New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-02-13
BREN'S RECKLESS MEMORY.
WHAT HE REPORTED IN 1873; AND WHAT HE now
THINKS REPORTED.

WHAT He REPORTED IN 1873; AND WHAT III now
THINKS HE REPORTED.
Assemblyman Wren is reported to have rep
resented To the body OF which lie is member from
Brooklyn, and support of bis resolution to appoint
committee OF experts the brooklyn
Bridge, that " some time ago. while he
was a reporter for TEE TRIBUNE he discovered one
day that ,he detective Ha:gh wires being into
the cable" lie is sail to have added, that he
this done and that after careful investigation" he
wrote an account that published IN that paper.
ThcreupoD Mr. Haigh and the trustees OF tho
bridge demanded retraciicu Of tic Ed
itor and 1t made, and be, Mr. Wren,
was suspended from his position reporter" II tie
Assembly nas 40 basis for The appointment OF
merits than statements Ike the above, IL would better
not proceed.
Mr. Wren was never employed upon the staff OF THE
TRIBUNE. Like scores OF other outsiders, Ire in
the habt of OCCASIONALLY ngiug bits OF
news 10 THE TRIBUNE Office for salt -w6ich
wore sometimes bought and sometimes not. An exana-
on of the books shows tlat he kept up this hgbis
the middle of June 1877, till the middle OF April 1873,
and that in tuis whole time he sold THE 1RBUNE in
all about six or seven columns OF matter. Any
determine from this bow much Of reporter OF TIE
1'ptpIrSE" he was and how mucn OF position he had
to lose.
Fun thermore, the paragraph which led TO THE TRIB
INES re.usal to buy any OF his news pro"es not
Uo is reported as saying that he dscov-
erred the defective wire being into the
cahe. that he saw this DONE ana wrote OF
winch was published aud for which he was dismissed.
Here Is that account, and the whole Oft
From THE TRIBUNE April 10, 1873
t-cTtSG IMPERFECT WIRE within the last three
,rdaLs 400 coils each coil cOufnning pounds Of
,i wire have condemned by the engineers OF The
Enst River Bridge being imperfect On saturday the
cicd colls were placed together the wire yard TO
h carted back TO the factory IN South Broosiyn Of
LLOYD IIaigh the contractor. An inspector, appointed
nv the bridge trustees, has always been on
dntv nj the contractors factory test wire
M Inc seyerest manner, but has failed in his duty Tho
rdye officials are very reiicent IN regard tue affair."
bnt II known that careless inspector has been die
charged.
Mr. Wren is further reported as saying tnat Mr. Hagh
nd the trustees OF the bridge demanded retraction OF
Tho Editor OF The TRIBUNE, aad 1t was made Neither
Mr. Haigh nor any trustee OF the bridge approached
rho Editor of THE TRIBUNE made any communication
70 him on the subject, directly indirectly. On the
contrary, member Of the Gty stan was sent
,he next day. In the natural course Of the onlco
work. TO look into this startling story brought
I'm by a Casual; aud he brought back contradiction
from the engineer-in-chaIg Thereupon orders
given TO buy no more news this Casual That was
all.
Iris now clear that Mr.. Wren was honest In the
matter He had stumbled some trace OF the crooked
ness but didn't know how tell 1t straight preclssly
as he doesn't know how repeat straight now what be
then told.