The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-03-19
The correspondent,. Gory WORK.

Some or the Indianapolis correspondents
who furnish what they are pleased to call
news to the outside press are gifted to an
degree in the art of telling
things that are not so. Upon the slightest
foundation of fact, or, lacking this, out Of
the airy fabric of their untrammeled mag
nations. they are able to build most amazing
tales. Their fancy is inclined to run to the
intense and dramatic, not to say the hor-
rible, variety of fiction. They rise to loftiest
flights of ~eloquence when they picture the
flowing of gore, the meeting of men intent
upon gaining their own purposes even at
the cost of each others life blood, the
furious encounters of rivals in politics, love
or business. Their language, when unre-
strained by the tempering editorial blue pen
Gil, bubbles and foams and lashes itself into
a very fury of words. That the language
makes an impression is evident from the
fact that eredulous managing editors accept
and print it, and, not only this, but actually
pay for it. Perhaps the correspondents are
not so greatly to blame for allowing their
tropical fancy full and free sway SO long as
they can induce supplemented editors to
pay for their mental vagaries.
The recent little fracas in which the Gov
errors private secretary came into collision
with some would-be spittoon cleaners, to the
damage of his ribs, afforded these talented
literary gentlemen an opportunity for some
terrific word painting. Unsophisticated
readers of outside newspapers were led to
believe that a pitched battle, involving the
entire Legislature and much shedding of
blood, had taken place in the Indiana State
house. Emboldened by their success in thus
working the journals to which they con-
tribute, these inventive writer's have sent
out another tale of most remarkable char
acter. 1t appears in a number of great
newspapers Sunday editions, containing
from one to five pounds of syndicate mat
teri, published within a radius of two hum
dred miles. Hon. w. Fl. English and Mr..
George j. Langsdale. late of the Soldiers
Monument Commission, are the
personae. These gentlemen, it is well
known, had some differences of opinion in
regard to certain features of the monument
construction. They talked at each other in
a rather lively and entertaining way
through the newspapers, and this inter-
change of compliments was a sufficient basis
for the correspondents to work upon. They
assumed at once that Mr.. English and Mr..
Langsdale hated each other with the viru-
lent hatred that could only be appeased by
blood, real red blood. This is not the char
acter which these two distinguished citizens
present to the public at large, but the pub
lie does not see through them and into
their innermost consciousness as do the able
correspondents. They appear to the casual
observer as two elderly persons of staid de-
meanor, each possessing a high and discreet
regard for his individual comfort and safety.
Not so do they seem to the gentlemen who
are under contract to furnish news to the
outside press at S. a column. According to
these gentlemen Mr.. English and Mr..
LangsdaIe figured in a personal encounter
which narrowly escaped having deadly re-
suits. 1t was at their last official meeting,
as the story goes. There was a dispute, in
which hot words were uttered, whereupon
Mr. English reached down and picked up a
large stone which had been brought in as a
sample of that used in the monument.
Langsdale was on his feet i'm a minute with
an open pocket-knife in his hand. He stood
trembling for an instant. when, with the
suddenness and agility of a cat, he sprang
over the desk, grabbed English by the lapel
of his coat. and with appraised knife glared
into his eyes, prepared to strike at any mo-
ment.' English backed off and Langsdale
followed with knife still raised, one eye
upon his opponent, the other upon the
threatening rock in that persons hand.
What followed is thus told:
What do you mean?' asked English,
hoarse with excitement.
Put Town that rock or Ill snow you what
I mean" replied Langsoaie, his wiry form
trembling with rage, and his eyes cleaning
like Goals of fire.
Put down that knife. them" retorted
English.
Drop that rock, / say yelled the now
thoroughly aroused Langsdale, and at the
same moment the knife blade came down on
a line parallel to the throat of Mr.. English.
For a moment the two men stood in this
dramatic attitude, and, as one gifted word
painter thrillingly puts ii, "glared at each
other with the ferocity of tigers" An
other has Langsdale's eyes cleaning with
ferocious passion" while another is content
with picturing that commissioners eyes as
merely cleaning" The weight of opinion
is, however, that both opponents glared I'M
til the stone fell from English's relaxed hand
with a sharp sound (these correspond
ents scora the ~hackneyed dull thud'), and
Langsdale, releasing his hold on English's
coat, fell into a chair, exhausted from the
terrible strain Over the face of each at
this moment "a tablet of unutterable
thought was traced"-whatever that may
mean. Perhaps it was a tablet of thank
fulness that the correspondents let them
live.
And managing editors of metropolitan
papers print TINS sort of t~hing-and pay for
AL Trnof o1nCf