The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-06-26

THEFT or Nrws FROM tine TlLEGRArn WiI.Ss.--
u viii be rerchsc,ed that the important war
news received ny the aDg'o Saxon yesterday
week was telegrsphed IRON Farther Point To the
agent Of the Associated Press ip tbis city, aud
appeared ia our columns on that day several
oours before the steamer which brought il
had reached Quebec. AS the Associated Press
bave exclusive arrangements for the tausms
sion of Dews by telegraph from that Point it
was tn be preeucitd that The Angio. Saxou's de-
spa'ch would have been confined strictly to thu
Journals composing the Association. II having
been runOred that snch was not the case, ana
that the news bad been p'Iered by some means
OF other, searching investigation was set on
toot and it was ascertaioed that rhe despatch in
question had been stolen of the wires at come
point esst of Boston.
1t will be asked by the uninitiated how 1t is
possible to perpetrate a petty larceny on the
magnetic current? Nothing ia more simple once
the news thief has become sufficiently experienced
in the sounds given out by the telegraph in GER
tain systems. He has merely to place himself
within ear shot Of the instrument. aud he can
then read off the message with as much facility
az the operator himself With the new systems Of
House and Hughes this canuot of course be done,
tor in both mechanism is the only medium Of
transmission. In the Morse system. however,
thefts Of this kind are quite practicable, un]ess
precautions be employed by the companies
| using it. The ticking sounds produced by the
Morse instrument constituting the eutire Ian
puage of the telegraph, it follows that those
accustomed to it can bave 70 difficulty at any
time in telling the purport Of message il
| delivered within their bearing The only pro.
lection against fraud In such cases Is for the in
etrument to be placed in room to which no
| enc but the operators have access. We are
afraid that sufficient canton is not used in this
instance referred to, there eeems to have been
culpable negligence somewhere
Telegraph companies cannot surround their
operations with too many safeguards. One o.
the chief features of their utility is the manner
in which they respond to the confidence placed
in them. Once that confidence ia lost the value
of line becomes seriously diminished; for in
private as well as in newspaper transactions
The fact that the intelligence thus transmitted
is liable TO get into the bands of others thar
those to whom it is addressed, deprives it of al
Importance. We believe that all the companies
no matter what instruments they use, have it ir
their power to prevent these dishonest appro
priations of the Dispatches con6ded to their care
| There is no more honest or trustworthy class il
the world than the operators whom they employ
In proportion to the intelligence and confidence
which their positions call for do their mora
| qualities seem to be developed. N0twithstand
| Jog the immense Importance of the intelligence
| daily transmitted over the different lines, VIZ
never hear of an instance of an operator proving
nDfaitbfnl to his trust. Like the compositors ir
printing Office, they have regard for thu
sacredness of the confidence reposed in then
which no temptations will induce them to vic
| late. This being the case, it only remains 70,
the companies to protect their Offices by suct
ordinary precautions as will prevent the recur
renee of such disgraceful transactions as that we
| have signalzed.