The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1884-03-13
TRAGEDIES OF THE SANG
TETNI.
Closing Scenes in the Lives of Some
New York Editors.

TUNI.
Closing Scenes in the Lives Of Some
New York Editors
The first editor of the New York
World, which was started as an ortho-
dox religious paper, was Mr.. Spauld- |
inc, a grave, taciturn man of large |
frame and powerful intellect. When
the World fell into financial straits, and
threw religion overheard, about 1868,
Mr. Spaulding took place upon the
editorial staff of the Times, under Hem
ry j. Raymond, whose first assistant 1
then was; and there he showed himself
to be the boldest master of political
invective ever known on the American
press. To recruit his health, he made
a yoyaoe to New Orleans, but on an
excursion up the Mississippi his boat
met with ili-luck, and he was cast on n
deserted bank of land, where he almost
starved TO death. The first / knew OF
his return 10 New York waS~at very
late hour of one night, when, being on
duty in the editorial quarters of the
Times, a whistle up the pipe' from
the publication Office, and a message :
that MIR. Spaulding had muttered my
name, hurried me DOWNSTAIRS. 81
found him prostrate on his back upon
the stone flooring, and evidently struck
bv paralysis, and entirely unconscious.
In few moments he caught my voice,
and began stammeriny out Latin
words. disjointed quotations from Vir-
gil, Horace, and his other favorite au-
thors. occasionally pressing his head
with his hands and breaking fntoa sort
of wild laugh. 1t was after midnight
by the city hall clock when l left his
side, fastened over to the old New
York hospital, then in Broadway, rang
up the young doctor In charge, who
agreed to take him in, returned TO the
Times with stretcher, called down
four compositors, who lifted the pros
trate man from the floor, and accom-
panied them back to tho hospital,
where | saw him placed safely upon a
cot under a Doctors charge. 1t was
half an hour of the time for going to
press when got back to the editors
sanctum. If the editorial columns of
next days Times were short or other
wise imperfect the reason is now for
the first time told. Though Mr..
Spaulding was over so years old, he
had been married but few months be-
fore, and in the morning telegraphed
to his Young wife, then in one of the
towns up the Hudson river, who APP
peared at tho hospital in very few
hours. She tended him devotedly DUR
inc the days in which he could not be
removed from the cot, and then had
him taken to her fathers country
home, where he soon after bowed his
head in death. In this tragical way
ended the life of the first editor of the
New York World. a man of great soul
and honest purpt &c. ---.-...a=.sz..s-
Even more tragical was the closing
scene, in June, 1869, of the life of Hen
rv j. Raymond himself, the distin-
Cuished founder and editor OF the New
York Times. He had been ut the
| Times office on the afternoon of the
night in which he was found dead, and
inquired for me; but l happened TO be
engaged elsewhere in a work which he
had put upon me, writing criticism of
| Woolsey's "Reform Against Nature, !"
then just published. Leaving word
that he desired to sec me as soon as
possible, he left the Office in his usual
CHEEKY mood, took dinner at his house
on Ninth street, and then went to n po-
litical meeting. But little is known of
|
midnight of that dav (June 1S), when
his wife, who was drawn downstairs by
hearing a noise, found him lying dead
at the door of his house. In the midst
of a great career in the press and in
politics, his life ended in tragedy never
vet cleared up. In the very early
years of my manhood, Mr.. Raymond
had given me my first opportunity on
| Al. |. i,,s
and during the ten years that preced-
ed, included, and followed the great
war for abolition (or from 1859 to
1860, when | was his daily associate
he proved himself to be the most aInia-
bic OF men, as he was one of The mosi
accomplished editors.
But set out to tell, with the fewest
words, the tragedies of score of New
York editors of my acquaintance.
The tragedy of the death in a mad
house of Horace Greeley, the founder
and editor of the New York T,T6,ue-
who has not been shocked by the story
OF itP
The tragedy of the death of the ven-
cradle poet. William Cullen Bryant,
editor Of the EUeNi'1y Pos, who fell be-
fore my eyes under a sunstroke in the
Central park five years AGO, was told
in this paper of December 80.
How suddenly and uncNp 4ctediy, in
the summer of last year. death struck
my associate William 0. Bartlett. of
the SIN, man of great mind and great
heart.
The tragedy of the death last Sep,
tember of the jovial Hugh j. Hastings,
the eeeitor of the Commercial AdcertiSer,
of this city, was caused through a
shock which he got when his carriage
came in collision with an express wag-
| on.
How suddenly and gricvously in De-
cember last fell William 4. CLARKE, ed
itor of the New York Star, the good
and talented man, who had SO often
| thought it his duty To asSail me for the
| deeds that l did under the highest
sense of duty.
The managing editor of the New
| York Herald during nearly the whole
of the life OF the elder Bennett was Mr..
| Hudson, who came to Il tra.rioal end in
the Massachusetts town Of Concord, q
few years ago, through being crushed
by a railway train.
Time fails me to tell of the lesser
| lights-Chase of the Herald, Ned Sey-
mour and Mills of the Times, Adams
of the San, and how many others.
What Il line of tragedies of the sane
tum is enrolled before my eyes!-trag-
edics which have shocked my spirit ev-
cry year SINCE first | stool, as u strip
ling, within the innarmost circles OF
the daily press of New York.
The tragedy of poor Doc Wood is tho
latest on the roll.-Joln .SUint0N's Ptt-
per.