Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1875-05-28
HOGLE'S HOAX AGAIN.
What the Banners 'sIOre Testimony
Amounts tO-TBe Thinuesf Sensas
tisn Ever Played fn Nashville.

tiSn Ever Played fn Nashville.
Tie problem Of Reeds fate IS still en-
crossing the public mind hereabouts. As
far as we could learn Wednesday the article
in the UNION AND AMERICAN was re-
earded rs d complete refUtatiOn Of the
Burners pIOdigiCus stories. That paper
asserted most positively that Reed was alive
and that it had Und0ubJed proofs Of his es-
cape. Then followed Al account Of his
miraculous adventures, told to witnesses
by Reed himsell-the witnesses, Of course,
being the same from whom the
BmRer has its auLdOubted proofs"
The UNION AND AMERICAN has
proven by Reeds father-in-law,
man whose word our contemporary dares
not impeach, and by Reeds wife, that the
bulk OF that testimony is absolutely false.
What makes it worse IS that (as we are in
formed by those people themselyes) the
Banner sensatjOnalist had visited them and
he'd the same opportunity that our reporter
had, Of asceTtainiDg the truth or falsity Of
what that paper was about tOpublsh. The
sensatiOnalist, however, made it his chief
point TO examine the room lately occupied
by Reed to find signs of blood,
We only spoke Of inconsistencies
and absurdities Wednesday, not having
issue Of the banner the story was thai Reed,
after dropping under the bridge, Got into
che water amid pile Of drift, and remain
ed there. with only his head above water,
while he was being searched for; and when
ali had withdrawn from the scene, seized a
log and fOated down 10 the lower wharf.
In Tuesday mornings issue the story was
that he swan across to tie old pier and there
procured a log, which lie steered to The
lower wharf.
Our attention has been called to the fact
That the Old pier was ten feet under
water at the time referred to. The river
was thirty feet above low water mark and
As swift IS a mill-tail. Merchants on the
Square, whose back windows afford q de-
lightful view of the old pier and all the
scenery around, say piece of drIit-wOOd
mas not been known 10 lodge there for
years, if ever.
We shall not lay claim TO gratitude be-
cause the UNION AND AMERICAN was the
first 20 suggest the possibility of the escape.
According TO the Banners account of the
mob. Reeds brain was penetrated 10y two
ieaden missiles before he was thrown from
thebridge. Our report was that lie was
fired at and hurled into the Cumberland.
This was all our reporter could learn with
certainty, not being Cfthe mob. On the
second morning after the Euchin-, we
stated: AS far IS we observed or learned
no efforts were made to recover the body
from the water. Many intelligent men
who visited the bridge expressed serious
doubts Whether Reed had been killed,
and not a few predicted that Le
would be heard Of alive within very
short time. At all
q IL Il In 2rr.H F.sF
was killed. il Is not absolutely certain.
What a commentary on mob violence is
even the suspicion that be escaped y"
Yet if Reed should be found alive and
put under arrest today we should not boast
of what we did toward leading the
authorities 10 the result. We have
never affirmed that be was dead
though We have believed il all the time
and still believe it; nor have we affirmed
that be was alive; We have simply sJeered
In the safe medium, while our contempt
.rarv has beat frantically from one extreme
TO the other.
The Ba.uer'S reioinder yesterday TO our
erpoaa Of its wild inventions is generally
REGARDED as a feeble effort. 1t consisted OF
extracts from different issues Of TINS paper
concerning the Reed affair, under
the heading "M0re testimony as
if the UNION AND AMERICAN had been
irving to prove that Reed was dead and had
unwittingly furnished "undouhted proofs
shat he was living. This feint was em2ha-
sized with a vengeance by putting uumer-
Gus parts Of the extracts in italics.
The effort in this reioindeT to lead the
public into the false notion that the UNION
AND AMERICAN held il absolutely certain
shat Reed is dead, was doubtless meant for
cunning. Our object, As the Ban
usr yerv well knows, has been,
after suggesting the possibility OF the
escape. to upset its gross, clumsy, persistent
and harmful imposiliOHs upon the credu-
Ious in trying TO palm Oh for the truth tic-
lions relative TO matter Of
serious interest TO society. Ii
mas reduced one of the most shameful
crimes in the annals Of Nashville to q mat
Ter Of Jest and levity. Its understandable
passion for sensation is enough TO explain
It's motive. aud we will, with the present
lights. spare the BHW.f The accusation,
which has already found utteIance, that IL
iIas made Itself party TO a conspiracy
against lrulh in order topr0teCt the leaders
OF the mob.
And now let las have a rest from this
Reed business. The Hammer must pro
duce the corpse, hand the criminal over to
INST fpa-- -lrs dry nm