Evening journal., 1889-05-21
ONE YEAR OLD TO-DAY.
The Evening Journals First
Birthday Anniversary.
HISTORY OF THE FIRST YEAR.

The Cummins, Union Palace Car Com
pany and other "Beats''-A Resume
the ''Evening Journals" News Columns
During the Year just Ended.
A year ago to-day the EVENING JOUR
NAL was launched Into the world of viii
mington journalism. It's advent creat' d
a ripple of interest among the newspa-
per readers of the city, and it at once be-
came popular. At first, its newspaper
contemporaries in the city received the
paper cordially, curious to see what the
result would be of launching so hazard
Gus an enterprise in a city where so
many new newspapers had lived short
and gasping life But finding in it a
lively rival, THAT was likely to reduce their
circulations, they assumed a different at
titude and either ignored the JOURNAL
or iealously took advantage of every
opportunity to misrepresent it. Some
predicted an ephemeral existence of any
where from six weeks to four months,
others longer, but the public received the
paper cordially, finding it filed demand
that had long existed.
From its start the EVENING JOURNAL
has made a speciality of local news, and
presenting it in attractive style, its cir
culation steadily increased, and it soon
became the paper to which every one
turned when desiring full and reliable
reports of all city events and occur
rences. Not only has the staff of the
EVENING JOURNAL shown marked
accuracy, activity and thoroughness in
gathering all the news of the city, rarely
missing an event of even passing i'm
portance, but it has to its credit in the
year of its existence several important
beats" on the other papers of the city,
notably the Cummins affair, the organi-
zation of the Union Palace Car Com
pany, and others of lesser Importance,
full and exclusive reports of which the
| EVENING JOURNAL published.
During the first month of the paper s
existence it showed its ability as a news
gatherer and disseminator by printing on
May % the proceedings of the stormy
Democratic county meeting at New Cas-
tie, up to 2.30 p. m, at which hour
| Henry ID. Hickman and his followers had
bolted the meeting and organized an inde-
pendent convention. The reports of the
meetings of the Executive committees of
each faction, the overtures for harmony
and the final surrender of the bolters on
June were full and reliable.
THE FIRST EXTRA.
On the day Of the city election, Satur-
day, June 2, at 10 p. M, the crowds that
thronged Market street were startled by
crowds of newsboys running from Fourth
and Ship.ey streets crying the first
JOURNAL extra" 1t gave the first news
of Austin Harrington's election as mayor
with the newly elected members of Cit,
Council, with their najorities and tn
vote in each ward for mayor, president 0
Council and city treasurer Thousand
Of copies Of the extra were sold On tn
, following Monday the JOURNAL publishel
the official count Of the election in lat
edition.
THE FIRST MONTH.
The organization and formal opening
of the Builders Exchange. which ha
now become one of the indispensable in
{ institutions Of the city. was given il
full. Full accounts of the Decoration
j Day parade and exercises were printed
The organization and schedule of thu
Delaware State Amateur Base Bal
League was first published exclusivel,
Q by the EVENING JOURNAL and its re
ports Of the leagne games throughout
the season we're notable for their fair
ness and interest. During the JOURNAL
first month it also gave admirabl,
Q reports of three society events-th,
second annual reception of th
) Delaware School of Art, the A. 3. G
l entertainment of the Homeopathic Hos
pital and the rendition of the oratorio o
, ''Eliiah" by the Tuesday Club. It's re
Z ports of the court proceedings and of tn
! exciting license hearings of the May
!: 1888 term, were full and reliable. Othe
: pieces of well reported news during tn
e first month, worth noting, were tn
murderous assault on Thomas Martin b
ex. Chief of the Fire Department Hug
Sweeney and the special telegraphic des
patches from the st. Louis and Chicag
conventions.
During the latter part Of June, full re
ports of the commencements Of th
: principal educational institutions of tn
city were given; the High School, tn
Howard School and st. Marys and 81
Peters Parochial schools receiving atten
) tion.
' The convention ana organization of tn
. league Of Republican clubs in this city i
3 June were given the space their import
ance demanded.
: EXPOSING JUDGE CUMMINs
\ \ On July 3, 1888, the audacity Of th
d EVENING JOURNAL, in publishing an e.
pose of Judge Walter Cummins, SUI
prised the city. For several years thi
man carried on a systematic business 9
swindling by means Of borrowing none
on alleged mortgages and placing lier
= and mortgages for clients which he repr'
sented to be first, whereas they wei
second, sometimes third and even sevent
. mortgages. He was aided in his nefar
ID GUS schemes by being counsel
= treasurer of several loan association
thus having almost absolute control
their securities or money. Protected .
his social position, which was in IN
i, highest class of the city, by his standin
4. as an officer of Trinity Episcopal Churc
r. and his supposed unimpeachable chara
er ter as a member of the bar and judge
the Municipal Court, he thriyed in b
dishonest practices until the day of reel
- oning, set by the JOURNAL, appeare'
Inheriting considerable property 81
= accumulating more, at the TIN
of the expose the property he
by him was assessed at abol
9 $50000. Against this the recor'
y of the recorder of deeds Of New Cast
county showed mortgages to the amoul
= of over SS5, 000 Some of the PROPERTY
K. were mortgaged to over two or thr'
Is times their actual value. So well hi
:. Cummins succeeded in binding the ey
vi OF his victims, and so implicit was the
faith in his reliability and honesty, tn
absolute proof of fraud was difficult
obtain, and for this reason, and rega
for his standing and position, none
q L.. ~. eel