Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1879-09-05

Wishing to lay before the readers of the
TELEGRAPH a correct account of the trouble
which existed Monday last between the
Ashtabula representatives of the Cleveland
Leader and Herald regarding the copy of
General Hickenlooper's annual address be-
fore the 1O5th Regiment whose reunion
was held in our town Monday and Tues
day, we submit the following, furnished US
by party in interest:
Morrison Swift called on the General in
Cleveland, Sunday night and requested
the use of the manuscript Monday morn
ing for the purpose of copying it off.
This the General readily consented to and
carried out. After the General had ar
rived in Ashtabula Monday morning, Mr..
w. B. Menneiley, the Leaders reporter,
in company with P. H. Pettibone, Esq,
called on the General for the purpose of
securing the manuscript for publication in
the Leader, the General said in these words:
Swift, the Herald reporter has the man
script making copy fer the Herald, but
the article will be your (Menneiley's) prop
erty Immediately after 1 finish the ad-
dress" Mr.. Menneiley thanked the Gen.
eral and told him he would be in waiting
for it. Menneiley stood near the speakers
stand during the reading of the address,
the two Swifts standing close by also.
When the General had read about two
thirds of the address, Morrison Swift
stepped quickly to the stand, gobbled some
80 pages and beat a hasty retreat with
Menneiley after him. He was oyerhauled
and the manuscript demanded as property
of the Leader. Swift refused to give it up,
stating General Heckenlooper promised
the Herald exclusive control of the manu-
script. Mr.. Menneiley let him go and
went back to the speakers stand to secure
the balance of the address, in which he
was successful, but Immediately returned
it to the General who said he would see
that the matter was properly adjusted.
The General, Mr.. VIM. C. Haskell and
Mr.. Menneiley went to the depot and tried
to make a satisfactory arrangement where
by both papers could publish the speech
next morning, but Swift had sent the part
appropriated by him, to Cleveland by ex-
press, and refused to enter into any ar
rangement. The General during this time
insisting that the Leader should have a
copy. At this point the 5 p. IN. train, go
ing west, arrived, and General Hicken-
looper said to Mr.. Menneiley that he had
another copy of the address in his satchel
which he would furnish him in case the
Herald man still refused to do the ''square
thing" No conclusion being arrived at,
all parties concerned took the train and
went to Cleveland. On alighting from
the train in the depot in Cleveland, Colonel
Fogg, managing editor of the Herald, was
found just about to take the train for Chi
cago. He was aceOsted by Swift who told
his story, after which the party entered
the depot dining hail, and while indulg-
ing in a cup of coffee, both sides of the
question was heard, the issue being defin-
itely settled by Col. Fogg directing Swift
to proceed to the Herald office and have
two proofs of the part of the manuscript
which was held by the Herald, struck off,
one to be retained by the Herald and the
other with the manuscript to be turned
over to the Leader Immediately, and as
Col. Fogg stated it, ''leaving it to the hon
esty and integrity Of the Leader Co., to
turn off proof of the part of the manu-
script which they held" The Leader had
proof printed and in the Herald Office
by o'clock p. m., but the Herald refused
to accept it stating they were so crowded
that it would be impossible to print the
entire speech.
General Hickenlooper denied emphatic
ally that he told Swift he could have ab-
solute control of the document, and stat
ing that he intended the Leader should
have the manuscript after his address, and
that ~ hours was the time given the
Herald TO copy the same.