The San Francisco call., 1895-10-14
City OF NfExICo October = 1S9;

CITY OF MEXICO, October ), 1895.
Charles NJ .ShOrtridge, Editor and Proprietor Of
The Gail, San Francisco, CGL-DEAR SIR: In
reply to your favor of September o. win say
that the telegram received by us on August 81
and sent to you under date OF September II
(the delay being caused by time of queryingl
has been fully verified in all its details by our
correspondent at Tegucigalpa The CORE
spondent has been in our employ for seven
years and has always proved trustworthy. The
denial of the Associated Press was noticed
by US. We already knew that that association
had no correspondent there. and that it relied
for its news upon the New York World, which
has a correspondent in this city, who, when he
cannot flch news, cakes it or takes it from
old newspapers.
The United Press published the news of the
disastrous earthquake as though the shocks
were at "Yetapan" (though we sent it TO you
and THE CALL so published ii as Metapan), and
this is why the Assoc lated Press said later that
there was no such place as "Yetapan." We
exercise the greatest caution and never let
piece OF news get out unless il has been most
thoroughly investigated and verified, because
we fully understand the difficulties in Central
and South America, where political news is
always denied when it is unfaVorable TO the
governments of those cou ntries.
The Associated Press is particularly anxious
to find defects in the United Press news as
you well know, and the Chicago concern
thoughtit had good chance here, as there
was no one to take the matter up in the United
States, though the Associated Press deliberately
stole the news which was first sent exclusively
to the san Francisco CALL.
viii repeat that the news of the earthquakes
in Honduras as sent exclusively to THE CALL
has been fully verified, and you can depend
upon the assertion that every word was true
and that the list OF casualties received by later
reports increased instead of diminished the
!, Nc,, -.,J,,yl
CARLOS J. LEECooK,
General Manager International Press Associa-
tion.
An interesting story of theft and ingrati-
tude on the part of the Chicago Associ-
ated Press is partly told in the foregoing
communications. On the night of Septem-
ber y THE CALL received from its Central
American correspondent thrilling story
Of the great loss of life and destruction of
property from earthquakes and volcanoes
at Metapan, Honduras, and vicinity. The
story came early in the evening under date
of Tegucigalpa, and, although exclusive
and paid for by THE CALL as such, it was
given to the agent of the United Press for
transmission by that association to the
leading newspapers of the Union, namely,
those papers supplied with news by the
United Press. With the startling story
was wired the usual caution: Guard this
carefully 1t is exclusive news to THE
CALL. The matter was 'guarded," but un-
fortunately man has no control over time,
and the story appeared in the New York
papers early enough to be clipped by en-
ployes OF the Associated Press and wired
back TO its patrons in the West. So it
came to pass that Western papers, includ-
ing the San Francisco Examiner and
Chronicle, published the story simultane
ously with THE CALL. But there was an
important part, a vital section of the story.
that came too late for transmission twice
across the continent IN time for publica-
tlon here. This point was later advices
from the scene of the disaster which THE
CALL alone was enabled to publish on the
morning OF Friday, September 49, This
was the part of the story that even the
agents OF the pilfering news concern of
Chicago could not steal in time for service
The disaster at Metapan is much worse than
first reported. The number of killed in towns
and mountains so far counted is 287 and it is
believed that more bodies will be found as the
search continues. The property lost is calcu-
lated at over 5000 900. Fissures in the earth
divided upmuch titled land. The Government
Slight
shocks continue, causing damage to propertv
though not TO life. Two former extinct vol
canoes are now throwing lava, though in small
quantities. The night shows a lurid flame to
an immense height. stream of lava is now
running into the abyss. 1t is calculated that
1900 cattle were killed.
Troops are securing the country for fugitive
victims. OF the company of 10S soldiers which
went after bandits only twenty-nine are known
to have been saved Food and clothing have
been sent to the sufferers. Refugees are return
ing TO Metapan and other towns.
Several days after stealing the news
with its usual prom ptitude the Associated
Press, still smarting under its inaccurate
reports of the Valkyrie race, in
which it enormously announced that the
British boat had won, scattered kilograms
stating that the story of the Honduras
earthquake was a 'fake." The Chicago
Associated Press, however, did not attempt
10 explain why it had stolen the news and
sent 1t out as original matter. 1t dwelt
upon the fact that The United Press report
stated that the earthquake occurred at
etapan." So did the Associated Press
report give 'Yetapan" as the scene of the
oisaster-an additional proof of theft.
1HE GALL. therefore Uac tho oplu rapar