Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1889-07-11
AN EXCITING CONTEST.
The Trouble Encountered by the Associated
Press in Getting News.

The Trouble Encountered by the Associated
Press in Getting News.
NEW ORLEANS, La, July 10.-The
most sensational incident of the fight,
and one that promised to be tragic in it:
consequences, has not yet been told. Ii
arose from an effort on the part of the
Associated FEsgs to scoop all its COMPETE
tors in getting the hrst news of the battle
to the wire at New Orleans. In order to
accomplish this special train was char
tered for the exclusive use of the Associ-
ated Press and its staff of ten reporters
with the promise that the train
was to be limited to locomotive and one
passenger coach. In furtherance of this
scheme it was agreed between represen-
tatives of the Associated Press and Su-
perintendent Tyler of the Queen and
Crescent road to have this locomotive
and coach in readiness at point half a
mile dis Mt from the battle ground
around bend, where it was not visible
to those who stood at the Richburg
depot.
Immediately after the fight and before
the spectators had left the ground, the
Associated Press reporters rushed to the
track, and after a run of half a mile
boarded the train assigned to them and
for which they had contracted with the
company. The understanding was that
once started the train was
TO RUSH BY RICHBURG
at a speed that made it impossible for
any to get on except those who had a
right to occupy position in the coach.
About l o'clock the Associated Press
+-oi
the track at q rate of thirty-five
miles an hour, and there is no
doubt that the rate of speed would have
prevented embarkation on that train of
any of the immense crowd that were
waiting at Richburg. Just here, through
a blunder of the roadmaster or a pre-
concerted plan to rush Kilrain out of 1.-THE
state, the Associated Press special was
tagged at Richburg and the engineer, in
obedience to the signal, began to slow
up. AS soon as the train hove
in sight the crowd of pugilists began to
prepare to get aboard, and the slowing
UP gave them the opportunity they de-
sired. COnspicuOusly eager to get
aboard were special CORES pondents of
Northern and Eastern papers who were
making desperate efforts to send the first
news of the battle TO their newspapers.
Just as the train got to a point opposite
the depot at Richburg a rush to get
aboard was made by an eager crowd of
toughs and correspondents. At either
end of the coach stood an Associated
Press representative guarding the
means of ingress and warning all that the
train was special one chartered by the
Associated Press, and that none but its
employees had a right to enter. This
xTvaS HicrnC-aTda1 II,
slant the rear and front platforms were
packed with
A FIERCE CROWD OF PUGILIsTS,
who forced their way into the coach de-
spite the protests of Associated Press
sentinels. Among the first to enter were
Charles Mitchell, one of Kilrain s
seconds, the st. Joe Kid and
number of others of the short
haired fraternity, whose muscular Prov
ess made resistance hopeless. In
less time than it takes to tell it the coach
was filed not only by pugilists, but by
energetic and wide-awake special CORE
spOndents. While this was going on
two coaches containing Kilrain and his
friends were hurried forward to the main
track and coupled on TO the Associated
Press special. Before the train was in
motion the Associated Press man in
charge of the train, realizing that his
efforts for a scoop were about to be
foied, instructed all his men to mount
the tender with view of |
cutting of the tender and engine,
and leaving the coaches on the grounds. |
Mr.. j y. Hogan of the Associated Press |
staff was assigned to the duty of I'M |
the car and was in the act of |
doing so, when Denver tough of |
ia h,u L.;
hip pocket, drew his revolver and |
to kill the first man who re- |
moved the coupling. MIR. Hogan, nothing |
daunted by the threat, asked his chief |
for further instructions.
The situation was extremely critical. |
Both sides were excited and deter |
mined. The odds were unequal. 1t |
was ten men devoted to their duty
against
AN INFURIATED MOB,
r reckless, desperate and sometimes muir
dcTOus crowd. There was no question
that the men behind the Denver tough
would not have hesitated to take human
life in the endeavOr to prevent the I'M
coupling Of the engine. On the other
side were men devoted to their profession
aud ready TO take any chances
in the discharge of their
duty, but unwilling to involve
human life in the endeavor 30 faithfully
serve the public. Another element of
Danger lay in the fact that Mitchell and |
his friends feared that if the train was
lucoupled they would be left at the
mercy Of the peace officers of Mississippi,
who were hunting them. The manager
n charge OF the Associated Press train,
lesitating to involve loss of life in his
endeavor to get first TO New Orleans, in
'tructed his men to suspend operations
FOR few moments while he
made an endeavor to accomplish
by diplomacy what could not be
accomplished by force. In the mean
lime the train was under way and pro-
,eeding to New Orleans at n high rate of
speed. His first endeavor was to enlist
he services and cooperation of Charley
Mitchell, who was the acknowledged
eader Of the crowd, and whose word
vas accepted by them as law Among
friends, who were also parties
o the negotiations which were after
Yards consumated, was - Pars0n. Da-
hes - of Chicago. Mitchell insisted that
he car he was on was TO be carried out
lde Of the limits Of Mississippi, beyond