The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1876-02-03
Reportorial Trash.

chicago papers containing their reporters
notes in regard to Col. Burglar MT. Wi
ser, of this city, that we republish in thisis-
sue of The ARGUS all said by the Times,
the Tribune, the Inter Ocean, and the Post
and Mail, on the subject, though we by no
means endorse the slurs cast upon either
of those gentlemen by reporters who never
interviewed or attempted to interview
either of them. The fact is that Times
reporter did attempt to interview Mr.. Cor
ker, and he being a good deal Of a wag
pointed out smooth faced, fat-nosed, |
beetylooking. etc., etc. and the Times
boy went for the stranger, who, of course,
refused him, and therefore he took his re-
venge on the crowd.
From Mr.. Ben Wilson, who was present
and saw the whole transaction, we learn
that Mack" THAT is the name Wiser is
famiiiarly called-that being sort of cor
ruption of Malcomb, his front name) was
in conversation with Nevins and when he
said. II want an apology from you and |
want it now" Nevins, who had one hand
in his pocket, pulled out little pepper
box of pistol and pointing it at Mack
began to back away from the crowd.
Mack, stepped towards him, pointing with
his finger at his little pistol, and asked
laughingly, what are you going to do with
that thing?" Nevins replied Il going
to defend myself, if you touch me-" 80
fudge" said Mack. you couldn't shoot
through my coat with that little thing. IT
you are going to do any shooting you should
use one of this kind'-at the same time
showing him the end of large sized
Colts revolver. Poor little Nevins said,
, Il don't intend to use one unless you
touch me. " Touch h--r-said Mack-"I
havn't said anything about touching you.
You lied about me and | told you wa nted
an apology and wanted it now" Nevins re-
replied: L made a mistake. got your name
instead of Burgh's. Ifyou'd spoke to me in
o a gentlemanly way would have explained
it at once. will correct it." Aud that
was about the gist of the talk The i'm
preston of those present was favorable to
Wiser and the general feeling was that he
> acted properly, and stood his ground.
t Mack has seen too many battles in the
y rebellion to vince at little pepper box.
l The hits on Burgh and Wiser, by the
: reporters. are the standing joke here,
n among the ''b'hoys" But he laughs best
!, who laughs last" Wait till Col. Burgh
e gets sight of that fellow Nevins, and see who
l. will laugh then. The rascal describes
e Burgh as a 'smooth-faced, fat-nosed,
If beefy-looking individual, with hair oil and
q peppermint attachments" and Wiser as a
u man whose appearance indicates that his
life has been constant struggle between
poverty and dirty shirts, in which the dirty
d shirts seem to have gained the ascendency
l. And of Messrs j. r. Corker, Capt Dodge,
$ J. Frysinger, Ben. Frysinger, Wiser and
q Burgh the reporter says the smell OF
pomade and sour-mash exhaled from the
r. crowd" And he ailudes to them in the
endearing terms of ''corn-fed crowd.
,e meek looking gang, fellow crooks,
70 evil birds from Rock Island" ''been or
ID the make" etc. etc.
The truthfulness Of the reporters note
v, especially those of the Tribune
~ can be estimated when we sa.
that Mr.. Wiser was not before tn
grand jury at all, while that reporter in
forms his readers in detail what his test
mony was before the grand jury! Il
gave no testimony; was not before th
- grand jury, nor was he there on any bus
81 ness connected with the case. He went I
"' on private business, and merely happeue
'0' in at the custom honse latter finishing hi
20 business to see his friends who were ther
W from Rock Island
And the description no more fits Go
'ou Burgh than it does the ghost of Abe Lii
- ,'0 coin. Col. Burgh has the very opposite {
ILL., fiat nose; he isn't beefy, nor smoot
'u' faced; nor does he part his hair in til
as midde nor is he young. He is grant
Die father; has grey hair, and a very regula
'p- handsome cut profile. The fact is tn;
Corker, in his waggishness, fooled the r.
porter, and his descriptions don't fit any
our people. But we suppose they are {
Q good as the average of Chicago reportin,