Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1892-08-05

1t was big nights work, and felt
proud of the achievement. Conscious
of having made the grandest scoop"
of the day, the little failure at Sing
Sing, by comparison, cut no figure at
all. My superiors evinced their appre-
citation by according me gracious treat
ment, and ! realized that, for once in
my life, was, as we now say, Sin it"
The forms went to press after three
o'clock, and by four o'clock had re-
ceived copies of the paper, and saun.
tered over to Docs place to on joy the
luxury of being regarded az deep one
as man who is away up" in his pro-
fession. Some of the boys from all tho
principal offices were sure to be there,
and wanted to give them the pleasure
of gazing upon the hero of the hour in
person. On the way over l tiptoed
along, as one who has accomplished
wonderful feat should do.
Reaching Docs place I tarried
moment in the bar-room to exchange
greetings with the proprietor and then
proceeded upstairs. Fumes of tobacco
filed the room, and host of reporters
were there, as usual. The crowd
appeared to be larger than custom
airy, and everybody was talking at the
same time. My appearance occasioned
profound hush throughout the depart
ment, which surprised me not in the
least, for felt entitled to rare consider
alton. But Immediately following the
ominous pause came shouts of laughter
and derisive boots from twenty Bohem-
| ian threats.
"Bravo!"
Fire him out"
GLOW about the 'awe-stricken serv-
antsp"
"Oh, what SCOOP"
These are samples of the contemptu-
Gus epithets showered like Goals of fire
upon me till my face burned with
shame. When they had made them
selves hoarse with their noises, mock
court of lunatico de inquirendo was
organized and | was tried, not for in
sanity, but for rank imbecility. The
tribunal so far exceeded its powers as
to also hear another charge against me
that of committing an offense
against truth. On both counts | was
adiudged guilty and sentenced amid
frightful uproar, to set up a champagne
supper for the crowd. My story of the
suicide, it soon appeared, had been
pronounced hoax of the first magni-
tude, for at least three members of the
assembly had seen and spoken to Mr..
Bascom in the flesh since one o'clock,
an hour and half after he should have
shot himself, according to my state
ment. At one o'clock he left we'll
known club house in the company of a
newspaper man and another friend,
and started for his home on the Hud-
son, intending to go by the regular ex-
press train leaving the city at one
twenty-six a. m.
The reader, unless he has done news
paper work himself cannot conceive
the depths of my modification and
mental anguish at being guyed to death
by friends and foes. The boys poked
fun at me till l had stood treat all
round several times before they even
began to tire. My enemy, Romeri,
was present and, though he was UNI
demonstrative, his face wore one Of the
most completely self-satisfied and
diabolical smiles l ever beheld.
could have torn him to pieces for that
Internal smile, for it was more CALLING
to my lacerated sensibilities than the
combined jibes of all the company
Suspicion pointed TO him rs the man OF
all men who most likely would condo
scend to put up q job" of that kind or
me, as retaliatory measure for the
mistake l made in reference to the
vessel being ashore. The worst ant
most enduring feature of the whole
affair, however, was the knowledge
that the blunder would, as surely as
the sun rose in the morning, cause me
the loss of my position on the paper
an unpleasant prospect to contemplate
on the eve of the dull season.
Seeking the seclusion of my owl
room at the hotel later on l tried t.
sleep and forget the matter, but be
tween my modification and rage res
was out of the question. l could dc
nothing for four or five hours but blush
smoke my pipe and walk the floor. A
ten o'clock in the morning nerved my
self up to go on the street, though
must say mighty effort was required
5 so to do Once outside, and finding tn,
world moving along in its accustomed
l course, oblivious alike Of my presenc,
or my absence, | felt somewhat re
lieved. l had brought myself to i'm
5 agine that out on the street ever,
: one would point to me with the finge
of scorn.
In the vicinity of Broadway and Mas
sau and Chatham streets the news
boys ran yelling: Extra papers!'
GAN about the suicidew till curiosit,
impelled me to buy several copies
, Even the paper on which l was EN-
a ployed evidently remained in state o
l obfuscation rs to the truth, for the lad
+ were crying extras from our office
This thing, thought to myself with
shudder, is going too far. The bes
S thing, perhaps, for me to do is to ski
: out of town at once and forever.
S Stepping aside and standing In
: hall doorway, hastily scanned the re
n port as published in another paper
S Heavens! Do see Alright? hope
: am not losing my senses! Trcmblin,
with suppressed emotion, eagerly
drink the words. Here are tee
= grams from Tarrytown wired a
e eight o'clock in the morning, Civ
ing minute particulars of Mr., Bascom'
c suicide, They tell of how that gentle
g men arrived home shortly after tw
t o'clock in the morning, went TO his bed
d room, and, taking a razor from it
e sssaath, cut his throat from ear to ear
y falling dead in a pool of blood!