Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1896-11-10


INTERVIEWING DIR. BLISS.
upon the work of experienced mon in
such an emergency. No now man from
New York or any other city could hsve
COMO hero at that time and improved
upon my work. Not much. And, on
the contrary, could not have gone 70
Now York, Chicago, or any othor city,
and made an Improvement In the work
Of experienced men there, GA any no
table event.
At that time Bivins was one of the
Inoet suooessf,l and energetic news
gatherers in tho national capital. No
newspaper man could beat him ON any
class of work. Hence his praise Of Her
bert Preston is praise indeed. During
the protrscted suffering of President
Garfield preceding his death, DR.. d. w.
Bliss, in charge OF tie case, would give
no Information to, newspaper men con-
corning tho rcal condition OF his pa
tienh Every day bulletins were Is
sued, but they contained no reliable in
formation. Dc. Bliss aiweys spoke of
the hopeful condition OF the president
and gave tho impression THAI he eS-
pected the wounded man to recover.
Finally the managing editor of the Re
Publican in this city, paper with
which Bfvins was connected, told him
to go and ascertain tho real condition
of the president, no mGtter how, but
somehow.
Blvins went to the white house and
saw DR.. Bliss. He had an unusually
long talk with him and took down all
he said in short hand. The interview
strengthened the previous impressions
given by the Bliss interviews that Pres
ident Garfield would ultimately recover.
1t seems that the policy of giving out
hopeful bulletins was regarded as u
public necessity under all the circum-
stances. Well, Bivins went to his Of
fee and wrote out the interview and
handed it in to the managing editor
saying that he would get further facts
before midnight.
Every evening about seven O'Clock
DR.. Bliss left the white house to go and
visit several of his regular patients. He
had given up nearly all of his practice
and devoted his entire time to the
wounded president, but in the evening
for an hour or two he went in his bug
gy to call on few invalids who would
not give him up. Tom Blvins knew this
fact, and also knew that Bliss usually |
took little wine with his supper, and |
that he was always more genial and |
nj ahla tha1, fhnn Of xN+h
time of day. So when DR.. Bliss came
ont of the white house that evening |
Bivins came out behind him and asked |
him for a ride. DR.. Bliss said all right. |
and Bivins got into the buggy with |
him. He talked to Bliss about his differ |
ent patients, asking all about their con-
and so forth. Bivins knew all |
of them and was interested IN them.
Finally, after several patients had |
been visited and they were coming |
down the avenue, Bivins asked about |
Garfield. He caught the doctor exactly !
in the right mood. He told Bivins that
Garfield could not possibly recover, and
gave the reasons for issuing favorable
bulletins. There was no pledge of Sc
crecy, but of course he did not intend
that Bivins should print what he said.
He felt that the newspaper man was
of duty; but as matter of fact good
newspaper man is always on duty.
Bivins fairly few to the Office when
he left Bliss and told the managing ed
tor to prepare headlines for parallel
columns for interviews with Dr.. Bliss
n the white house and in buggy. He
hen sat down and wrote out the inter
Jew, quoting Bliss fully and making
nearly half a column of the only real
news and information that had ever
been printed concerning the condition
IT the president and the impossibiiHys
II his recovery.
That publication created q sensation.
Dr.. Bliss made a sweeping denial of
he interview and denounced Bivins In
most bitter terms. But all newspaper
nen knew that Bivins was reliable and
hat his story was correct. DR.. Bliss
o the day of his death never forgave
3ivins for printing that interview. But
'om had been sent out to get the news
omehow and anyhow; and he got ex-
city all the information that all news
'aper men had been vainly trying TO
ret,
Now that Bivins has n tired from
work, he will probably find
ault with me for interviewing him
Without telling him that his words were
o be published. But his talk was in
eresting, and he is himself an interest
ng character by reason of his expert
nee and ability.
SMITH D. FRY