The morning times., 1896-02-23
STORY OF A SCOOP
The Successful Editor Had to Lead
the L. nchinq Party.

Newspapers resort to many strange
means OF getting news" remarked former
well known Washington newspaper man
to Times reporter "but doubt
if the following incident, in which l un-
fortunately figured, has an equal in the
annals of newspaper history. The story
is q true one, and the place in which it
happened is not located great way from
Washington.
THE citizens OF this town were startled
one morning by reading in Tie paper of
an attempted assault, by a negro, upon
twelve -year-old white gin. There were
two morning papers published at this
place and the rivalry was strong. Ono
was edited by Il Northern man, and that
is the one with whom my story deals.
After the negro had been arrested and
confined in the Jail this Northern editor
concluded that the story of lynching
would be a good thing to serve up TO bis
readers and he laid his plans accordingly.
/ was at that time news editor Of the
journal, and was told to be ready to shove
out an extra at a moments notice. Later
events will show that we got out the extra.
Arrangements for the lynching went rap
idly forward They were made in broad
daylight, and no attempt was made at dis
guise. BY nightfaN the police were thor
oughly alarmed and determined to secretly
remove their prisoner TO safer place.
"Our enterprising
REPORTER WAS editor, however,
CONCEALED. caught on TO this
scheme, and when the
negro was lowered the rear Jail win
dow a reporter was lying concealed in
the grass. The officers ran down back
street and through an alley with their man.
The reporter was right behind them. The
place of hiding was finally reached. The
reporter was still on the trail.
In the meantime other members Of the
staff of this paper had collected mob
that numbered several hundred. The pas
siOns of the men were aroused, and it was
evident that the culprits life was forfeited.
While waiting for news Of the hiding
place Of the policemen the mob searched
| the lower part of the city and the roads
| leading into the country. The Northern
editor was always TO be found in the front
ranks.
Word finally came that the negro had
been located, and a rush was made for the
house. Here handkerchiefs were tied about
the faces of the men, and an employe OF
| the. sheet in question was sent into the
room to identify the prisoner
This was an easy matter and soon the
trembling wretch was being hurried TO
the river bank. A suitable tree was Sc
| lectcd, when it was discovered that there
was no rope. Now, a good rope is neces-
sary adjunct to a successful lynching.
| Without one the affair is liable to prove
q failure.
"The newspaper man
EDITOR FIXED was equal to the oc.
| THE MOOSE. casion. On the other
side of the river was
| Toulouse. This was broken into and about
| 500 feet of strong rope secured.
Just who made the moose is not known,
but the editor has been accused of doing
| that job. II is also said he was not very
far away when the moose was put about
the prisoners neck.
Anyhow, the negro was duly hanged,
| and we got out an extra containing n full
account of the affair, and scooping our
rival. When the people visited the scene
of the tragedy the next morning they found
copy of the extra pinned TO the dead
mans coat tails.
The authorities made an investigation
of the matter, but it seems that the wit
nesses TO the occurrence could not identify
any of the mob. and consequently no indct-
ments were made. The paper that allowed
| itself TO get scooDed tried hard to have