The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-06-05
WA NOT "SCOOTS."
Clever Co esvo den, Tells How These
are often Made

Mr.. Edward G. Donnell. the weil-lSnown
Washington correspondent of the New
York Times. writes 10 that paper:
Reference has been made in the Senate
during the debate on the proposition TO
compel the testimony Of newspaper wit
nesses 10 the imprisonment Of Y. j..
White and II. j. Ramsdel for refusing
70 tell how they obtained a copy of the
Washington treaty on the fisheries award.
According 10 an account OF that matter
given 10 the writer by correspondent
attached at the time 10 the New YORK
Tribune, there was no reason why either
Of those gentlemen, both now dead, should
have refused 20 tell the Senate how they
secured that treaty, unless. as was IA
tural. they were DESTROYS of provoking
the Senate TO do something that was UNI
necessary and undignhsd. The story or
the capture OF that treaty, as tod 70 me,
was this:
Senator-afterward Vice President--Wn-
son. OF Massa chusetts, was In the habit
OF dropping In upon the correspondents
or the Tribune. then occupying the office
now occupied by the New York
Times 1t was his regular habit,
t 100, 70 carry papers in ms
hands, and to put these papers, with his
hat, on "a desk while he sat and talked
over the events Of the day. On leaving
he would gather up his hat, his papers.
and whatever other loose property he had
brought with him. and 20 on his way to
his hotel. one day. while the treaty OF
Washington was before the Senate, and
all the correspondents were pulling wires
10 get it, Mr.. Wilson dropped in on his
newspaper friends of the Tribune. lie
put down his papers and his hat, and
talked freely about everything except the
treaty that was under discussion and 10
secure which there was so much lively
competition. In all the conversation with
the occupant OF the newspaper office, he
never so much as alluded 10 the treaty or
% the progress tnat was being made with
Us consideration.
When it came time for Senator Wilson
90 leave for his dinner. he gathered up
his papers and his hat and went out. The
correspondent with whom he had been
talklng was about 10 resume writing when
be saw a document upon his desk that
startled him. II was marked "Conhden-
tai, purported 20 be a copy for the use
u the Senate OF the coveted treaty of
W Washington, and il had a number in
the corner TO indicate to whom it had
been issued Without a moment OF hest
TALON. the corr eSpondent jumped from ms
seat and hurried with the treaty to the
telegraph once where he directed mat
without separating the leaves or in any
way damaging the copy. IL be sent 10 the
newspapers he named. there being several
supplied by combination OF three or
Iolr men. The Geographic work went
on 40 once and In the course Of a few
hours the text of the treaty was in the
hands Of the compOsitOrS OF several news
papers. The telegraph operators having
completed their work the document was
submitted IL. Ii was clean and whole,
ana there was nothing about IL 10 suggest
tae fact that IL had been used in any
CWer way than as the Senate intended.
During the evening the correspondent
VINO had found IL on his desk, and VINO
slfm.scd how II had come TO be there,
l'll1 CcasiOn 20 call upon Senator WIZ
t1 On his rooms. He took the copy OF
~ treaty with him. and. while he was
WIN the Senator. he secured an oppor-
e|9 unotserved 10 put II under the
4.lrs hat, along with the papers ne |
11l dropped when ne came from the |
,aptol In the morning when he went |
ak to the Senate Chamber, and when |
y was learned that the treaty had been |
procured for publication, ne was able |
l' produce his copy as proof that IL had |
ioi been published through his assistance. |
All fLe other senators produced their |
,iles No one was suspected. but when /
.ne TINE came 10 compel newspaper men |
u say how they had obtained u, the |
tt.aiofs thought that they would be |
tue, ty harsh means, TO compel the cor |
respondents 10 state that they had bought |
:. Of some senator, perhaps, or tnat some
senatorial employee had given II for a !
Scoops are apt TO be obtained by news
Ian@r men IN some such way as that de- |
Iiped by the correspondent VINO toc me |
'e story Of the capture OF the Washing
,1h Treaty. In 1883 when the civil service |
"a" became effective, Commissioner Dor
~, ..en 4. katon prepared rules Tor the ap-
~ AiN iitclutHis a 1T my
res were 10 be promulgated the writer |
!y.nd In his Office note, dropped in az |
~ 1oor, from a man who oneren LOT 20
- seppy a copy OF the rules me notc
va badly written, and there was nothing |
~ " 10 enable the Times 10 get az the |
srter OF II, glad as he would have been I
~ 90 50. Later In the day package
y" "a cropped In at the door,. purporuns
u De a typewrritten copy OF the rules. |
!, was unsafe 10 ask member of the |
,,o.'i,ninission or the Cabinet 10 identify the
~. ne as genuine. and II was not safe II
ne lhem without proper identification:
Iuti before night II occurred TO the !
TTHespondent OF the Times 10 ask Mr.;
~, ~ Graves. who was we'll acquainted
I'm The civil service movement, 20 iden-
~ Sy We paper. lie was not asked 10 90
- directly. bat. after he had said mat
~ ~ was familiar with the rules but could
10y TAX about them, he was shown the
,spef; lie would not then directly iden-
10y the copy as genuine. but he would
-, say that II was not genuine That
Wire 'S '"
Next 6ay when The Cabinet met Mr., |