Los Angeles herald., 1908-07-11
PUTS SOCIALIST
ON PROBATION
ANOTHER SPEAKER Is SENT TO
THE CHAIN GANG
Meeting at Main and Seventh Goes
UnmoIested, Although Principal
Spokesman Urges PatroInen
to Arrest Him

H. T. Engel, an old soldier and a
Socialist, was given a suspended SEN
tence of $40 or twenty days, when
found guilty before a. jury in Justice
Roses court yesterday on the charge
of speaking on the streets without a
license. He was placed on probation
for six months.
In passing sentence upon him, JUS
tIce Rose said: I'm consideration OF
your service to your country and your
advanced years I will suspend the
sentence"
Engel is an inmate of the Soldiers
home at Sawtelle, and was on leave
of absence when he Joined the Social
lists in their crusade for free speech
In an address to the jury Deputy Pros
ecuting Attorney Ford said: we are
not here to prosecute the Socialists
Whether or not this old man is So
cialist does not enter into the question
Led on by the enthusiasm OF others
he has violated the law, but / think
he has been punished enough, for he
has already been in jail several days
I hope the court will place him on pro-
baton"
George Van Ness, another Socialist
who was sentenced by Justice Fred
erickson Thursday and against whom
Chief Kern appeared as witness, was
placed on the chain gang yesterday TO
serve out his twenty-five days.
In referring to Chief of Police Kern's
statement that the Socialists had per-
mits to speak at Seventh and Main
streets and the Plaza, Cloudsley johns,
whose wife was one of those arrested
"wednesday, and who is now in jail,
said they had not had a permit for
more than a year. He said also that
the notice were discriminating against
the Socialists now in prison. He al
leges that they would not permit MN
to furnish fruit to those imprisoned,
as is permitted to other prisoners, ana
that the police would not allow Mrs.
Johns the use of a pencil ana paper
on which to write a letter.
The Socialists held another street
meeting last night at Main and Sew
enth Several hundred persons as
sembled and cheered the speakers. A
dozen patrolmen were in the crowd ana
listened intently to the speakers, but
made no move toward arresting the
men. despite the fact tnat tne MAN
sneaker declared he did not have per-
nit from the police commissioners.
at am here tonight with only the per-
mission guaranteed me by the constitu-
tion Of the United States and of Cali
fornia." declared S. L. Dodge, who also
spoke at the same place the previous
night. "Our comrades, honest work.
ing men VINO nave no lue1 VI NiOiolih6
the law, are in Jail now for doing what
I am doing tonight. Delicate and re-
fined women are lying tonight In the
sitting cells of the unspeakable city
prison for doing what I am doing-ex-
ercising my right of free speech in free
America. Why do the patrolmen stand
idle here? If those women violated
law that is in reality a law then am
violating 1t, and yet am without moles-
tation. If they did not violate law
then why are they tonight in the awful
surroundings of that prison?"
Attorney A. r. Holston yesterday
fled a brief with Judge Wilbur in the
case of Woodbey. the negro Socialist,
whose case was appealed after he had
been convicted in the police court.
Holston processes the belief that he
viii succeed in getting decision to the
effect that the city ordinance under
which the speakers were arrested is
unconstitutional He says he cited nu--
merous cases and decisions in other
states, which go to show that the guar
antee of free speech in the national
may not be abridged by