The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-01-08
STORY OF A NEWS BEAT.
REPORTERS WERE GAME AND THEY
GOT THERE.

OF Quiet Sunday-Dragging switch
men and Bridge Tenders From
Church and Their Sweethesrts-Sig-
mailing With q Burning Handkerchief
Success After Defest seemed Inevita-
BILE.
Copyright. 1887
New York, Jan. 7.-Ol a Sunday after
noon, some time ago, the acting city editor
Of enc of the big New York newspapers
received private information that big riot
was in progress at Barnegat Park, village
in the interior Of New Jersey, and that the
lives Of many persons were in danger
There had been rumors Of trouble at that
point before, but up 70 that time no sug-
gestion of any hing serious had been re-
csived. A search of the time tables showed
that no trains ran to Barnegat PARK on
Sun day. The city editor sent two reporters
20 the governor of New Jersey, who, he
had learned, was in receipt Of Information
from the seat of trouble and instructed
them TO see what arrangements could be
made for a special train in case their inter
view with the governor confirmed the
alarming report.
1t was then o'clock. Sunday is usually
very quiet in a New York newspaper office.
Many OF the reporters and the CITY editor
are away, and the responsibility Of gettin &
out the next days paper rests upon a sub
stitute editor and a small staff OF reporters.
As rule even these have very little to oc-
cupy them ann it is very rarely that any
shing startling occurs to shake them up.
The acting city editor felt uneasy at the
complications that were thereatensd and
sent another reporter to explain the situation
TO the publisher while be held two more In
readiness for any emergency shat might
arise. The latter busted themselves while
waiting in hunting up mAps and time
tables, and laid out plan OF action In case
10 was decided to send special train.
In the meantime, the two reporters who
had been sent to Gov. Albeit had found
him at his house In Jersey City, and had
secured all the information Of which he " as
possessed. This consisted Of numerous tele-
grams from a retired lieutenant of the
United States army, in which he asserted
that 9 gang Of Italian lAborers had taken
possession of BarnegAt Park, aud threat
sned fire, rapine and murder. Mhe men,
women and children who belonged in the
park had taken refuge in the hotel, which
had then been besieged by the Italians
Requests for aid had been sent 10 the
sheriff Of the county, but he had been
unable TO raise a big enough posse
to attempt the rescue of the
besisged The lieutenant wound up each
telegram with an urgent request for mill
tary aid, lest he, his companions, their
wives and children should all perish. The
reporters saw at once that the situation &C
Barnegat Park was extremely interesting,
and they accordingly hurried to the depot
of the Pennsylvania railroad and asked
what il would cost 60 get special TO Bare
negat Park aud return. The officials in
charge were all subordinates and
were loath to send out a special train. The
reporters had to exert all their persuasi We
powers to induce them TO answer their
question. Il was finally learned that il
would cost $500 TO get large engine and
one passenger car, with crew consisting of
an engineer, fireman, conductor and one
brakeman. The reporters reached their
office at o'clock and explained the situa-
ton to the city editor.
The publisher was then in telephone
communication with the office, and the city
editor informed him of the situation,
at is your place to get the news" was
the publishers laconio reply.
Five reporters were accordingly hurried
over to Jersey City with instructions to get
the news at all hazards. One carried a tsle
graph Instrument, 30 that he might tap a
wire anywhere and communicate his story
to New York, In case IL was found impos-
sibie to get it through in any other waY,
They reached the Pennsylvania depot at
$3.50 o'clock and their troubles began i'm
mediately. The officials were unwilling to
send out special train without being paid
In advance, an obstacle that had not been
anticipated, and probably would not occur
again, railroad and telegraph officials usu-
ally being willing to give credit to a re-
porter on the assumption that he is acting
within the authority conferred upon him
by the newspaper he represents On this
occasion the reporters hadsto use persua-
sion and strong language for some time be-
fore the scruples Of the railroad men
were removed. Then it was discovered
that there was no engine in the yard
with steam up, and that a car
would have TO be secured from the
sheds some distance away. By the time
steam had been acquired in the engine. the
car had been hitched on and the crew had
been put iu command IL was after 5 O'clock.
and the prospects of returning In time &c
get the story in the next days paper were
growing less every moment
Ii was found, too, that the train could
not go TO Barnegat Park at all, but would
have to go TO Toms River station, some
distance away. As the sheriff, who was
supposed 10 know all the facts. lived at
Toms River, this was not supposed TO make
much difference, although it proved other
wise later.
a part or the route over the Psnnsylvanis
road 20 Toms River il rarely used. AT
that time only one train, ombination of
freight and passenger cars, was run a week
The road employed no regular force at the
stations on the branch, but left these in the
care OF neigh boring farmers, who were glad
60 get q small salary for selling tickets
turning switches, closing draw bridges and
30 forth three times a week. From JERSEY
City to Woodbridge the trains run over tht
regular PennsylvRnia tracks, but there they
branched of and ran as far as Point
Pleasant, over the Long Branch railroad
which was used also by the trains of the
Central railroad of New Jersey. Another
change was made about forty miles out to 4
branch OF the Pennsylvania called the Cam
den aud Amboy division, and it was on thiI
that the farmers were employed
The delay in getting the special started
allowed an accommodation train to gel
ahead, and the special had, therefore. to b,
run very slowly. The reporters tried to ge
the conductor to telegraph ahead to hav,
the ACC ommodation tram sidetraokei until
their train could pass, but he would not un.
dertake the responsibility, and so the train
had to 90 slowly until Rah way was reached
From that point TO Woodbr dge, six miles
the train ran rapidly. Here the reporter
had hoped to make up for lost time. bu
again they were disappointed. This time 1
Central railroad train was the cause of tn,
delay. 1t had got ahead and made frequen
stops, SO that considerable time was lost to-
fore the reporters train finally switched