The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1885-10-09
EEPOsrORIAL ZEAL.
How Too Much OF 1t Came Near Hangin-
Its POssessor.


Its POssessor.
Probably one of the most remarkable
Instances of reportorial zeal ever heard
of, and which came near ending very
seriously to the main actor, was the
exploit of young man named Arm
strong, connected at the time with the
city staff of morning paper in New
York. The incident, writes Hagtford
Cournnt correspondent, transpired
about sixteen or eighteen years ago.
Armstrong lived across the East river.
Just back of Williamsburgh. At that
time the outlying district was sparsley
settled, 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 piece to walk
before he reached his cottage. A por-
ton of the way led through dense
grove. On the night in question,
while the reporter was sauntering
leIsurelv through the grove, his atten-
ton was suddenly attracted to an OBJ
ject suspended from the limb of a tree
about dozen yards from the road he
was traversing. 1t was a 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 Il tree. His feet were about
twelve inches from the ground. A
knife was plunged 10 the hilt in his
left breast The reporter was in a
quandary. Here was big item and
it was too late to get line IN the pa
per about it. What should he do? He
was the discovercr of this first-class
sensation, and he hated to be cheated
out of the sweet privilege of "'beat-
ing" 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 Il
huge log near by that lay upon the
bank of 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 netaware 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 they did not hail him, SO he
walked rapidly to his iseottage and went
in at the front door. About 10 o'clock
the next day, while the sun was
streaming through the window of the
reportorial bedreom, where Armstrong
lay possibly dreaming'of his big SEN
sation, constable and two men, call
ed at the cottage ami told his wife that
they wished to see him on important
business. She aroused her husband,
informed him what was wanted, and
he at once got un, dressed himself, and
went out into the parlor, where the
visitors we're waiting. He was then
informed by the constable that he had
come to arrest Kim on the very serious
charge of murder, and a request was
made that Armstrong ;accompany the
officers at once TO neigh boring justice
of the peace. Before reaching that
functionary's place, .thereporter was
made aware of the fact that the body
he had SO carefully concealed the
night before had been discovered, and
that he had beenarrested on Suspicion
of knowing howtthe man came to his
death, the neighbors who saw him
come from the brook. as related, nav
ing testified to what they had witness
ed. There was intense excitement for
a time in the locality. Armstrong
told kis stsry, but there were a good
many suspicious glances thrown at
him. Fortunately, however, a letter
in a pocket of the deceaGed mans
coat, and er.supplementary facts.
proved that he wasta suicide, and that
he had put a ropeabout his neck while
sitting ON the branch of the tree where
he was found, and subsequently drove
knife int his heart. Armstrong
kicked up bigger sensation than he
at first imagined he would.