Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-12-23
NEWSPAPERS BEATS
Some of the Curious Ways News.
paper Men Get News.

talked 10 you Yesterday about the
Presidents message, the manner in which
It 10 made public through the newspa.
pers, and how its premature publication
at odd times has been brought about. But
the most interesting feats OF Washing
ION journalism concern the exhibition of
more important documents than any that
ever issued from the WhlteiHouse.
The unexpected publication OF the
Washin ton treaty is a case In point.
What was the Washington treaty? Why.
bless your heart, you haven't forgotten
that, have your Ithad reference to the
Alabama claims, whereby the govern
ment of Great Britain agreed 10 pay us
$4,000, 900 in settlement OF damages done
by the Confederate cruiser Alabama,
which bad been fitted out and had sailed
from British port. The United States
government. after the suppression of the
rebellion, took advanced ground in the
matter and the Washington treaty was
the result. There was great public con-
Germ as TO its provisions, which had been
agreed upon in an executive session of
the Senate. At that time Senator Nor
ron, of Indiana. was chairman of the
Committee on Foreign Relations, and his
private secretary surrentitiously OBJ
tanned a copy of the highly important doc
ument. He was young man with a keen
scent for dollar, and he was not long in
making q financial deal with Zabulon
Lponidas White-isn'ttha at a nice name TOR
adoor plate ?-and Fl. j. Ramsdell. then the
Washington correspondent of the New
York Tribune. The next day the journal
.stouuded by Horace Greeley" had a bl <
SCOOP on all the newspapers of the coun-
try.
The dignity and secresY OF thu august
Senate had been outraged. White and
Ramsdel were taken into nominal Gus
tody and confined in one of the 5 nate
committee rooms. No one who has not
gazed uron the palatial adornments of
these apartments can imagine the de-
lights of such an incarceration. The
choicest viands and the rarast wines
were brought the culpris from the SEN
ate restaurant, and every night Ramsdell
left the big capitol building and secretly
Joined his wife in the Metropolitan Hotel E.
The Senate in executive session agreed
on motion of Roscoe Conkling. to punish
the two correspondents to the full extent
OF its power, and each Senator pledged
himself to support such a proposition in
open session. The confined newspaper
mpn hailed such an outcome with joy.
They pinned to be made martyrs OF, and
their only fear was that they would not
be made famous in newspaperdOm for
time immemoral.
Meanwhile the newspapers OF the coun
try had contained lurid accounts OF the
tormeuts to which the two prisoners were
subjected. They were describ d as beng
confined in a dungeon in some subter
ranean recess OF the capitol, and the most
graphic powers OF description were sum-
moned into service to depict the horrors
Of their alleged surroundings. When the
Senate came to consider the matter in
open session Coukling made the motion as
agreed upon, and was supported in it By
brilliant Matt. Carpenter, the Pi esident
nro TEN. but all the other Senators feared
The lash of newspaper criticism so much
that thew broke their pledge. Carpenter.
however, with customary boldness, left
The chair and made q fierce attack upon
the two correspondents. He spoke Of the
newspaper pictures that had been drawn
If the confinement OF The culprits In the
epest dungeon of the capitol and then
described he beauties OF their surround
in2s in a gorgeous committee room of the
Sanat..
"But yesterday" be continued, 81 de-
scended to the Senate restaurant ia Quest
Of cup OF the tea that cheers and also
ipebriates. AS | was aboat passing the
portal was commend d III loud tone OF
voice to stand aside u make room for
TWO walters who had SAVERS atop their
heads loaded down with the choicest
Vialds.
what is the meaning of all this ex-
citcment" l mepkly asked.
DINNER is being served to the incar-
cerated correspondence | was informed
and bowed my head humbly and uttered
not a word"
The two men were released. but they
never betrayed the name of the man who
furnished them with the copy of the
treaty. Carpenters speech incensed
Rsmsdell so much that an intense hatred
sprung uD between them that lasted I'M
til the day Of the Wisconsin Senator's
death.
The New York Herald. which was then
far in the lead IN the race for news, was
much chagrined at the Tribune's achieve
ment and was at it's wits ends to retrieve
itself. There was great mass OF supple
mental correspondence bearing upon the
treaty that had been arranged in book
form for the use of Senators in executive
sessions. Ned Brooks, an old-time news
paper corresponds t. found that the pri-
vate secretary of Senator Osborne, OF
Florida, had secured one OF the volumes,
and made bargain for its purchase.
The man, however, was afraid to band
over the book lest he should be seen, and
90, by prearrangement, be dropped it on
aNacant lot at EOurteentn ana Il. sCTf cts
and Brooks quickly picked it up. This
was on Sunday. Brooks secured ten tele-
graph lines and wired the entire contents
OF the volume to the New York Herald
1t was the biggest dispatch that has ever
lett Washington. 1t contained SO, 700
words. The Herald, with view of get
Ting even with the Tribune, gave the
matter greater space than it was really
worth. Bennett sent Brooks cheek for
$1,000 and of this sum he paid oue-thiId to
Senator Osborne's secretary.
Another famous newspaper leak in gov
ornamental affairs concerned the testi-
mony taken secretly by the United
states Senate to warrant the impeach-
ment Of President Andrew johnson.
James r. Young, now the Executive
CLERK OF the Senate and the correspon-
nent and one of the owners
OF the Philadelphia Evening Star,
was then the head Of the New York
Iribune's Washington bureau. His as
slstant was Jonn p. Foley. His brother,
John Russell Young, was managing edi-
tor OF the paper. Jim Young was not
then married and settled down, and so it
happened thai he was in his Office after
certain Saturday midnight when Oscar
harris entered. That individual is
washington newspaper man, who has
acted ae the intermediary agent for the
disposal OF more big official documents
onah any person, living or dead. Though
an assistant foreman IN the government
| printing office he had secured q CODY of