The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1879-08-19
BARBAR0US.
A Gang ot Wen Hired to Punish a
Newspaper ueport-r.

/ FROM betfot kNthlnk News.
From an extra edition OF The Penny
Press, issued Sunday morning, the 10th
the following particulars OF the bastard
/ ly Chisholm affair are cleaned:
The Penny Press made its first APP
perance in Cleveland on the "a of No
vember last, under the proprietorship
Of Scripps & Sweeney, two young men
who had, for their experience in jour
nalism. Mr.. Scripps, as managing edi-
tor from the start, gave all his staff the
strictest orders 10 be careful and make
no mistakes.
To DO NOTHING THROUGH MALICE
and write nothing from personal mo-
/ tive. These instructions were repeat
ed over and over again To all persons
on the stan, and, as time ran along, the
editor OF the paper grew even more
cautious and circnmspect and every ar
ticle was read aud re-read before being
sent 10 the composing room. About a
month since the editor was taken sick,
and since that time has been unable Go
/ be in the Office but a small portion of
the time. Last Saturday j. A. Spen-
Ger, one OF tie staff, went east for a
summer vacation, aud almost at the
same time two Of the city staff were
taken sick. This materially crippled
the staff, and as n consequence the
copy furnished by reporters could not
! be inspected with that care which had
/ previously been given TO IL. On Thurs
/ day evening last the editor was called
/ to Detroit on business, aud did not re-
turn until Saturday morning. Then,
for tic first time. he heard of
THE CHISHOLM AFFAIR.
On Thursday night last a young man
visited house at 7S Ontario street,
and inquired for young woman nam
ed Stella. The woman of the house,
Nellie Fairbrothers, said she was not
| ia. The young man did not believe
/ her, got into an alteration with her,
and finally assaulted her. She called
the police, and the young man was ar
rested by an officer, and after des-
perate struggle, in which attempts
were made at "A rescue, was taken TO
the central police station. Here the
accused party gave an assumed name,
/ The next morning In his daily rounds
Maurice Perkins, a reporter of the
/ Press, learned Of the occurrence, and
called upon an officer in regard 10 the
affair. He said the man incarcerated
was Stewart Chisholm, son OF Henry
Chisholm, president of the Cleveland
rolling mills company. Perkins con-
suited the directory, and found il gave
the name of such a man. Not suspect
/ ing for a moment that there could he
any mistake in the identity Of the
person. he wrote according 10 his in
formation, which, in 999 cases out OF
/ 200, would have been sufficient 10
have prevented any mistake. How
ever, IL was not, and an innocent per
/ son was for few hours placed IN an
unjust light before the community.
/ The Stewart Chisholm who was arrest
ed was n nephew of Henry Chisholm,
/ but was employed in the same Office
with his cousin, and was in every way
one Of the Chisholm family. The fact
that during the following day many
people OF some years residence in
Cleveland were still confused over the
| identity of the person arrested, plainly
shows that the reporter was excusablc
/ IN making the uninteutional error he
/ did. The moment the error was made
known 10 the city editor Of The Press,
/ the forms were ordered oil the press
aud the clause connecting the accused
party with Henry Chisholm, president
OF the Cleveland rolling mill company,
WAS taken out. In the next edition
/ (Which was "a quick as II could be
done) an article was inserted correct
ing the error of the firat editions aud
fully and completely exonorating Hen
~ Chisholm 3 son Stewart.
The following editorial also appear
ed in Saturdays issue OF the Press:
IAN article appeared in yesterday =
Press relative TO the arrest of one
Stewart Chisholm far dIsorderly con-
duct. Owing TO a similarity in the
names OF two persons intimately con
nected in business and otherwise the
police officers and the reporters were
led TO believe that the person arrested
was the son OF Mr.. Henry Chisholm,
president of the Cleveland rolling
mills. This mistake was not discover
ed till late In the afternoon, when a
friend of Mr.. Henry Chisholm called
at this office aud informed the city edi-
tor that the person arrested was not
the son of the latter gentleman, at
ouce the original article was taken
from the forms aud corrected, and a
second one inserted making the correc-
tion. The affair is an unfortunate one,
inasmuch as a young man OF good rep
utation was for few hours placed In a
very unenylable position before the
public We very much regret having
been the means Of causing him and his
friends so much pain. The Press re-
/ porter, however was not 80 much tu
blame for making his mistake, Gs lac
had not depended on common street
report for his information, but had ap-
! piled directly 90 the police, who he
thought he could depend upon, but
who, IL appears were also mistaken as
to the identity OF the young man ar.
rested.
The Press goes on 90 relate how that
the Chisholms brought suit for libel
and attached the material of the Office
| Just at the time when they knew IL
would prove the greatest inconvenience
to the publishers by delaying the issue
OF the paper.
The press was at last freed
and set IN motion no fewer than 1900
copies were printed and sold. The
Press continues:
THE ASSAULT on PERKISs.
! About noon Of Saturday n reporter
Of Sunday newspaper called at Henry
Chisbolm's Office Ia quest OF news and
was told that Chisholm wanted TO see
| Maurice Perkins, q Press reporter
Upon leaving Chisholms Office this
Sunday paper man met young Stewart
Chisholm, who also said his father
wanted 20 sec a reporter.
(Later advices say that Chisholm
sent word by the Sunday paper report
or, who was friend of Perkins that
If Perkins would call at his office and
personally apologize for the mistake ht
would say nothing further about it
! ED. NHws.)
He then came TO the Press ofiic,
with the information, and as Chisholm
had been importuned 10 talk to a mem
ber Of the Press before, but had refus
ed. Maurice Perkins Immediately
sought his Office TO learn what he
might have 10 say. Perkins gives bis
experience as follows:
PERKINS STORY.
upon entering the front door Of tn,
company's Office on Water street, q
clerk or employe directed me 90 a room
farther 10 the rear OF the building, and
a. I went by remarked: That is On,
Press reporter.
II entered another room, where
found Henry Chisholm, who invited
me into his private Office. A room far