Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1890-05-06
WORLD EXPLAINS.
M. Cleveland Never Uttered The Abusive Interview
The Reporter Lied and Was Fired
Facts Of the Case.

NEw York, May Under the head
line. "A Truthful Statement" the
World will say on its editorial page;
The lying of the soured malignants and
the false conceptions Of the envious
and eliminating agents of the press
make it necessary that the UOrtd
should print truthful statement con-
corning the recent publication involving
eX-President Cleveland. On the 10th oil
April last Il reporter was sent from the
World Office 10 interview Mr.. Cleveland
IN reference 20 certain malicious state
ments which had been made In the
New York sun touching his alleged
obesity. Upon his return the reporter
brought with him scrap OF paper,
upon which Mr.. Cleveland had written
the following:
Il have not seen the article you refer
90 and if it appears nowhere else but IN
the sun. there is not the least chance
of my seeing it. OF course the entire
thing IS a lie, without the least preteNt
10 excuse it, / Judge from what you
say that the venerable editor OF the san
suppoSeS that he has at last hit upon
subject which can be used TO annoy me.
In this ne is mistaken. He must be his
own nudge Of social dcccncieS and pro-
prietics. / am not sure that he should,
at his time OF life and in his apparently
peculiar mental condition, be moleSted
in his amusement.
The reporter further averred that Mr..
Cleveland had talked concerning the ed
itor of the sun, had denounced him
with marked vehemence and had given
him (the repOrterl 10 understand that
what he had said was intended for pub
lcatlon. While the language attrib-
uted to Mr. Cleveland was coarse and
intemperate, 10 was believed in the
World Office that Mr.. Cleveland, in
cenSed by long continued miSrepreSenta-
ton and abuse, had finally made up his
mind to express himself touching his
prosecutor i'm terms which. if emphatic,
were not altogether unwarranted. The
policy Of thus retaliating upon ven
omOuS BLACKBOARD was not considered.
The reporter. who had served the
World faithfully for several years, and
the accuracy of whose work had never
been called in question. prepared the
rcnort of the interview. and upon his
repeated declaration that Mr.. Cleveland
had consented TO the interview the mat
ter, including that portion pcnned by
Mr.. Cleveland. was inserted in the
World. II there had been the slightest
question as To Mr.. Clevcland'S wish TO
81 4 r.nrfanr, r.nar.l. Lrnntar
thing of his opinion OF the editor of the
Sun. the matter would not have been
printed The reporter averred that
Mr.. Cleveland had started i'm the outset
10 write his entire interview, but find
ing IL tedious work had dropped his
pencil and had expressed himself orally.
This came to be published in the lIorid.
On the afternoon OF the day of publ
cation Col Daniel Lamont called az the
World Office with a typewriter COM
municatiOn from Mr.. Cleveland, i'm
which that gentleman denied spccih-
cally having used the language attribut-
ed 10 him. concerning Mr.. Dana. be-
yond that i'm which he had prepared
with his own hand as given above. This
naturally created some surprise. Col.
Lamont was given to understand that
the matter would be carefully looked
into. The reporter was sent for and
was shown Mr., Cleveland's denial. He
reafirmed the truthfuness Of his re-
port.
The situation then became emharraSs-
ing Next day a staff editor of the
World was directed to see Mr.. Clevc-
land. He did SO, and returned with a
still more elaborate reputation of the
interview. This was after the appear
ace i'm the sun of the vulgar and brutal
rctaliatory assault o! Dana. Mean
while the question of yeracity raised be-
tween Mr.. Cleveland and the reporter
was thoroughly investigated. As a
part of this investigation, the editor in
charge, at his own suggestion, called
upon Mr.. Cleveland at his residence.
He obtained from him another and more
specific reputation of all that portion
OF the alleged interview which had been
printed as an addcndum to which he
Mr.. Cleveland had submitted i'm man
uScript. Mr. Cleveland could only ac-
count for the misrepresentation Saddled
upon him upon the theory that the repor-
ter had uttered many of the sentiments
himself, and finding his uttcranceS tac-
lily accepted, had attributed them To
the person interviewed and not to the
interviewer. this style OF interviewing
being not altogether unknown in some
sections of the country.
The World accepted Mr.. Cleycland'S
explanation and, inaSmuch as the policy
of the World is to do Justice at all times
and to all people, the editorial statement
was prepared which appeared on sun
day. April 10. This, of course, left the
reporter in an embarrassing position,
but having weighed the testimony of the
only two witnesses, verdict was rend-
cred honestly and sincerely. In consc-
quence of his good character and long
service the reporter was permitted on
2Oth to tender his resignation. This was
accepted and the Cleveland interview
was the last contribution from his pen
10 the columns Of the World. These are
the exact facts and all stories concern
ing political influence, personal impor-
tunitieS, motives, etc. are pure iabri-
cations