The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1889-11-26
HERE'S "A PUZZLE.
did the Constitution get a
scoop" ON the Age.HeraId.
Or did the Age.HeraId get a
s.Beatr on the COusfitutiOuo

In this ADVANCED age Of journalism the
live newspapers undertake many new, nov
ell and difficult feats, and every reporter is
continually in search of scoops" and
3" beats Here is the story of one of the
most recent and richest regular "double
shovel ups " Of modern newspaperdom
The Atlanta Constitution conceived the
idea of securing an interview with Rube
Burrows, the noted Alabama outlaw and
train robber. A special reporter was sent
| out in quest of him, Notwithstanding the
| fact that the most expert detectives, even
| with the aid of bloodhounds, had failed to
run him down. Then, to advertise the
scheme, the Constitution sent report over
the Associated Press wires that their re-
porter had been missing for two weeks, and
it was feared that he had met death by the
wayside, a victim of Rube Burrows unerr-
ing aim. The Nashville American " nailed"
this by giving to the world, through the
same channel, the information that they
had received letter from E. W. Barrett,
the Constitutions Rube Burrows reporter,
dated at Atlanta just two days before the
Constitution sent out the general alarm OF
his being a missing man." Barrett came
to lite again, and on Sunday, the 10th inst,
the Constitution printed lengthy inter-
view, in which Burrows told Barrett his
eventful life's history, and it made real in
teresting reading This story was wired
abroad, being printed simultaneously in the
New York World and goodness knows
how many other papers.
Now comes another side of this harrow
ing tale: The Birmingham Age-Herald
tells the story that some of its reporters
heard of Barrett being there in search of
Rube Burrows, and they determined TO ac-
commodate HIM. They found a rugged,
wild eyed old citizen who was as familiar
with Rube's history as was he himself, and
as Barrett had noised it abroad that he was
willing to pay 5000 for the interview, the
old citizen became for the time being Rube
Burrows, the dare vevil demon of desper-
ate deeds-hence the Constitutions inter-
view.
The Age Herald had intended to with
hold the sacts and expose the fake the day
after the Constitution printed the interview,
but on Saturday the Constitution adver-
tised in an afternoon paper that "Spe-
cial " would bring into Birmingham at six
o'clock Sunday morning package of Con-
containing Rube Burrows con-
tesson.
This threw the fat IN the fire, and the
Age Herald decided to print what 1t claims
TO be, and what apparently was, the true
story of the interview simultaneously with
the story of the Constitution, and it did,
and also ran Special" carrying into At
lanta 1900 Age Heralds containing the ex-
posure of the fake" all Of which were
sold but about $50.
The Constitutions Rube Burrows says
that he did not want to shoot Neil Bray,
who tried to head him off in Montgomery
when the police were after him, but had to.
when they are reminded of the fact that
this self-same Neil Bray is yet alive, hav
ing recovered from the wound inflicted by
Rubes revolver, and that he was one of
the printers employed in the FLoRIDIAN
Office during the last session Of the Legis-
lature. Neil Bray is one Of the few men
who have lived to read their own obituary.
TO Road Superintendents.
You can get the new Florida Road law
at the FLoRIDIAN Office at S cents per copy;