The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-09-27
BY MURAT HALsTEAD.
(copyrisht. 1896. The S. S. Mcclure C

matter how many. that a Cincinnati
lawyer noted for his persistence and in
tensity and as attending TO the lega
business of the locality for the ther
most famous of New York merchants
A. T. Stewart, called on me at the Gin.
clnnau Commercial Office. and said he
had authority from Mr.. Stewart which
he displayed, to demand of me the man.
uscript Of a letter from an occasional
New York correspondent that appeared
IN the Commercial, in order that he
might have the proof in his hands upon
which to begin a criminal prosecution.
This article. The attorney stated, L must
know WIS grossly Hbelous, and he
quickly added Mr. Stewards idea was
not to modest me. but to catch the
writer Of the Islander whom he was
determined to hold personally RESPONSE
bic and punish to the extent of the law.
Ten days before this interview l had
been abesnt three days from my Of
nee in the country, and had missed
the copy of the Commercial containing
the article of which complaint was
made and knew absolutely nothing
about it.
1 said to the lawyer: This is a
mystery to me. / never heard of a
SANDER about Mr.. Stewart, and have
no recollection Of the publication re-
fe-red TO-" At once / was confronted
with the number OF the Commercial
that had eluded me and read with sur
prise and regret a story Of Mr.. Stewart,
assailing his private character and his
business methods. The correspondent
was disposed to be brave in writing the
forbidden things, or those On the dan
gerous edge OF propriety, because he
believed that journalism demanded that
Of him, and he had expected me TO
read and revise before printing; and it
had, by one of the familiar fatalities.
escaped all supervision, except the proof
reader, and criticism was not in the line
of his duty.
1t was a. strange story; to say that
it was romantic or picturesque would
be an unwarranted expression, for 1t
was unseemly, gross and indefensible.
/ said at once TO Mr.. Stewards repre-
sentative that there was no defense for
the publication and whatever could be
done in the way Of PREPARATION should
be done; that 1 recognized the response
bility upon me as publisher, but doubt
ed whether the specific demand for the
could be complied with, as
there was no rule of the office that
preserved it beyond a week, and the
libel had been printed more than that
time. L would see" Mr.. Stewards
lawyer said: Mr.. Stewart wants the
Upon investigation it was ascertained
that the manuscript had been sent out
in wagon-load OF waste scraps to the
paper miil.
Letters from Mr.. Stewards personal
friends a~tio 1gaT Tnla7
Shdiito-the leading dry goods merchant
in ACKNOWLEDGEMENT the story as
false in every sense, and due constpicu-
ity was given these communications
with appropriate editorial expression.
There came back from Mr.. Stewart,
in response 10 the statement that the
had gone to the paper mill,
that he wanted the manuscript and did
not want anything else. He was then
informed that the manuscript had been
ground up in the paper mill and was in
the var OF pulp before he had demanded
it, or / had knowledge of its existence. /
BE must ask for something possible
Again the message came from A r !
Stewart Il Co.: Mr.. Stewart simply
demands that manuscript" / had told
The truth about it, and that was ali I
hat i could DO except wait.
Another western editor, one Of dis
-inction in ST. Louis, had also publish !
I'd the libel, and was bMssfully and
ignorant about it, as 1 (
was of my criminality, and he being in 4
New York. was immensely astonished /
to find himself under arrest, and he /
passed long night in amazement in I
Ludlow street Jail, during which it is
4 tradition he spent his time in pro-
uncomplimentary language
about New York letter writer's, and
and even managing editors,
md indeed he did not feel happy about
ne newspaper business.
Walking Gown Broadway one after
loon some months after this. having
AIKEN passage with a party of friends
or Cincinnati that night, met a mer-
,hact of that city, Lewis c. Hopkins.
low of Brooklyn, and he said, with an
iir Of concern, he was sorry that l was
III such a scrape here"
'Scrape, what scrape2" "'Why, the
Stewart case" What about that?"
Why" SAID Mr.. Hopkins, Il have Just
cen Mr.. Stewart. 1 had bought him
pair Of horses in Kentucky and he
sked about friends in Cincinnati.
old him, among other things, and this
that his friend Halstead
vas here. His eyes flashed and he
.sked with great interest where YOU
we're stopping, and l told him / did not
now Then he said, very angrily. I
hall find out, and have that man in
rison this night. He is mistaken if
e thinks / have done with him Then
e called boy and said, bring me a
ournai Of Commerce, and scanned the
otel arrivals, bur was much disap-
ointed IL not finding your name"
Having made all arrangements to go
est that night and not being captured
s. the police. 1 did so, and in a few {
'eehs was IN New York again. Ny
rst errand was to the Office of judge
ienry Hilton, and l was shown into
is room where he was studying my
ard with puzzled look. He was cour- !
eous and asked me to take a chair l
Tut | said my business might be trans Q
cted in moment. 1 said: You are
lr. Stewards legal adviser, are you
ot?' The answer was in the affirma- |
We and I FASTENED to say that when l
vas in New York a few weeks before. I
II. Stewart had sought to find me- and
ad been unable to do so. OF course. !
is lawyer knew what the case was. /
sed not go into that. L wanted II
sttled, particularly did not want to be
,ught and not found l would be in {
ew York five days, was at the Fifth
venue hotel; breakfasted at and
ned at half PAST five. The Judge /.
niied grimly. looked at his watch. and !
was quarter OF eleven. He said: l
VIII you call again about ! o'clock: :
ny time from To 22' l made the en-
igement' and was on time. The judge !
cl1ed UP his hat and said Mr.. Stew
t wishes to see you. and we viii {
ak over at once" Judge Hilton's
ice was just across the corner. of the
" hall park from Stewards Chamber :
rect store. | said to the Judge / did :