New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-08-05
Il REPORTER TO "a NORTHERNER From
TIE SOUTH"
-
To the Edilor Of Ihe n J. Tribrns


To ne Editor Of The ~ J. Tribune
SIR: The structures the course of the Press its Ed
itors and Reporters contained in letter from North
erner from the South published in The TRIBUsE and
other City Journals of yesterday to to call for
a reply.
Sir unhesatingly assert that but for the vigilance of
the Reporter, the veSt crimes the groses cupability
the most shameful transactions in daily life would be
shrouded from the light and the guilty parties escape the
mered condemnation which jus. public sentiment would
inevitably mete out 10 them 1t is well that as
"it known that railroad accident explosion fail
"ure robbery homicide has taken place. the corps
ofreporers rush to the spot" and but for their prompt
tude such occasions all evidence Of the real facts of the
would often be removed beyond the public reach and
ken. have frequently arrived the of
tastrophe within few hours Of its occurrence having
Travelled from 50 100 miles in the interim and almost
invariably met with the utmost difficulty in ascertaning
the facts interested parties would wfuy deceive and if
deception longer practicable have frequently
known threats and brides used TO induce the Reporter
fasy the occurrences. | remember occasion, in
particular during the past summer, when several Report
ers from this City were sent into little ouoftheway
village in oinng State to obtain the facts pertain
ing railway collision which occurred there from the
grosses carolessness and negligence whereby several
persons lost their lives and others susain great bodily
Juryroom, by of the employees of the monopoly,
and when did get n found that the regular Coro-
had been taken conveniently sick and his place sup
piled by Justice Of the Peace, notorious for his ympa
thy with the Railway Company The Railway Company
also had member of the legal profession present to
watch after Its interests while the people Of the State had
representative whatever. As matter of the
testimony in the grossly partc in its charac
ter The nquistion had been sitting three hours
md nd to1 To
for the testimony We found that he had only taken
Just such portions of it suited him, while the lawyer
had frequently dictated what questions should and should
not be asked and had taken verbatim notes Of the
evidence He refused however to let see, copy it.
In consequence had to take the Coroner notes for
what they worth, and lay ourselves open to charge
of alsifyng the facts by doing In the subsequent
testimony given before the Jury the Coroner compelled
the witnesses to galop at such rate that had to
use shorthand, in order to keep up with them To our
respectful protect against this unusual course proceeding
we were told to do the best could and if we did not
take care we should be elected from the This state
of things continued for time, until the District
Attorney who had been notified of the way in which mat
tiers were progressing made his appearance, and de-
handed in the of the people, that the witnesses
be allowed to state all they knew, without submitting to
the dcaton and browbeeng Of the legal representative
of the Monopoly.
During the recess in the middle Of the day crowd of
vagabondi headed by leading officer of the company,
logged our steps and openly threatened us with violence
for " interfering in what don't consarn yo
In the evening when the verdict had been
dered ogoin the COMPANY with honeyed words the
man rendered us cOurtesos, and appeared eAtly so
fictitious to serve us, by explaining in his way N1rcum-
stances of the transactions he also gratuolsy ~ 1ed
us with carriage to the nearest railway depot en-
deavored to bride us with money. The latter we
the and rad the
at the end of the journey.
Many similar could enumerate, aud prove and
others where nothing but the most unnchng determine
ton could enable TO arrive at facts and escape with
whole skim
Reporters labor hard to obtain the TRUTH whererom to
afford the public impartial statement of the case at as
early period as possible and thereby prevent the spread
Of error cons opinions Innocence shuns the light
hut eui will often do deed damnable 10 hide It's
crime have not the slightest doubt that but for the
agency of Reporter the public never would have
known the real facts of the murder OF Professor Butler
Had we waited until INSCRIPTIONS lawyers had invented
"the little secret unknown incidens-he workings oil
mind and the secret causes alone known 10 Goa ua
aro uoyexhibed on trial. the Southernized Norherner
70 the contrary Notwithstanding, the murderer Matt
Ward would not only have been acquitted, but deemed
IN iniured man who might now hold his head with the
highest and stand ready do new murder whenever
his high soued nobility should be soed by pleOian
contact while the forensic prostitutes who aborsd Tor MS
acouttal as well as the perured jury who acquitted him
against the law and the broad facts perverted though they
were would be Landed to the echo instead OF sinking
in the nostrils of all good men.
No. Sir it is well that public opinion has the means OF
rendering swift justice to the vicious and the criminal Oh
every station but especially TO those whose POSITIONS
in some measure make them examples for sood or eN'
and whose influence in high places SO often shields e
h,oh "a iusfly
the Reporters of the Press OF New'lork draw 50 iase
80 " .c;rst;on for the exenuation of the foul crime OF
,n,rdo-r9 an unarmed man. a, does the Souihernized
Nortberner." then in my opinion they will merit the
CHARGES brought against them until that time however
am compelled to believe that he alone has been s"'y OF
a., of,ense with which he so boldly charges us
INC VH'i'V ~ NETWORK REPORTER
ANOTHER MURDER