The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-11-23
A Hoodlum's Ingratitude.

New York Tribune.
The San Francisco Chronicle was started as
sensational paper and the first genuine sensa
tion it had was furnished by Naphtaly, the man
who caused the death of Charles De Young, the
founder of the paper. Among the many ''hood-
lums, of San Francisco, was B. F. Naphtaly,
who had been committed to the Industrial
School for reformation, if possible, The boy
escaped from that badly managed institution,
and going to The Chronicle Office, related how
inhumanely the inmates were treated that they
were flogged half starved and ill-clothed. In a
series of articles The Chronicle exposed the bad
management, which led to an official investga-
ton and the removal of the superintendent and
other officials of the institution. These articles
brought The Chronicle forward as local paper,
and from that time the struggle for existence
was no longer problematieal
Charles De Young was liberal in expenditure
for news, and as partial reward for this beat
on the other papers took the uneducated In
dustrial School refugee into his office, and in
few years he latter became reporter. For
some unprofessional conduct he was discharged.
He subsequently discharged from The
Evening Post for publishing scurrilous para
graph about man whom he wanted to get
even with" This shows the nature of the young
man who eventually caused the death of his best
and only benefactor.
In 1873, an ephemeral looking sheet called
The Sun, sprang into existence. j. NJ Scan
land wrote the editorials. Naphtaly then being
out of work, as usual, Mr.. Scanland introduced
him to the proprietor, stating that he was good
average reporter so long as ne was held in check.
Naphtaly was employed as city editor and con-
stituted the entire reporting staff Wishing to
control the entire editorial department, he
secretly undermined the editor who placed him
in position by offering to do the editorial work
in addition to his local work, and for one mans
salary. This had the desired effect with the
at oh ayho ad
and the unpaid editor resigned, leaving
Naphtaly in charge as editor-in-chief.
On the third day Naphtaly took advantage of
his position and published a scurrious and libel
lous article against De Young's mother and
sister. While the press was printing the small
edition Augustus De Young and Naphtay were
shooting at each other in the streets. The former
had gone into the press-room, secured one of the
first copies thrown off, knocked down the bust
ness manager and then run out with his revolver
in search of Naphtaly. In a few hours the papers
were selling at 50 each.
An attempt to printa second edition of the in
famous article was stopped by Charles De
Young who, with the chief of the detective force
and others, made descent upon the office
through the skylight and arrested everybody in
the office. With printers mallet Charles De
Young smashed the forms of type then in read-
ness for the press. He afterward paid all DANA
ges, prosecutions were stopped, and the matter
almost passed out Of memory, until revived in
1879 by Kalloch, who was a candidate for mayor.
The Chronicle exposed his Eastern record, and
extremely bitter and personal To silence
The Chronicle, Kalloch threatened to read
before an audience Naphtaly's article abusing
De Young's family
Kalloch sent for Naphtaly, who denied the
truth of the seurrilous article he had written,
and finally added
"Mr. Kalloch, if you read that article, De
Young will kill you'll"
Kalloch did not heed the advice of the man
who had escaped unhurt through two shooting
affrays brought about by this article and the
attempt of Charles De Young to kill Kalloch led
to his own death, and all through this. .friendess
waif whom he had befriended and nurtured