Grand Rapids morning telegram., 1885-08-03


The circumstances attending the knav-
cry from which Or Johnson suffered
Last week Is a far illustration 81 the folly
of attempts. IN tho majority of instances
of similar nature, to prevent the publ
cation u the facts IN the newspapers. IL
- a common a0d naturB. practice with
detectives O. operate with the greatest
possibls secrecy. There ara two reasons
Why they DO this. One Is because il Is
often necessary % their working at the
beet advantage, and the other Is because
they are jealous ot their reputation and
do not wish 10 20 be known that thsy
have made an effort unless they succeed.
The first reason Is perfectly Legitimate,
but when it Is only a question % pride.
with the detectives. tins should not m
terfers with the nights of the press and
the public. II burglaries are being com
mittsd. or II sharks and sharpers are
practicinz their profession IN The com
munity. the public IL entitled 10 know IL
that they may use means to protect
themselves. and II the crooks escape the
officers that is not al excuse for keeping
ths fact of their operations from the pub
he Ia ninety five cases ont OF every
hundred man who commits = crime
knows that efforts wIll be made to cap
tnre him. lie doesn't stop "a read the
papers to learn that he Is wanted by Of
ticers II - aBGoubteiiy best Ia most
cases not 70 reveal any clues the officers
have. OF their methods % working. This
would md the cuiprit without beusdtiog
the public. But there - no such excuse
Tor suppressiug such facts connected
with the crime as the culprit knows and
knows that his victim has learned The
man who victimlzed Dr. Johnson knew
that his vilia.ny would very soon be dis
covered aid having secured al that he
rcal.t hope FOR. be- was not likely 90 liuger
here b $40 whether the newspapers bad
an account ~ hat hs had accomplished.
tie Nss more Interested in getting ont
ot sight 81 his friend Dr. Johosou than IN
rsssiing lHE IELEGgAN Friday morning
- see whether its account vas accurate
ia AZ lts details We could not
then see how any arm could /
possibly arise from publishing The /
principal facts Since then having learned /
more of the details va are cunvinced /
that onr Judgment was correct. But 4
every officer and every one connected /
with the affair vas absolutely dumb m
regard to The matter until he learned that
TVS IEl seRtw vas IN possession p some
~ the facts. and then he begged that they
should not be published. But believing
that Is duty to its readers demanded The
publication ~ All harmless news. the
eF'l3e 'scts. yrsspei BY the reporters in a
struggle against desperate odds. we're
given. There was nothing ~ the trsns
seton % east iiscre,iit upon any one e1n-
1ected With t except the william. Fuller
u = NJ Disgrace io lo q favor fer an 0ld
mi trusted scqusintance. nor a. have
mas name forged. The former Is c0u,-
ueudabie anil the latter vouid he a sou,-
hment 81 the majority ~ mankind.
Fhether. therefore the smiabls rsVue
as ~ be rspturei or not the pnhi,ca-
90 ~ hrs TRANSACTIONS euuid fo M
arm. 'tsns - the Facts in s,,eh -ass
~ sure ta leak cut. and an attempt AZ
,ilsealneut sruuses srispicious ant these
Hspicions isad t0 exaggerated snd false
gs'rts that sra more damaging thar the
css wculd be-
f1rfherncrs. news - the stock m trade
the newepsFer. When publishers sr-
E's a sHhscriptien thsv virtually CONTRACT Z
ftrnish IRE srli,scr, hssr rith al tha "a \
inmate news they can secure s5r hir I.
tn the means IN thesr reach. They so
ecntrsct so Supply nezs r, ue..,liesslg :
}are any man. ami ans huuorshla rspa- =
u suppress anything which e - ,cr-
aee,i woni.i .iefeaf tlie sr,is ~ ;rstiee. :.
e wkeu they hsva = monopoly ~ a