Omaha daily bee., 1891-05-04
pENHALL0W'S NEWS ETHICS.

Kate Fields Washington: Mooney
was telling about the new reporter who
had been added to the local staff OF the
daily Bumblebee, II newspaper published
in a small New England town. The
Bumblcbee's local staff had consisted of
five young men, including Jenkins, the
city editor; but when the census Office at
Washington announced that the city had
grown since 1850, it was decided to in
crease the local force to six.
"He won't last two wecks,' inter-
rupted Darcy, who made a speciality of
crime, and life a burden to certain New
York editors with his perennial applica-
tions for lob.
"Well, he's an odd one,' continued
Mooney. II took him around town this
afternoon; he looked so homesick, you
know. Penhallow-that's his name
never spoke word but shuillcd along
at my heels. 1t was fun to hear hlm tell
about trying for a position on the big
papers one New York editor wrote
him that, unless he was an unusually
bright young man, he stood an excellent
chance OF securing position on the
''Sssln hissed Darcy, 'here he is"
The young man who appeared in the
doorway of the city editors Office of the
daily Bumblebee paused as he saw the
faces in the corner. The Bumblebee re-
porters were observing enough to notice
his blue eyes, very wide open and very
honest.
"He must weigh about hundred +"
thought Darcy, critically
"Oh. Mr.. P-p-penhallow,', called out
jenkins, the city editor, who had never
been completely cured of suffering. is
he d-d-dead?"
He died just minute before ] got
there, answered Penhallow in a half
anxious tone, as though he would apollo
gize for having missed the dissolution.
But the wife was in the room where he
lay and called me in. There he was on
the bed. Hadn't been touched. His
feet stuck up likethat. His mouth was
wide open, and so were his eyes. And
there were three scared little girls,
standing in "a row."
Anelusive laugh came from across
the room, and then all of us who had
heard Penhallow tell how he had COW
cred his first assignment joined in the
merriment.
But she was right glad to see me-
Penhallow fastened to add, "and she
told me lots of things about him-more
than you will want touse, perhaps" APP
pealing to Jenkins.
Whether it was due to this incident or
to his good nature matters little: Pen
hallow soon became an Office "charac-
ter" The boys liked him because he
did not burst with ambition to break the
Bumblebee record in newsgathering.
He had his good points: everyone en-
ployed on the Bumblebee, of course, had
those. Penhallow's speciality consisted
| in what jenkins called color" jenkins
often said: New, p-p-put lots of &C,
| color into It,.
One afternoon-it was Wednesday,
was hurrying into the Office | ran
plump into Penhallow, whose face as he
| drew back from the collision, | could see
was white with pain. In a moment he
| had rushed from the corrodor to the
| street and was gone.
| What had happened.
| The day before, Penhallow had beer
sent to Heltersketer, a small outlying
| town, to investigate rumored bank de
falcation by cashier whose character
had been held TO be irreproachable by
the country people, and whose social and
church connections were of the
!. sort that made any wrong
| doing doubly sensational. Wher
| Jenkins heard the rumor, no one bu
| Penhallow was available.
| "A very imp-p-portant case, Mr.. Pen
hallow," were Jenkins last words.
Penhallow worked several hours, anC
upon his return said that he could fint
| nothing to substantiate the rumors. TC
| give further circulation to mere GOSSIP
affecting the cashiers relations Will
the bank and his standing in the com
munity, said Reporter Penhallow finally
would be slanderous and indefensible.
The next morning the Bumblehee die
not have word about the Helterskete
| bank defalcation and the mysteriOu
| disappearance of Cashier John Clancy
But both the rival sheets had long anC
highly favored stories. The Bundle
bee, the leading newspaper of the city
seemed TO have been "beatenN in a mos
mortifying manner in its own field
Darcy, whose specially was crime, wa
fairly upset.
Jenkins-well, jenkins said "d-d
damn" out loud. He foresaw IA storm.
interview with the managing editor
Then he called up the resident Helter
skelter correspondent by telephone
This fellow, piqued at having been dis
placed on his own ground, said tina
|
Penhallow had been bribed to suppress
the news.
Jenkins accepted for the moment tn
bribery hypothesis as plausible eXplar
alton. He was still at the telephon
when Penhallow came in. Jenkin
rushed upon him.
"IU's lie!' was Penhallow's breath
less answer, The charge Jenkins ha
thrown at him left the lad quivering.
"Mr. P-p-pen-hall-allow, stuttere
Jenkins. you leave tonight II there
no reason for the st-st-tOry printed thi
morning in every other pp-paper i
this -bl-blooming town, you might 9
to w-w-work to prove it, II you dOprov
it, I'll give you f-f-tifty DID, dollars"
Penhall6w said nothing and left tn
room He took the next train for He
terskelter.
What had Penhallow done?
II admit that Mr.. Clancy has been al
sent from the bank for. several days,
the president of the Hclterskelter Nj
tional bank had told him, but that
none Of your business. Hasn't man
right to be away from mis- work littl
while without these blasted newspaper
pouncing on him2 See here, young maj
fyou PRINT anything OF this miserab