The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1885-10-10
REPORTORiAl ZEAL.
How Too Much OF 1t Came Near Hanging
It's POssessOr.

How Too Much OF 1t Came Near Hanging
It's Possessor.
Probably one of the most remarkable
instances of reportorial zeal ever heard
of, which came near ending very Sc
riously to the main actor, was the ex-
plot of a young man named Arm
strong, connected at the time with the
city staff of a morning paper in New
York. The incident transpired about
sixteen or eighteen years ago. Arm
strong lived across the East River, Just
back of Williamsburg. At that time
the outlying district was sparsely set;
tied, and many pretty little cottages
were rented cheap. One summer night
the reporter left the office about mid
night. After crossing the ferry and
going to the end of the street car line,
Armstrong had quite a piece to walk
before he reached his cottage. A por-
ton of the way led through a dense
grove. On the night in question. while
the reporter was sauntering leisurely
through the grove. his attention
was suddenly attracted to an
object suspended from the limb
of a tree about dozen yards from the
road he was traversing. 1t was bright,
moonlight night, and there was little
difficulty in seeing objects near by. As
he passed over to examine what had
caught his gaze. he was startled upon
coming up to it to find the dead body of
a man swinging from very low limb
| of tree. His feet were not above
twelve inches from the ground. A
knife was plunged to the hilt in his left
breast. The reporter was in a quandary.
Here was big item and it was toe
| late to get line in about it. What
should he do? He was the discoverer of
this first-class sensation, and he hated
to be cheated out of the sweet privi-
lege of beating" all the other papers
by giving it to his own first. He thought
only of this. and finally resolved
| upon very strange proceeding. He
deliberately cut the body down, carried
it off to a huge log near by that lay
upon the bank of a little brook. and
covered it entirely with leaves, sticks
and other debris. He then departed
with the intention of discovering the
body at an hour in the afternoon of the
next day too late for any publication in
the afternoon papers As Armstrong
struck the road he was not aware that
two neighbors were jogging along just
behind him, both of whom had seen
him come from the log near the brook.
As the reporter was several rods ahead
rapidly to his cottage and went in at the
front door. About ten o'clock the next
day, while the sun was streaming
through the window of the reportorial
bedroom, where Armstrong lay, posi-.
bly, dreaming of his big sensation. 8
constable and two men called at the
cottage and told his wife that they
wished to see him on important bust
ness. She aroused her husband, in
formed him what was wanted, and he
at once got up. dressed himself, and
went out into parlor, where the visitors
were waiting. He was then informed
by the constable that he had come tC
arrest him on the very serious charge Of
murder, and request was made thai
Armstrong accompany the officers a,
once to a neighboring justice of the
peace. Before reaching that function
ary's place, the reporter was made
aware of the fact that the body he had
so carefully concealed the night before
had been discovered, and that he had
been arrested on suspicion of knowing
how the man came to his death. The
neighbors who saw him come from the
brook, as related. having testified tt
what they had witnessed. There wa.
intense excitement for a time in the 10
cality. Armstrong told his story. bu
there were good many suspicious
glances thrown at him. Fortunately
however, letter in pocket of the de
ceased mans coat, and other supple
mentary facts, proved that he was I
suicide, and that he had put rop'
about his neck while sitting on thu
branch of the tree where he was found
and subsequently drove knife into hi
heart. Armstrong kicked up bigge
sensation than he at first imagined b,
, would.-Cor. Hartford COurant.