Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1837-01-26
EXCLUSIVE LOCAL NEWS

late London paper tells -ssy sns.inS
story. growing out Of he rivalry oft eoan-
try us~spspss published In tbs West Of Rig
land. The chief reeonneodatioa Of all u.
pro, ineiai cspers In that country h the inter
est and quantity OF tho local news; anil III,
t~o editor. referred 70 principally displayed
their hostility to each other by deadly pal
ousy Of that kiod Of iptsliigsnes. To. on.
journal wac published on Friday and III. other
On saturday. u occurred, one mooul,,b,
Thursday evening. vhile he Of the SATURDAY
was walking about half mile from the town.
tha. he observed, q short distance OF the road
the body Of . man suspended by the necx from
q tree, aud Who, upon examination, he found
had committed suicide. A ht Of alarm seiI.t
the Saturday editor, lest the discovery Of n.
man having destroyed himself should DO made
that night, and consequently the rival jourb,l-
ist 10 the first IA give the particular of q eir-
eum'tAncs which could not fail TO produce
great sensatioa IN the place. " Friday,
" Chronicle" had the intelligence before IN.
Saturdays "Courant." 10 would be the max
ing Of tho fortune Of the former. while q
would be all but the ruin OF tie latter. What
~ss 10 be done In prevsat ~ A thougtt
struck the conductor OF ." The coursnt"-bs
would, assisted by . confidential person en-
p'oycd IN the Office, cut down the body, aud
secretly convey !, TO . table Of his own, where
he could conceal Il Till the following night
against which time the rival journal would b.
published-and then return with il TO the spot
where he found n A horse and cart were
procured, and the deceased was conveyed To-
the editors stable, where the body vas cover
ed with straw.
Having thus. Ne he believed, secured tSs
ne~s II the suicide 90 himself, he betook him
self 10 his editorial chair and vas engaged
during the greater part Of the night in work
Ing out = tale Of horror for his Saturday, Pc
per; and u ~ss not Till long sftsr midnight,
tina, he retired. with an snx ious mind, 10 bed.
tie soon fell ssleop, dreamed Of the sensation
the suicide had created among the people, tho
chsgrin Of his rival editor AZ the tsIs Of horror
in his paper. and the largo edition he had sold.
Early next morning. n servant, having oosa-
sion 10 90 into the stable, IN rummaginE about.
discovered the corpse hid under the ,trav.
and Immediately ran screaming 20 the house.
Hrs cries disturbed the editor; he Jumped up,
slipped on his clothes, and rushed down stare
The cause Of the noise was explained 90 him
he pronounced thu servant fool-snstched
the keys Of The stable, and ran out aud Looked
Recommending that no one should attemps
to 60 into the stable that day. The cries Of
the servsnt had attracted the attention Of .
man passing by at the time, Who seeing him
running from the stable, seemingly much ter
rifed, had gone TO the door and looking IN dis
covered The object Of the servants fear. AZ
god citizen, he ere I'D The pews, and in ten
minutes the proper sutboritie, were appr,.ed
cf tho circumstances. An inquiry into tho
matter ~as Immediately instituted. Suspicion
fell On the journalist he he'd been seen. at
tended by sf the men an has employ, taxi
ing something out Of . cart and carry ins u IN
TO the stable on the preceding night lie Ne.
taken into custody cOronor's jury sat on
the body . humber u circumstances, strong
ly presumptise Of bis having strangied the de-
ceased trsUspired in the course Of the ooro-
ner's Investigation and his own life, accord
ing "a all appearances, was about 10 become
the price oi his anxiety Ia deprive his rival OF
Interesting local news
In vsIn did he protest his innocence in
vain dill he relate each particular event a. q
had occurred. His hassard CONFERENCE.-The
locking the stable door after the body hal
breo discovered by the servant, his command
that no one should 90 into IL during the da,,
we're held 10 be almost conclusive against b.,
etory, and his commitment was about 10 ba
made out. Fortunately for him, st this mo-
meot, Que Of the jury feeling in . side pocket
Of tho deceased that had been overlooked ia
the hTst Instance. found n letter written few
hours before the suicide, IN which he dsclar-
cd his inteotIOa TO destroy himself 10 re-
lieyed the edltor-but hfs narrow escape, and
the trouble he got himself into. made him far
more cautious IA future ~ TO the mea he
took 10 Obtain exclusive local news
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