Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1883-08-10
A CLEVER CATCH.
How a Contemporary fiIches Its
News.
The lnteIIigencer Detected in Pilfering
Register News by Means Of the
Telephone Central and the
Standing Army.

"a little child living on the Island was
accidentally scalded in very serious man.
ner last evening. The childs name could
not be learned, but its injuries were pain
full in the extreme, il not dangerous
This harmless little squib is from yester-
days Intelligencer and is entirely untrue.
And thereby hangs q tale. Fora long time
past-and the fact has been mentioned be-
fore-it was known at this office that the
Intelligencer had been boldly and incau.
tiously stealing REGISTER news to help out
its attenuated columns. At first it was by
the aid of a stolen early edition OF the
REGISTER, and latterly it has been by some
means unknown until yesterday morning
when an expose was made by grand
coup. For some time past the local matter
in the Intelligencer has been woefully thin
and it will probably be still thinner, as
the supply stolen from this Office has been
cut of.
On Wednesday night a ruse was planned
in the REGISTER office aid successfully car
ried out. A cock and bull story OF a child
badly scalded was gotten up and telephoned
to this office, and 10! yesterday morning
the Intelligencer came out with the "scald-
ed child" whose name could not be
learned" Strategy could not have better
been carried out. Scarcely had the REGIS
TER reporter hung up the telephone re-
ceiyer after whispering the bogus story be-
fore an lntelligeHcer man came nurrylng
along to find q scalded child. 1t Is need
less TO saw he did not find it, but the squib
quoted above is what he made OF 1t. How
did be so soon learn of the scalded child?
How did he so quickly nibble at the tempt
ing bait thus thrown at him under the
telephone boys nose? Mr.. Wolff,
of the telephone company, or Capt. Ben.
nett, of the Standing Army OF PJllce can
best explain. Not five minutes had clap.
sed after the REGISTER reporter dropped
the telephone, before the lntelllgencer
man telephoned an inquiry OF the scalded
child. Was he informed by electricity. or
did Officer Belleville put his ear 10 the
door and after hearing the bogus message,
kindly summon him? The lntelligencer
man saws the latter but the REGISTER has
reason TO believe the former. At all events
this is how it happened.
About half past one o'clock, yesterday
morning, a conference was held In the
REGISTER office, which hal for its object
the detection OF the lntelligencer in steal
ing REGISTER news, as well as the discovery
OF the means by which it was done. ln-
stances of tamperng with the telephone
OperatCr having been familiar, 1t was be.
leyed the same system OF corruption was
now being operated and TO arrive a. Ger.
tainty, u REGISTER reporter was sent 10
the bridge corner to telephone fictitious
sensation to this Office. This was done.
thrilling tale of a scalded child was poured
INTO the telephone and then, dlsregardInS
The question of the operator, who had no
business to be connected or 10 ask ques-
lions as to the name, the receiver was has
rily hung up. In few moments, tele-
uhone message came TO the bridge corner
from the Intelligencer, asking about the
scalded child. Nothing was known OF II
and the next moment the reporter himself
came hurrying up Market street He met
officer Bellville, who he said had called
HIM and a colIOQuy took place. Then
the IntelligenCer artist sought telephone
and renewed his inquiry for scalded
child. He got nothing, but still relying
on his information that the REGISTER had
such story, he inserted the paragraph
quoted above, and so completely exposed
himself.
Did the officer send him word or did the
telephone operator violate the confidence
of q subscriber and telephone the news?
The reporter says Officer Belleville tele'
phoned him to come up, and then told him
there were three suspicious characters
prowling about, which revelation induced
the reporter cruelty to say the officer was
afraid TO go for them himself, and only
wanted the reporter to accompany him and
scare off the bugabOos
Bat, however, the news came, the fact
remains. The lntelliEencer, By its agents
whether police, telephone operator or re-
u0rter, stole the bogus item and palmed II
oil on its readers us reliable news. 1t bit
at the bait and stands exposed. 1t is for
others To say how II was done. Capt. Ben.
nett will doubtless PIT all investigation
on foot and ascertain whether the prlyateS
in the standing army leave their beats and
sntrk AROUND 10 pick up news and hurry
II 10 The lntellCcnCer. Supt. WON will
no dot bt overhaul his telephone force and
ascertain whether there Is a leak there;
whether an operator is employed to listen
TO private messages and then hustle them
of 10 the lntelligenCer Office.
The public will look at several points in
the little expose. II will see the methods
by which the lntellIgeDger endeayors to
improve It's debiltated columns. As the
evening paper says Tire enterprise OF poet
laureate received cruel blow, from which
il is feared il will not soon recover, and the
result will be that he will really have to
20 to work and hunt up his own news,
step he will take with great reluctance
The poor telephone boy will also be the
sufferer, for he will get an indefinite fur
Tough AMI lose his sineCure OF Sl.jJ per
week and his mother and eleven idtneriess
children will suffer the pangs OF hunger
all this winter