The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-05-26

PERSONS WHO STEAL AND SELL THE
WRITINGS OF OTHERS.
They Are Generally Detected, but Usually
After They Have Been Paid For the
Stolen Goods - sample Cases From the
Experience OF Newspaper Man.

Experience OF Newspaper Man.
Some time ago, when was in the room
Of my friend, Frank Stanton, "a stranger
walked in to sell him poem.
The visitor read the first verso, and Stan
ton chimed in:
"Very good" he said, "but tho next
verse is better" and he repeated it.
The new poet looked surprised. He In
sisted upon the examination of his poem,
and he read the second verse.
"That is goou," commented Stanton.
"but let me go on" Then he recited two
or three verses.
"But those are mine, 4" said the astonish-
ed stranger.
81 can't help it," replied Stanton.
"This is mind reading"
The fellow walked off to the elevator,
and all the way down his talk could be
heard.
"I swear wrote It," he said.
And yet he was plagiarist, and, after
stealing one of Stanton's poems, had tried
to sell it to him.
A man walked into my room one day
and tossed me slip of paper.
"It is little thing have just thrown
off," he said, "but If you think it is worth
IS it is all right"
looked at it and found that it was
Burns lines to Highland Mary
But there are bolder plagiarisms. Print
ers steal proofsheets Of new books and try
to sell them.
A man has been known to copy proof
sheet of the Britannica and sell it for hun.
dreds of dollars.
One of our most noted newspaper CORE.
spondents appropriates entire pages from
books and sells the matter as his own.
Sometimes a really bright man is led
into crime of this kind, for which there
in never any excuse.
A few years ago there was student at a
southern college whose literary gifts made
him shining light. When q prize was
offered for certain essay, every body sup
posed that he would get 1t.
OF all the students he was tho one man
who was able to write 1t.
The appointed day came, and the prize
was awarded to n new man, while the ex-
pulsion of the brilliant student was recon-
mended.
1t seems that the fellow had shirked his
work and had stolen an article bodily from
Blackwood.
A big statesman came to me one day and
like to have me get up the points for
bile public address. He was too busy,
he said, and was away from his library /
wrote up the matter in narrative style and
turned it over to the great man. He ex-
pressed his satisfaction, and when he de-
livered his speech it was my matter, word
for word. He was very proud Of 1t and
had it printed and sent it everywhere.
A young lawyer came to me several
times to write speeches for him.
II know how to deliver them," he said,
"but can't compose them"
OF course helped the young fellow out,
and in less than two years he was one Of
the leading lawyers Of Georgia.
A year or two ago a Georgia daily offer
ed prize for the best poem.
A young lady in South Carolina drew
the money and pocketed it. Her poem was
printed, and then came the discovery that
she had stolen it.
The editor who had paid her wrote to
her about it, but she laughingly defed
him. She had won the prize and received
the money, and that was the end of ii with
her.
One Of the brightest men that ever lived
in Atlanta used to visit The Constitution
office and ask permission to furnish edito-
rial paragraphs. Finally he was given a
trial He sent in a dozen first class para
graphs, and the next day it was discovered
that he had copied all Of them from George
ID. Prentice.
How can such things be explained?
The average plagiarist seems to think
that he is the only reader and has the only
book in the world.
When he is exposed, he finds that he is
surrounded by world of reading people.
Sometimes an exposure is both ridicu-
lous and sad. When Vice President Henry
Wilson died, southern literary weekly
started a biographical sketch of him written
by the lady to whom he was engaged. l
saw at u glance that it was stolen from
Macaulay's essay on Hampden and pub
lished the parallel columns. The biograph-
ical sketch, of course, came to an untimely
end, and the lady never appeared in the
newspapers again.
How is it that tho plagiarists continue
their work?
Hero in Atlanta there are thousands of
cultured people who have read every line
that is worth reading, and they cannot be
deceived.
Steal an article from magazine printed
q century ago, and somebody here in At
lanta will locate 1t.
Even should the plagiarism escape de-
lection here somebody will point it out in
the course of q few days.
Once upon time very bright journal
list in Atlanta thoughtlessly borrowed q
column article.
Tho next day he was exposed by con.
temporary.
what are you going to do about its"
asked q friend.
Nothing" was tho reply.
1t was tho only answer. When pla-
Ngiarism is exposed, the culprit must seek
refuge in silence. There Is no other shelter.
Wallace Putnam Reed in Atlanta Con-
stitution.
Tea and Coffee.
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