white OBJ.
ject whizzed through the air and landed
upon Socialist Costley's cheek. 1t was the
| first egg, and the speaker was besmeared
from head TO foot
! Some of the crowd laughed and others
| hooted and Kissed as the unfortunate
| COStley gave place 10 another speaker,
while he went away to clean off the
debris. A little later another egg went
| into the crowd, striking a spectator on The
shoulder and scattering over half dozen
others near by. Curses became loud and
long.
The fusillade of eggs was kept up at in
tervals until over two dozen had found
targets in the crowd, which began to thin
out rapidly. Women as we'll as men were
the victims and the meeting was obliged
| to adjourn without the formality of mo-
| ton.
Messengers were sent for the police, but
none could be found. Efforts were made
by the socialists to locate the offenders,
but to no purpose. This much was known,
that all OF the eggs were thrown from the
west side of the street, and not a few were
hurled out of the windows of the tall build
ings over the saloon and cigar-stand.
| Strange to say, the patent medicine
seller and those Immediately surrounding
his vehicle escaped without being in the
least despatched, AMI after the socialists
and their crowd dispersed he continued
his address unmolested. The socialists
attach much i'm portance to this feature.
| They are not discouraged, but will resume
their open-air propaganda work without
considering last evenings egg-throTing
| experience.