The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-08-17

InjurInH West Virginia.
AS the Intelllgencer predicted last
week, the Incident OF cap" Hatfield
breaking Jail has given the fake news
paper correspondents in certain quarters
of the state the opportunity they always
grasp, whenever one OF the Hattields
comes into notice, to sell their wares to
the yellow journals Of New York, With
nothing more to base 1t upon than the
incident OF murderer escaping from
jail and being pursued in the mountains
by officers of the law, and an exchange
OF shots, there appears thrilling account
OF how all West Virginia Is being ter
rorIzed" by the desperate, and there are
graphic descriptions of battles, with n
particularly of detail which is calcu-
lated to convey the idea that the enter
prlsing correspondents OF the yellow
journals were in the midst of it oil.
Just what Wild western romance the
correspondents draw the haIr-raislng de-
scriptlons from, we do not know, but we
do know that they are imposing columns
of dlsgustingly sensational rot upon the
metropolitan press outside Of the state.
which Is harmful 10 the interests Of West
Virginia, and conveys the idea to capl-
tai that this is not a safe state to either
invest ones money In or to live in. Here
are the headlines over 5ae column
special from Huntington, which appears
in one of the New York Sunday papers
and which is made the leading news fea-
ture of that sensational Journal:
Dynamite for Cap. HatReld-west vlr-
ginla Mountain Fortress Blown Up by
Posse-The outlaws Escaped-Wild
Chase, Siege and Desperate Battle
in the Mountains-Ran Mccoy Outgen-
eralled-The Old Man Sighted His
Ancient Enemy. and Was Turned Into
n Fury-West Virginia Up in Arms.
Pursuers are on the Trail OF the Out
laws and Their Speedy Capture is Ex-
pected."
These headlines. while they are lurid
enough. scarcely do justice to the sensa-
tional matter that follows them, dished up
largely out Of the imagination OF the
Huntington man. In order to bunco the
sensational journals, who are only too
ready to pay for such dime novel trash
and hold up West Virginia to the outside
world as a state overrun by outlaws and
suffering from a reign Of terror. He pic
lures. for instance, that "the whole state
of West Virginia Is aroused over the
matter"
We have said that the story is sent
from Huntington. No reputable news
paper man In Huntington is Indulging in
the business of exaggerating facts. and
we would give something to know who 1t
is that Is llbelllng the state in such a
manner. Ignorance OF geography and
the nature of the state on the part Of the
eastern papers prevents them from
knowing that the incident occurred in a
far southern county, on the borders OF
Kentucky. new county only now in the
process Of development, and that II
hasn't stirred up West Virginia TO high
pitch of excitement but that, on the con-
trary. this law abiding state is going
along In the even tenor OF its peaceful
way. all Unconscious that any such hair
ralsing episodes as are being detailed by
the yellow journals OF New York are taxi
ing place In one little corner Of the COM
monwealth and in an undeveloped re-
gIon.
The newspaper fakir who Is thus cater
Ing to the lovers OF the sensational, and
incidentally mulctlng the far away
papers Of their cold cash, does not dare
offer his exaggeratlons to a Wheeling
newspaper or to any other reputable
paper In West Virginia. The Wheeling
papers have published all the news there
Is In the matter and II doesn't show that
the whole state " In condition border
Ing on terror
II the metropolitan press Will show
half the enterprise In getting facts from
this state that they show In publishing
ya1ns about things that never happen,
and which nre calculated to give this
law-abl1nE, peaceful. prosperous pro-
grcsslyc md intelligent people bad
name abroad, they will be better apprc.
clated here,