Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-01-15
NEWS THIEVES CAUGHT DEAD.
THEY TAPPED ASSOCIATED PRESS
WIRES.
Fake TcieRrams Sent Into tho Air
Were Eagerly Caught by the Rob
beers ana Published broadcast over
the Country-A Great scheme.

Chicago. Jan. H.--NewspRpers and
telegraph circles were astounded at the
exposure made by the Evening Post
this afternoon OF the schemes and
crimes OF small press associations,
through the manager Ok ono OF them,
to get the news OF tho Associated Press
before It's publication. The yearly cost
OF the Associated Press dispatches In
Sl,250,000. and to secure possession Of
this news some OF the smaller organlza-
lions have resorted to all sorts OF de-
vices--clipplng cable dispatches from
early editions and rewriting them TO
give them an appearance OF originality,
and tapping wires leased by the Asso-
ciated Press for Its particular service.
In order to catch these news thieves,
two of the best known detective agen-
cies In the country were employed. 1t
was also necessary to resurrest some
old newspaper dispatches printed In
Chicago from eight to twenty years
ago, and put It on the wire which waH
believed to be manipulated. This wire
was "cut OUT outside of Chicago and
another used for the regular report.
The trap was wen laid, as We're not
only Pnn-Amcrican, but also United
Press papers caught Among the latter
were the Detroit Journal and the 81.
Louis Chronicle That the Old news did
not get further east was due solely 10
the latencss Of the hour II was put On
tho ducoy wire,
Ihc Post says In It's expose; ut Is
now some eight months since promi-
nent railroad man called at the chi
cngo Office OF the Associated Press and
stated that he hnd received n request
for a pass from one W. $. Brewer, who
signed himself as general MANAGER OF
the Pan-American News Association
The gentleman said he had never heard
lof MIR. Brewer and wanted some IN
formation about him, The letter sheet
on which the request was written had
this caption. "pan-American New
Association, Incorporated 1890, Gen
eral Office. 1862 washington street, Chi
cuWo; Eastern office, - Park Row, New
York. William S. Brewer. President
and General Manager"
The names OF the other officers were
given.
The Associated Press had heard OF
Brwcr; they had known for some time
that their news was being stolen from
! the leased wires. This visit OF the rail-
road man revived the suspicious prev
lousy entertained againt Brewer, and
nm investigation into his method OF OBJ
/ tanning news was commenced. Clues
were obtained and followed, and after
much hard work gang of news thieves
was uncovered, the most skillful In
| the country. being assisted by notori-
! GUS wiretapper the cleverest man in
! his line, perhaps, in the world. Luther
| Latin Mills anticipated catching only
! minnowa. but he got into his net somr
| larger fish, associates of the small
| ones. By tapping the wires OF thu AS
| ISOLATED Press, Brewer got his news
cheap and therefore could afford 10
/ furnish n at low rates.
How Brewer got hold OF the news
| was a puzzle until II was learned that
he had some dealings with wire tap
pers lie WAS known to maintain a
regular System of wires to be used for
steullng information from telegraph
| companies. His wires were strung over
house tops. through conduits, down
water spouts. inside plumbing and In
| every way in which he could facilitate
| his yillainous schemes.
Both Brewer and he are ex-telegraph
operators and nothing in teleRraphy
! Il unknown TO them. AS soon as 1t was
learned that Brewer and this man
were in combination. the Associated
Press folks knew they had hard work
ahead OF them.
Luther Latha Mills was lntrusted
with the management OF the case. A
! detective agency was employed and
some OF it's best men were set to WORK
Meanwhile the Associated Press aid a
little detective work on it's own ac-
count. a careful watch was kept on
outside newspapers and every stolen
dispatch carefully clipped and pasteo
to the original copy sent out by the
Associated Press. These documents
soon stacked up because Brewer was
doing a wholesale business with the
Associated Press.
]