The morning call., 1895-01-15
CAUGHT In THE TRAP
Very Clever Exposure Of
News Thieves.
TELEGRAPN WIRES TAPPED.
Peculiar Devices Of Small Press
associations.
BREWER'S CUNNING. FINALLY MATCHED.
Many and Varied We're the Methods Elm.
pI0yed to Steal Dispatches of
the Associated Press.
BREWERS CUNNING. FINALLY MATCHED.


posure made by the Evening Post this aft
ernoon of the schemes and crimes of small
press associations, through the manager Of
one of them, to get the news OF the Asso-
ciated Press before its publication. The
yearly cost of the Associated Press dis
patches is 81 $50 600, and to secure portions
of thisnews some of the smaller organiZa-
tons have resorted to all sorts OF devices of
clipping cable dispatches from early edl-
tons and rewriting them to give them the
appearance of originality, and tapping
wires leased by the Associated Press for Its
particular service.
In order to catch these news thieves,
two OF the best-known detectives IN the
country were employed. 1t was also neces-
sary to resurrect some old news dispatches
printed in Chicago papers from eight to
twenty years ago-and put them on the wire
which was believed to be manipulated.
This wire was "cut OUT outside of Chicago
and another used for the regular report.
The trap was well laid, as not only were
Pan-American, but also United Press papers
caught. Among the latter were the De-
troit Journal and the st. Louis Chronicle.
That the old news did not get further east
was due solely to the lateness Of the hour
1t was sent on the decoy wire. The Post
says in its expose:
1t is now some eight months since a
prominent railroad man called at the Chi
cago Office of the Associated Press and
stated that he had received request for
pass from one W. S. Brewer, who signed
himself as General manager of the Pan
American Association" The gentleman
said he had never heard of Brewer, and
wanted some information about him. The
letter sheet on which the request was
written has this caption: 'Pan-American
News Association incorporated 1890. Cen
eraI Office. 1872 Washington street, Chicago;
Eastern office, 81 Park Row, New York.
William S. Brewer, president and general
manager"
The Associated Press people had heard
of Brewer. They had known for some
time that their news was being stolen
from the leased wires. This visit of the
railroad official revived the suspicious pre-
yiously entertained against Brewer, and an
investigation OF his methods of obtaining
news was commenced.
Clews were obtained and followed, and
after much hard work gang of news
thieves was uncovered-the most skillful
in the country-they being assisted by a
notorious wiretapper, the cleverest man
in his line perhaps in the world. Luther
Latin Mills anticipated catching only min
nows, but he got into his net some larger
fish, associates of the small ones. By tap
ping the wires of the Associated Press
Brewer got his news cheap, and therefore
or 4.,E 7frI, la+ lou
How Brewer got hold of the news was
puzzle till it was learned that he had had
some dealings with this wiretapper, who
was known to maintain a regular system
of wires to be used for stealing information
from telegraph companies. His wires
Wee strung over housetops, through con-
duits, down waterspouts, inside plumbing
and in every way in which he could faciIi-
tate his yillainous schemes. Both Brewer
and he are ex-telegraph operators and
nothing IN telegraphy is unknown to them.
AS soon as it was learned that Brewer
and this man were in combination the As
ISOLATED Press folks knew they had hard
work ahead of them. Luther Latin Mills
was intrusted with the management of the
case. A detective agency was employed
and some of its best men were set to work.
Meanwhile the Associated Press did little
detective work on its own account. A care
full watch was kept on outside newspapers
and every stolen dispatch was car efully
clipped and pasted to the original copy
sent out by the Associated Press.
These documents soon stacked up, be-
cause Brewer was doing a wholesale bust
ness with the Associated Press news. Just
to vary things dispatches concerning events
that existed only in the minds of the Asso-
ciated Press were sent out and promptly
appeared in the Pan-American papers.
From the files Of the Chicago Times,
Tribune and Inter Ocean of 1872 were taken
out and sent unimportant cable items,
which were printed as "news" by the
Brewer newspapers.
There was no longer any doubt as to how
Brewer got his news. a detective made
the acquaintance of an employee in Brew
er's office and under the guise of South
ern fruit land agent rented desk room in
the "Pan-American" office at 162 Washing
ton street. 1t took long time for this
man, even with the advantage of being an
occupant of the Office, to learn the inside
of the business, but he did so at last, and
his daily reports to Mr.. Mills are extremely
interesting as showing the methods he had
to use to get at the truth.
1.-The Pan-American,' which has since
been changed to the "Union Associated
Press" and the Eastern Associated Press"
successfully, had its offices in three rooms,
Nos. 81, So and 81. Two of these rooms had
windows opening out on the Herald build
ing. Rooms SO and "a were used as the
general office. Room 81 was kept always
locked. 1t was in this room the
secret work was done. Here sat the
operator who took the grapevine"
dispatches. Here was the telegraph in
strlments, too, to which were attached
the fine copper wire which at different
places had been connected with the Asso-
ciated Press wires. Apparently there was
no connection between 81 and the. other
rooms except for thick wire which passed
through the partition, but which seemed
to be connected with telegraph call box
on the wall. In reality this was one of the
tapped wires.
In room 80 there stood against the door
between that and "a desk or table. To
all appearances it was common desk, and
was used by the office-boy But it had
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