The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-08-25
HONESTY Is THE BEST POLICY" Z"
OFFICE OF THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATED
Press, las BROADWAY,
New York, Aug. q.

OFFICE OF THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATED
Press, las BROADWAY,
New YORK, Aug. q.
To the Editor OF the Graphic:
SIR-The publication of false news III
this State under certain circumstances IS
crime. The law, however, has special ap-
pication to reports affecting the stock mar
ket. That it should have more far-reaeh-
ing effect is no doubt the opinion OF many
newspaper readers. A case in point is the
publication by the New York Associated
Press papers of an announcement OF the
death of Nellie Grant The report purport-
ed to be press dispatch from London and
caused widespread sorrow in all parts ol the
country. The alleged dispatch was as fol-
lows:
LONDON Aug 16-Mrs. Nellie sartoris, daugh'
ter OF Ex-PIesident Grant, is dead.
This was published by the New York AS
sociated Press papers on Saturday, August
10Th. On the succeeding day the same pa
pers published another dispatch corrobora-
tive of the first, as follows;
LONDON Aug 1.-THE death of Mrs. sartorls,
daughter OF Ex President Grant, occurred on the
9Th inst. at Warsash House, Titchheid, III lamp
shire, Her death was sudden.
Thus an effort was made by the New
York Associated Press to verify the bogus
news already sent out
The Manager of the National Associated
Press telegraphed its London agent as fol-
lows
The New York Associated Press published yes
terday the death of Nellie Grant, and to-day give
mose details. Why did you not send it?
To this the following answer was received
and published in the papers belonging to
the National Associated Press:
The cable dispatch published by the New York
Associated Press papers reporting the death OF
Mrs Nellie Sartoris daughter OF Ex-President
Grant, was erroneous and was probably con
founded with the name OF +. J. Sartors, better
known as Adelaide kemble, lady who died IN
England recently. Nellie Grant MRS. Sartoris) is
alive and well.
This was the first intelligence received
in America that the announcement OF the
death was false. The agent of the New
York Associated Press was then brought
face to face with the truth, and served up
the following little morsel of humble pie"
to the papers that had been duped into pub
fishing lie:
LoNDoN August lS-The report published here
OF the death Of Mrs Nellie Grant Sartoris, the
daughter OF General Grant, is unfounded. the
mistake arose from the death of Mrs. E. J. Sar-
toris. formerly Adelaide Kemble.
1t will be noted that an attempt is thus
made to foist the responsibility of the pub
lication of the news upon the London pa
pers-w hich, it should be borne in mind,
are seen by scarcely any American readers.
The managers of the National Associated
Press sent the following dispatch to its
London agent:
The New York Associated Press claims that the
| news OF Nellie Grants death was published in
the London papers. Is this true, and what papers
published?
To this the following reply was received:
| Nellie Grants death was not published in any
| London paper. Several papers published the fact
of the death of Mrs Z. ]. oartoris, the mother of
| Nellie Grants husband.
When it is remembered that the husband
of Mrs. Sartoris, nee Nellie Grant, is Alger-
non Charles Frederick, it is rather difficult
to conceive how he could have been con-
founded with plain L. ].
A lamentable incident in this connection
is the fact that beca1se of telegraphic inter-
ruption the contradiction of the false dis
patch can not reach General and Mrs
Grant for several days to come. The bro
ther of Mrs. Sartoris, who left the West for
New York upon the receipt of the news of
| the death OF his sister, was overjoyed when
he reached Pittsburg and learned from a
l
sister was alive and well.
The Herald, in commenting upon the
cheat, says land the Herald is an old mem
ber of the New York Associated Press, and
able and ready to speak out in meeting"
whenever it chooses.E
1t was a cruel piece of news, and il is to be re-
GREETED that it is possible for such statement to
be shot at the sensibilites of friends and relatives
in loose and random style AS the news came
to this city confesody ten days after the event. it
has been thought II was never sent by cable. The
lady died on the 4th instant, and, as the erroneous
statement was first published here on the 10th, this
would give fourteen days and might strengthen
the suspicious OF those who thought the story was
| fished cut OF the London papers. Fortunately our
dispatch will destroy that suspicion, since points
out that the death was not known in London till
many days after its occurrence. When it was
known in London that Mrs Sartoris was dead,
there was no confusion as to what Mrs. Sartoris it
was How, then was her name confused in trans
mission by cable with that Of General Grants
| daughter?
II will be noted that the Herald confirms
| the statement of the London agent of the
National Associated Press that the story
was not ''fished out of the London papers. I"
What, then, is the inference as to its origin?
The World. also New York Associated
Press paper was equally outspoken in its
criticism of the false news, saying:
1t is not easy to see how Press agent came to
telegraph to this country from London that Nellie
Grant was dead. In the Pail Mall Gazette of the
Sth, the announcement is distinct enough in all
conscience "Sartors-Adelaide, wife of Mr.. Ed
ward j.. al Titchfeld, Hants August 9Th" Per-
hans the intelligent agent thought Nellie" was
the American for Adelaide.
In brief the moral of this is that in news
gathering, as in all other kinds of business,
the old adage holds true that Honesty is
the best policy"
JAMES H. GooDsELL,
President National Associated Press.