Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1889-07-20
INGENIOUS REPORTERS
THOSE or CHICAGO ARE BofH
DETECTIVES AND JOURNALISTS.


zAsy Nave upearthed Most Thss IL Known
Absst the crouin Case and Many other
nurssm - Extraordinary Devices En-
pssyea-Disguised a. Women or Priests.
Especial Corespondcnce.l
WARRINGTON, July 1S.--The most sue
oessful detectives in this country are the
Newspaper reporters. In no other city
have they done such good work in this
line y in Chicago. The young giant Of
the west Is the headquarters Of sensa-
tional news in this country. II produces
more murder mysteries, great crimes and
interesting leases" than the metropolis
and all its surrounding cities combined.
A look back but few years calls 10
mind no end OF great cases in Chicago.
Besides the Anarchist affair, which was
international In its bearings, scores OF
other crimes or mysteries have attracted
attention throughout the country. There
was the Joe Mackin election fraud case,
which involved the election Of United
States senator; the Wilson double muir
der at Winnetka; the trial and sentence
to prison of McGarigle, Mcdonald and
several county commissioners; the sem
sational escape of McGarigle to Canada,
the midnight killing of millionaire Smell,
the Eva Mitchell mystery. the Carter di-
vorce case, and last. and perhaps great
est Of all, the assassination of DIR. Gro
min
II is a saying among the newspaper
men of Chicago that they are no sooner
out Of one big thing than another is
ready for them. And this is true. The
Anarchist trials were no sooner over than
the unfaithful public officials were
brought to the bar Of justice. These
trials out OF the way. the Anarchists
were ready for the gallows. Then came
the Smell killing and the shooting Of
millionaire Rawson. and after that the
Carter divorce case The very day the
verdict in this case was brought in the
body of DIR. Cronin was found In a
sewer.
The successful Chicago reporter is
more than newspaper man-he is n de-
tective, coroner. a policeman; he is
almost judge. Sensational wheat
corners and speculative panics which
shake up the whole world are among his
easiest tasks. When men or women go
to Chicago to commit suicide. as they
often do, the Chicago reporter welcomes
them with all proper hospitality and at
tention.
In this Cronin case the reporters have
discovered about all the evidence there
Ii in the hands of the authorities. II
was Gallagher. OF The Tribune. who dis
closed the nature, source and signili.
canoe of the bogus dispatches sent out
from Toronto announcing DIR. Cronins
arrival there. IL was another Tribune
man, Sullivan, who gave to the public
the facts about Alexander Sullivau's
losses in the wheat market. 1t was
Lederer, the Herald artist, who, by
promptly and skillfully following up an
accidental clew, discovered the scene of
the cruel killing ut the Carlson cottage
1t was another Herald man who hunted
among the hundreds of exprcssmen in
the city till he found the one who drove
the load of furniture TO that bloody little
house in the suburbs.
At every stage Of this case the report
ers have given the police more informa-
tion than the police have given them,
Notwithstanding that all the advantages
arc on the side Of the police. When
man has anything to tell he goes straight
to the police with 1t. People are afraid
to talk to newspaper men on such mat
ters, because they dislike publicity.
When the police were at their wi.s'
ends for key to the mystery 81 the
murder of millionaire Smell, Il bright
reporter worked out u clew which the
police had overlooked, and found that
the young good-foy-nothing, Tascott,
was the guilty per,on. Though not gen.
orally known, il is fact that the news.
: papers Of Chicago have spent thousands
Of dollars trying to catch Tascott and
in all probability have been closer to
him than tho police. A Chicago re-
porter Is now en- route for China on a
Tascott mission, which may or may not
justify the expectations of the news
paper which is paying his expenses.
What may be said to have been the
beginning Of reportorial enterprise in
Chicago was similar trip abroad,
made by representative of Tho Daily
News. The president of Chicago saw
ings bank had stolen q large sum Of
money and disappeared. The News re.
porter shadowed him TO Europe, found
him and interviewed him. The News
was then young and struggling jour
nal, and this feat materially helped it
along the highway to success.
Newspapers are more persistent than
the police. Another representative of
The News visited Europe while the An.
archists were lying in jail, and by shrewd
maneuvering managed to interview the
relatives Of the accused men to ascer-
tain all about their history on the other
side of the water, and even to secure
copies Of letters which they had written
home. In this Tascott case, too, the
police appear long since to have given
up hope of apprehending the cuIprit
The newspapers are still at work. The
woman with whom young Tascott was
infatuated is still under newspaper sur
veillance.
Not many months ago young woman,
employed by Chicago newspaper, en-.
gagged as servant in the family of Tas-
cotts brother. That newspapers are dis.
Greet as well n5 cnterprising is also
shown in this case. A reporter spent two
months investigating phase of the
Smell mystery which had been neglect.
ed, and obtained information which
would have created great sensation il
published. But a. it was information
which possibly could not be substantiated
In court, the secrcs is locked In the
breasts Of half dozen persons.
1T was Chicago reporter, Mr. Chaplin
then OF The Tribune, now of Tho Times
who performed the Unprecedented feat OF
capturing the cole survivor of q great
Steamship disaster aad Q. running hi.