The Washington herald., 1911-09-04

An aggressive woman, who called her
self "a voice in the wilderness" put the
hobo" convention to complete rout yes
terday afternoon with =. agling dis
course, delivered in funeral tones, on
"The world, the flesh, and the devil "
Ignoring the repeated demands of the
chair. this feminine voice" got away
with fifteen minutes harangue on topic
so totally foreign to the subject that be-
fore the end of her talk the eighteen
delegates were all in frenzy, yelling
themselves hoarse in protest against
her, Chairman How demanding that she
leave the place, and insults from the
audience coming thick and fast The
militant preacher, however, paid not the
slightest attention, and would not be
silent until she had finished what she
had to say, although the last few min
utes could not be distinguished above
the uproar.
POLICE INTERFERE.
At the close of the near-riot, several
policemen appeared in the door. but the
woman, who persisted in making a re-
lgious speech, had departed, and what
sentiments she sought to inculcate into
her audience returned Ike boomerangs
70 mock her Not for a long time has
Washington seen the spectacle of a we'll
dressed woman invade a convention Of
unemployed, and, in spite Of their in
suits. dOggedly persist in her talk until
police interference was practically neces-
sary
Efforts to learn the name of the agi-
tator were futile. She said she wished
no publicity, but the impression made
upon the hobo body would be sufficient
10 cause another riot on her reappear-
anCe. With her was an elderly woman.
said to be Mrs. Roberts, but who also
refused TO give her name. She began
another talk, identical with that Of her
companion, after the latter had been
squelChed. but the ro3Ts of disapprovaI
drowned out her voice
Peaceably enough the convention
started. There were several women in
the audience, including Mrs. Emily Ware,
Of Long Island, n. Y, who is interested
in the labor cause. One speech had
been made, that by DR.. J. F. Homes, of
Philadelphia, who occupied about ten
minutes of the session.
Unheralded and without as much as
asking by Your leave the tall woman in
white, wearing a straw hat surmounted
with a black feather, suOde to the front
IF the hall Harshly interrupting an
announcement by Chairman How, who
with rare courtesy. allowed her 10 con-
tinue, she declared she wished a word
Il don't know what the lady wishes
to talk upon, brethren" said How. 1T
may be the nine books of Kings or the
religion Of Buddha. but she says she
wants to talk on religion"
Does" Show DisapprovaI.
Disapproval was plainly shown at the
outset by the "boes'' in the hall, and
when DR.. How asked her name, she
said:
"A voice. SIR
"A voice from the Wilderness" an
nounCed How.
Brethren" she began, I'm going to
deliver my little message. because we
may not meet until Judgment Day II
I fail to tell you what I have to say.
my conscience would hurt me-
Several minutes of this and DR.. How
broke into her speech and announced
that the subject of the afternoon was:
The ethics and religion of the labor
problem"
But she could not oe downed.
Now I'm going to tell you of the
labor problem" she said
Brethren, the labor side of this ques-
ton, as the chairman has suggested, is
TO labor for the meat that does not per-
Ish"
Pandemonium broke loose at this stage
and the mutter of disapprovaI, rapidly
growing, broke forth
How about feeding US frst?'
Sit down and let somebody talk who
knows how" and like exclamations came
from the thoroughly aroused ''boes." who |
realized she was appropriatlng their |
meeting time 10 make a typical street |
corner harangue. |
You nre seeking after the superficial" |
she tried TO say.
A little German in the back part Of the |
room chirped out:
'I wish the lady would take the seat and (
let odders talk
How Calls for Halt.
Chairman How rose and demanded that |
she stop. THE meat she suggests" said |
How, is much the same as the butcher !
sends TO this convention for a stew
One tall hobo rose and, in a deep bass |
voice, fairly yelled:
Sit down; you're in wrong"
To which she promptly replied: There
speaks the devil" Then she left
Prof" Henderson, who comes from
Bethesda, Nd, and who was born in
England, demanded the right to talk.
He launched into a short arraiRnmant of /
the methods Of the woman speaker who /
was triumphantly making her way to-
ward Fourteenth street, head hiEh and
apparently proud of herself.
1T Is such people as those said the
professor, who make a Joke az relIr,on
We must judge religion by such e her."
DR.. How and Miss Harvey sane 20 |
the mectinG carryi-S a big watertneIon.
ae dio not say what was 70 be done
with the melon, but Il reposed unf,sr fl,e
speakers' table during the session. and |
served as a tootstool for Afise f1kresv