Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1891-09-27
WASIT MINISTER EGAN
He is Charged With the Authorship
of the Herald" Scoops
ON THE GILLIAN REVOLUTION.
Rumors Are Current in New York and Washing
ton That the United States Minister Neglected
the Governments Interests For Private
Gain-Blair is Said TO Be Slated
For his Place.

+. >,
New York correspondent telegraphs as fol-
lows: The rumor that has been mildly
floating around New York for week to the
effect that the Herdlds famous Chillian
SCOOP were the work of Minister Egan,
who, in his anxiety to serve that paper, for
got to serve his Government, has at last
taken definite shape. 1t is openly charged
that Minister PatrickEgan, whose Govern
ment during the most thrilling periods OF
the Chilian warwas compelled to depend on
the Rcralds reports, was furnishing those
same reports for consideration.
The fact is brought prominently out that
several of the New York papers telegraph
ed Mr.. Egan and asked him TO recommend
correspondent capable Of count eracting
the Hcrdlds magnificent work. None OF
them received reply.
1t is significant that though Minister
Egan, an accredited envoy, could not ap-
parently get the cable to transact official
business, the Herald correspondent had no
trouble in reaching his paper. Nearly all
the later reports whitewashed Egan. 1t is
rumored that the correspondent. whoever
he was, got 900 from the Herald for his
brilliant work.
1t is further said that at the time Of the
first Itata trouble Mr.. James Gordon Ben
nett was consulted by cable as to the ad-
visibility of placing correspondent in
Chill to furnish the Herald exclusive news.
At that time the war had not taken def1-
| mite shape, but Mr.. Bennett, recognizing
that trouble of q serious nature was I'M
minent, instructed the home office OF the
in
| preference to sending q correspondent
from New York. The idea of doing this
was to get man thoroughly conversant
with the Chilian country and the people.
| Minister Egan was the man selected Dy
Mr. Bennett, according to the gossip.
! Your correspondent to-day, without
much hope of getting reply OF any sort,
sent the following note to the editor OF the
| Herald
DEAR SIR-It is currently reported that
J Patrick Egan, United States Minister TO
Chill, is the correspondent who furnished
J the Herald with such excellent reports OF
| the war and its tragic conclusion. Will
you state for The Republic if there Is any
| foundation for these reportss
A verbal answer was returned by the
messenger to the effect that the Herald
never gives out the name of its correspond
ents.
1t is said that the New York World asked
Egan to recommend them correspondent,
and offered fabulous sum for any sort Of
| rel1aSis news.
The rumors about Egan have reached
| Washington. The Mdu and Express, the
administration afternoon organ In this city,
| has the following special from here to-day
Minister Blair's intimation yesterday
that some big appointments were soon TO
| be made seems about TO be verified and ru-
NOR puts the Minister'S name in the list
1t is said that Mr.. Blair is to succeed Pat
Egan as United Stated Minister TO Chill.
In the face Of this announcement, Assist
ant Secretary of State Wharton says that
it can be stated on his authority that Min
ister Egan has not been recalled, nor has
Mr.. Blair been appointed yet All Of
which agrees with the current gossip,
| for it is understood that Mr.. Egan
will get his official recall simultane-
ously with the announcement of Mr..
Blairs appointment There is a general
and widespread opinion here, not only in
outside, but in official circles, that Mr..
| Egan has been acting as newspaper cor
respondent during the exciting times in
| Chill and was so enthusiastic worker for
the paper he represented as to forget his
| duties as the representative Of the United
|
| true solution as to why the press had all
the news Of the war days before the
State Department. Mr.. Egan had no
doubt an intimation of the pending change
and, therefore, thought little outside
work would not interfere with his packing
preparatory TO leaving for home.
The mention of Minister Blair's name
has brought out the fact that he was coun-
sci for Shipard in the Peru-Chih guano in
vestigation before Congress ten years ago.
Mr.. Julio Foster, one of the Chilian Con-
gressional representatives in this city, was
asked about this to-day by your CORES
pondent and he replied: "Chih would
make no objection to Mr. Blair. He acted
as lawyer in the case and had a perfect
right to do So"
Mr.. Foster said the ENJOYS had not heard
of any contemplated change, but they had
no communication with the government
whatever and knew nothing as to what
was going on He could not say as TO what
the Chilian government intended 10 do in
regard to representation here. No instruc-
tions had been received by the ENJOYS.