The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1890-10-09
AN IMMENSE "scoop."
- Telegraph Messengers Reminiscence
of the Lincoln Assassination

~ Telegraph Messengers "Reminiscences
of the Lincoln Assassination,
"The assassination Of Lincoln" read
Henry N. Garland passenger agent of
Hhe Wabash, as he spread out copy Of
q newspaper dated April Is, 1865, which
Icontained an account of the murder Of
Ithe President
81 remember that event most vivid
ly," said Mr.. Garland, to Chicago Jour
nal reporter, land it is imprinted on
my memory through part 1 played the
next morning in connection with it. I
was boy living in Oswego, N. Y, at
That time and was q messenger boy for
What was known as the United States
Branch Telegraph Company 1t was
canadian line and we were fighting the
Western Union for all we were worth.
I'm Oswego the Western Union office and
l1ur Office was separated only by par
|tition. The rivalry and jealousy was
lbitter, and messenger boys followed the
Example of our superiors in working up
business. Whenever we'd delivered
message we'd ask for an answer, and il
khe fellow would say there was none
wed wait until he read the message and
then ask him if he was sure there was
nothing to go back.
ssIt was my business to open the Office
An the mornings, and the day after Lin
Ecoln was shot was down at the Office
kt 1880 getting ready for the days work.
There were no night offices then and no
Eone in Oswego had heard of the assassi-
nation. AS l opened the door / heard
Ehe instrument ticking our office call. l
|Was just learning then and knew moth
Alphabet, which l could figure out.
Wondered why the thing was
going SO early and let it go
kor awhile The call was kept
up for SO long became convinced
That it was something big. We used
Ehe old wheels and all the paper in
those days, something like bucket
shop ticker, and l walked over to the
instrument two or three times, unde-
bided what to do. There would be no
Pne around for an hour or two and at
Hast I went to the key and broke in
with i H. the signal that all was ready
@pr the message and turned on the
wheel. The instant 1 did so my hair
began to raise as the thing went off like
hn engine, as the operator at the end,
believing the regular man was on, began
10 send in big message. was fright
ened half to death, and hardly knew
What to do. The blamed ticker kept a
going through, and after had pranced
around the Office awhile it began giving
the Office call again. 1 surmised what
Hhe operator wanted this time and I
gave him %. K and signed. This was
AL he wanted, and he let me alone. took
hhe strip Of paper and pencil and sat
down to figure out the message. 1t was
pretty cold, but was wet with perspira-
Hon and so nervous 1 could hardly hold
Ehe pencil in my fingers.
II finally managed to find out what it
meant Abe Lincoln was shot, and our
Rface had got it first. I rushed out to
the door and saw that the Western
Onion had no bulletin out and then I
began to work. got big sheet of
paper and with plenty Of ink managed
10 fix up bulletin that drew crowd.
about $3.50 the manager came rushing in
hnd asked me what meant. told him
Rhat I had done and he nearly had a
4t. 1t was great scoop on the West
ern Union and big 'ad' for our COM
pany and the boss predicted that ]
fould be the biggest operator and tele-
Graph man in the country-but I guess
p let down too soon."