The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-03-10
THE BECK BLUNDER.
How a Misstatement in THE
News" Occurred and
What 1t Amounted to.
"JoURNAL'S" Wall OF AGONY
Justice Done Where II Is Due,
and a Moral Position
Defined.

On MONDAY, 'Ihe NEWS piiu.eo 49,
statement that Louis j. Beck, the Even
ing Journals. yellow sleuth in the
Noonan-Simpson case. had been arrested
in New York and held upon charge OF
keeping disorderly house. 1.-The News
was in error as to the identity of the per-
SON. It was another dive-keeper OF the
name of Beck who was arrested in New
York, and not the Journal man and
proprietor of the Hoffman Cafe.
On Monday. reporter for 1.-The News
heard a rumor of the arrest at the Court
House and telephoned it to the office One
of the most experienced and trusted re-
porters on 1.-The News staff was sent to
New York to investigate. He went hrst
to the Jefferson Market Police Court. He
found no record of the arrest there.
Upon describing the location of the Hoff-
man Cafe, on Third avenue near Four
teenth street, he was told that prisoners
from that part of the city were sent to
Essex Market Court. He accordingly
hastened to Essex Market, where he in
terviewed the Clerk of the Court.
He was told that Louis Beck, German
American, 80 years old. living at No. II
First street. had been arrested by Police
man Bisserd of the Fifth street station
house, for conducting cafe which was
resort for dissolute persons, and con-
structively a disorderly house. He was
told that the man had been bailed by one
Charles V. Rehm and the papers had
been sent to the District Attorney.
The reporter unfortunately made no
further attempt to establish the identity
of the arrested man. 1t did not occur to
him that there might be two persons in
the same line of business and liable to ar
rest in the same quarter of the city. He
therefore. as the hour was three o'clock,
telephoned the facts which ne had ascer-
tanned to "The News office, where they
were briefly written and put in type for
publication. it never occurring to anyone
through whose fndHuS luey paSeeu eii-'
the arrested Beck was other than the
Journal man.
This explanation is made in part as a
matter of justice to Beck and to the
journal" but even more for the sake OF
1.-The News itself. This paper is most
strenuous in respect of truth and accu-
racy. and if it is sometimes betrayed
into error. it is only because of the human
impossibility of being always right.
The statement that Beck had been ar
rested was printed in the most perfect
good faith with the fullest belief in its
truth and after what appeared to be
sufficient verification.
Perhaps it will occur to most people
that even if 1.-The News" were morally
willing to print so deliberate falsehood,
it would be hardly idiotic enough to
knowingly select one SO easily disproved.
When the Journals denial of the ar
rest appeared on Tuesday, reporter
was assigned to make a more searching
enquiry in New York. He discovered
how the mistake of identity arose, but
his report was not received in time for
insertion in yesterdays edition.
In contradicting the statement that
Beck had been arrested, the Journal
said
The Journal" as the people are
aware, has refrained from either com
ment or contradiction during the
whole of the infamous campaign OF
abuse which has been directed against
it and all the members of its staff
since the inauguratiIon of its work work
protection in Hudson county.
The reason why the journal has never
before replied, is that everything which
has previously appeared in this paper re-
garding it was unanswerable. 1t. took
full advantage of this, the first mistake
made. to hit back in hydrophobic style
which shows how deeply it has felt the
lash.
In another place It says
There has not even been an arrest
in New York City upon which the
above item could have been based
without it's author knowingly uttering
every lie it contains.
This is simply not true. The arrest of
one Louis Beck, a dive keeper, was made,
just as we recorded it.
Again the Journal says
Mr.. Beck has not been connected
with the place referred to (the Hoff-
man Cafe) for a long time.
What does the Journal consider "a
long time?
Ii is not over three weeks since Beck
testified in the Noonan-Simpson trial.
Here is an excerpt from his testimony
.sDo you know man named Com
bossy?, asked the lawyer in purring
tone, which exasperated the pin cush-
ion freak, "a notorious dive-keeper?'
..He is not a dive-Keeper.''
Isn't there man named Ignatz
Gombossy associated with you in run
ming dive ON Third avenue?''
1--WE don't keep a dive. He is the
manager. I am the proprietor the
retired freak laughingly replied.
ssDid you not know that he kept a
place on the Bowery notorious as a re-
sort for profiigate women?v asked
counsel.