Harries was visiting his father in Washington, D.C. when he learned of the Winnipeg fire. Instead of returning to Winnipeg, he obtained a position as a reporter with Washington's "National Republican" newspaper. He soon moved from the "National Republican" to "The Washington Star". In 1888, U.S. Congressman William Harrison Martin took offense to articles Harries had written about him, and responded by attacking him in the United States Capitol. Harries preferred charges; Martin pleaded guilty to assault and was fined five dollars. As a reporter, Harries covered the Wounded Knee campaign for the "Star", and he later advanced to editorial writer, then associate editor.