Vaughan

The charge against defendants is that they wilfully, and maliciously disturbed the peace and quiet of the complainant and other persons present by loud and unusual noise and by tumultuous and offensive conduct, in violation of section 415 of the Penal Code. It appears that the defendants are members and ordained ministers of a religious organization known as Jehovah’s Witnesses, and that they went to a hotel known as the Daily Hotel, in the city of Los Angeles, taking with them a supply of pamphlets and other printed matter in which the religious tenets and views of their organization were set forth, for the purpose of talking with the guests of-the hotel and distributing this printed matter to them: Their mode of operation was to go through the halls of the hotel, knocking on all the doors and if they had no answer placing a leaflet under the door, but if there was an answer getting the occupant of the room to the door, if possible, ' and then holding .conversation with such occupant and endeavoring to get him or her to accept some of the printed matter which the defendants carried.

Defendants arrived at the hotel at about 9.30 a.m. on a Sunday morning. The hotel had three…