The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-08-21
False Photographic News

False TelegrnpMc NcWs
/ We feel called upon to caution the public, and
especially our Southern friends, against the dis
reputable tricks Of a set Of newsmongers who in
fest como Of Northern cities, gaining their i've
lihood by the manufacture and dissemination, by
telegraph, If false intelligence. There certain
parties residing in this city, and others in Phila.
delphia and Baltimore, who for a long time have
been imposing in this way upon our editorial
brethren at the South, and through them upon the
community. Their chief offence consists in palniDg
upon their victims manufactured foreign news,
which they pretend to receive by telegraph from
Halifax, frequently in advance Of all others. Now,
there PARTIES have received, and they cannot
receive, single werd Of news over the Halifax
| wires from the time the steamer is signalled of
Halifax until after the receipt, by the associated
press of this city, otheir despatch Of three thousand
words. Nor can any other party, under any but
the most urgent necessity, and then only with the
consent Of the association. Any one, therefore,
who processes to have received the foreign via
Halifax, in advance of, or simultaneously with
the associated press, may be safely put down as
cheat.
Until very recently, the pious Commercial, and
the conscientious Post of this city, in the habit
of giving to their readers the foreign news, via Hal
ifax which was either manufactured, or stolen from
the associated press by the parties alluded to- This
news they used to their readers, in the cap
items, was furnished by their " own correspondents
at Halifax"-the said correspondents never being
nearer that city than spot in this city But, on
certain time these parties got their fingers in trap
| that happened to be in their way, since when, the
! old rats of Nassau and William streets have kept
clear of all Halifax news, until after its genuineness
has been proved by publication in the journals of
the associated press Their ''own correspondent at
| Halifax has been heard of no more, at least
| through their columns. He was probably assassina-
| ted with the same weapon that cruelty struck
| down Louis Napoleon.
| We are CAD to observe the cautious policy now
4 pursued by evening contemporaries in the mat
| ter Of their Geographic dispatches 1t shows re-
turning sense of the responsibilities Of their posi-
ton as journalists. Having reformed themselves, we
hope they will epdeavor to ecaim their late
| ciates in the Halifax swindc--the Inquirer, Bule-
| tin Sun, and Psnnsvicaaian in Philadelphia the
| Patriot, in Baltimore the Standard and Mercury,
| in Charleston; and Picayasne, in New Orleans. We
are the more anxious for this, because it is very pro-
babc that some, and just possible that others, Of
the responsible conductors of the journals alluded
to- are not aware of the dishonesty of of their
| news agents ID THESE regions.
| If our brethren of the evening press are disposed
to preach homy to their late associates who still
| continue in their sins, furnish them with
| matter enough to begin with. We could tell them
| of many Of the tricks of some of heir news
| agents, performed on the property of the
| ciatcd press of this cty-how they have colluded
with certain Geographic operators in this city, who
read dispatches by simply listening to the tick
ing of the Instrument. and willing to play caves
| drorpers for consideration ; how they bargained
with another operator in Baltimore to steal the Hall.
fax from the telegraph office and how, in this
| way, they managed to get dispatches belonging to
the association, seven times in succession until de-
lection followed, and the dishonest operator was
discharged from his situation We could tell them
these, and many well sustained facts, if deemed
| necessary. or late, however, these agents of our
contemporaries, having been foiled in their attempts
at stealing the associations news, have resorted to
another species Of vllany, namely the manufacture
of false intelligence. We have room to specify only
| two of these tricks.
On the evening of Tuesday, the 10th of July, be-
tween the hours of $50 and $50 p. NJ, the Bati-
more agent Of the papers we have already named,
placed despatch in the telegraph Office for the
Southern papers despatch purporting to contain
the news by the America, at Halifax. This news
went over the wires, and published at the South
| Cor what it purported to be.
Now, the steamer did not arrive at Halifax until
| full eight o'clock on that evening, and then, in
consequence of the line not being in working order
the announcement Of her arrival did not and could
not, reach New York until about nine o'clock, and
| the first despatch Of her news did not come until
some time afterward. This despatch came to the
y Il. -.
came over the wires from Halifax that evening"
! from the time the steamer sgnalized off that
| city until the whole despatch Of three thousand
words to theassociat safely in this city, and
! that was not until after twelve o'clock at night
The false despatch Of the Baltimore agent pub
| lishcd in the Charleston Mercury and Standard,
! and created some commoton in that city. It's cha
racter exposed by the Courier ofthat city, but
the Mercury, which received and published it, made
weak attempt to prove its authenticity, and shield
it's author from obloquy. The Erenlng Ne,cs. how
ever, which, in common with the Mercury, had
published the despatch, was not so well satisfied
with the conduct Of their agent, and, in article
on the subject, thus speaks Of him.
STEAMER AMERICAS NEws-We disclaim all knowledge
Of the circumstances narrated in the Courier morn
ing. relative TO the Americas news, published here
me CON Of July nor have we any direct information TO
establish the guilt innocence Of the party thus charged
with fabrication Of intelligence. The defence Of his
character requires that he should possible place his
conduct in satisfactory light although cannot anti
cipate what explanation be made by him which will
exoneate him. comparison between his despatch and
that received BY the Courier, through the Associated
Fies shows that they resemble each other In hardly
particular The confirmation of the correctness Of the
latter in various leaves shadow of doubt of the
fabrication and gross imposition his employers and
the public
1t should be borne in mind that the despatch thus
palmsd upon the Southern press did not appear in
any Of the Baltimore, Philadelphia, or papers
further east which receive their news from the par
ties Of which this Baltimore agent is the head. In
fact, they did not even announce the arrival of the
steamer at halifax
On the arrival Of the NiaDara at Halifax on the