The San Francisco call., 1908-10-11
Slapping an Anarchist


Trogden stopped him and dared him
to say it again. The crowd contained
number of foreigners and a number
Of others who had come to accept the
doctrines of anarchy. And these saw
only an old man who was interrupting
their speaker, and somewhat rashly
calling their speaker bad names. They
gathered round the old man with the
bent shoulders and the gray streaks in
his hair, and they began TO hustle him,
to try and shove him OUT Of the way.
Then they felt the weight of an iron
fist. and there was for a few INCIDENTS
much confusion. The speaking ended
and there were several arrests for dis
turbfng the peace. The next Sunday a
policeman who had learned what was
going on in these groups broke up one
and arrested the anarchist for his SEN
timents. OF which the anarchists fell
lows made capital. calling their man a
martyr.
AT this time Trogden instituted a
systematic campaign which was de-
signed not to make martyrs, but rather
to bring results.
He began spending his Sunday after
Moons in walks through Jefferson
square, along Fillmore street and even
in Golden Gate park, when the hunting
wasn't good closer in. For this was a
hunt-a hunt for anarchists. As the
he hears the cluck-cluck of the pheas-
ants in the bushes and sees his dog
oming to point, so with TrOgden's
nerves when he caught sight of one
of those i'll clad groups on a street
corner and heard the raucous tones OF
some Orator" whom he knew. He
stalked anarchists. regularly
One day in Jefferson square he came
on crowd IN whose center a speaker
was damning the American flag Trog-
den shouldered his way into the crowd
and drove the speaker out with a re-
volver. The man ran like a frightened
dog, and a policeman who didn't know
Trogden nor understand Trogden's
game arrested the old man. Trogden
slept in the city jail. The next morn
ing the prisoner told his story in court
and the judge told him that he made a
mistake In not having shot that re-
volver. The policeman, contrite with
the knowledge of what it all really
had been, apologized. and that apology
was sincere.
1t began to get so that when Trog-
den was seen anarchists would warn
their speaker. He saw crowds melt
away as he approached. But he kept
on-hunting the public squares and
the public streets. Often he would
engage speaker who wasn't too wild
eyed in his statements in argument.
and those arguments always made the
crowd cheer for the old soldier.
Finally 1T came to a point where
there was just one anarchist left
the others had quit in disgust. There
was no use speaking and being made
fool OF; no martyrdom bringing con-
verts. This lonely anarchist was the
one at whom Trogden had pointed the
revolver. He was wanted on a police
court warrant, for he had slipped away
when Trogden was arrested that Sun
day afternoon. Trogden had asked for
a warrant charging treason. He looked
at 1t that way. They had given one
Cor disturbance of the peace. And the
anarchist, who called himself social
ist, was busy lodging both police and
Trogden. One night this man spoke
near Walton's pavilion TrOgden stole
into the crowd. with his coat collar up
and his hat over his face. He To-
Gated his man to a certainty. then sent
a messenger asking the anarchist to
step outside the crowd. A moment later
the speaker was facing Trogden with
a revolver pressed to his side. He
went unwillingly down the street. and
Trogden kept at bay the small mob
of sympathizers who wanted to rescue
their chief The latter was sentenced
and, what was worse, it was all half
ridiculous in the eyes of the working
men whom he wanted to convert-this
idea of man being hunted down and
arrested by an old fellow like Trogder
That ended. at least for the time. the
street corner anarchy of San Fran
CISCO And Howell G. Trogden. Amer
lean. rested
Now Trogden is about to go to the
soldiers home at Sawtelle, He is get
ting old. and he has not much money:
and he thinks he has earned his berth
there. With him he will carry small