The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-10-09
ASSEMBLY SECRETS.
An Effort to Identify the Men who Furnish
Facts for the Newspapers.


An Effort to Identify the Men who Furnish
Facts for the Newspapers.
Special to the Indianapolis Journal
RICHMOND, Va Oct 8.--A system of detect
i've work has been instituted by the executive
board of the Knights of Labor for the purpose
of ascertaining who of the delegates are writing
for newspapers or furnishing TO newspaper cor
respondents information concerning the proceed
ings of the convention. number of the spot
ters have been placed on the track of delegates
suspected, and they are not only watched in the
convention, but are followed about the city and
in the hotels where they stop. The remarkably
accurate reports sent to the Pittsburg
Dispatch have attracted the attention
of Mr.. Powderly and other officers, and Col. f.
W. Liehtner, the Dispatch correspondent here, is
being shadowed in manner that would do credit
to experienced detectives. The writer is also
under the ban of suspicion, and is supposed to
have an accomplice in the convention So far, the
delegates who have been furnishing the infor-
nation have net been detected, and sinceit is al
most physical i'm possibility to trace the source
of the information the system of detective work
is believed to be more for the purpose
of frightening the leaRy delegates than any
thing ese Mr. Powderly is greatly annoyed at
finding in one or two New York newspapers, the
Boston Globe, the Pittsburg Dispatch and others,
verbatim reports of repartee which took place in
the convention, and it is believed he will modify
his system of supplying press representatives
literally with news. The sparine way in which
the work has been officially made known has
wrought up the curiosity and the feeling of
cav .1o.~G
suit to the injury OF the secret aspect of the con-
vention If it is not molifed. The authorized
accounts of the proceedings are SO meagre that
they scarcely include the mere mention of topics
considered in convention, while the names of
delegates forming committees and the names of
those who submit propositions, and the person
mel of contested cases. are all kept profound
secrets, because, the officers say it would iniure
the standing of the delegates before the country
II their names were made known through the
press.
There is a good deal of agitation among those
delegates in the convention VINO are in the dual
role of representatives Of the Knights of Labor
and the press. To-day Mr.. Powderly circulated
an invitation to these men to meet at his room
at 3 o'clock tomorrow morning for the purpose
of talking over the publication of executive se-
crets. AS it is taken for granted that there is
move on foot to force a cessation of this work
the press delegates say they will not meet the
general master workman, and the probability
is that there will be no change in this state
of affairs. 1t has been suggested that
delegate capable of compiling such of the pro-
ceedings as should go to the country should be
selected for the work. so that the progress of the
convention may be published more fully, thus
avoiding the necessity of pumping delegates and
asking them to break their oaths and confidence.
Mr.. Powderly says that as soon as the commit
tees are ali selected, some provision will be made
whereby all of the routine that should be pub
lished will be given to the representatives of the
press officially There is an uncomfortable at
They are SO closely shadowed that they can
scarcely induce delegate to speak to them.