The Street Corner Orator's Victory
A Tacoma man wins a legal battle after being arrested for his street-side political activism.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Adolph B. Hannah was this afternoon dismissed by Judge Parker, of the police court, on the charge of obstructing the sidewalk by collecting a crowd while discussing People's party politics. Hannah was represented by three lawyers. The trial revealed that after receiving a warning by the officer, Hannah moved from the Pacific Avenue sidewalk to the Twelfth Street sidewalk, therefore he obeyed the officer of the law. Still, the crowd did not disperse, and as Hannah defied him and would not move on, Officer Wiley arrested him. The court upheld the officer in dispersing the crowd, but Hannah was advised to sue the city for damages.
“The court upheld the officer in dispersing the crowd; Hannah was advised to sue the city for damages.”
This case highlights the long-standing tension between the right to free speech in public spaces and the enforcement of 'sidewalk obstruction' ordinances, a conflict that remains a flashpoint for political demonstrators in Seattle today.
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