The age-herald., 1898-01-13
THE LATE MAJOR
 MOSES P. HANBY
from the Chicago Times-Herald.

From the Chicago Times-Herald. ]
 heard in Washington lately from nas. val officer the story of how Major Handya scored a "beat' on the other correspond7s ents in managing to be the only newspaper. man who witnessed the surrender of thea Virginius by the Spanish authorities in Cuba I have heard it told at Press club meetings, and it has no doubt been in print, but it is well worth telling again an il- lustration of the remarkable energy and resourcefulness of one of the best journal ists of our day. When Handy came up to New York from Richmond and was given g. position on the Tribune he was eager to j do "special' work, which was then the best field for young man to gain distinc-. ton in. The Spaniards had captured a4 steamer called the Virginius on pretense that she was about to run their blockade and land supplies for the rebels in Cuba. The capture was contrary to International law, as it took place on the high seas and Gen. Grant, who was then president, made a peremptory demand for the surrender of the vessel. The Madrid government knew that Grant was not the sort of a man who would stand any dilly-dallying or delay, and they at once made apology and agreed to turn the vessel over to any man. of-war Grant would send for 1t. Handy was directed to go to Cuba and report the event for the Tribune. He hurried down to Key West with the idea of taking the New Orleans steamer for Havana, but there he learned that the willy Spaniards did not intend to humiate themselves in the eyes of the Havana populace by turn ing over the captured vessel in the harbor of that city They had named lonely bay on the north coast of Cuba the place for the surrender. Lying in Key West ready to sail was the United States warship which was to go to that bay and receive the Virginius.
 Correspondents of other papers had pre- ceded Major Handy to Key West, but they were all in despair for means to get to that remote bay and get back to a telegraph wire. The captain of the warship had Ter ceived strict instructions from the naval department to allow no civilians to go on his ship. He told them all that he vas very sorry, but he had his orders. The New York Herald man chartered a schoon- CT and started for the bay. The Times man went over to Havana with the intention of making his way on horseback across coun- try to the scene of the surrender Handy said nothing. but matured plan of his own. The officers of the man-of-war gave a dinner party on board the evening before sailing. The ship was to start at daylight. Handy had no trouble in getting an invita- tion to the dinner. Toward midnight he left the cabin, apparently a good deal un- der the influence of the wine he had drunk, and slipped into the stateroom of of the officers, whom he knew very well. There he stretched himself on the bunk and was soon fast asleep. All the other guests were put ashore. The officer whose state room Handy had appropriated had the watch on deck, and at daylight the vessel got under way. By the time Handy was discovered the ship was well out to sea.
 
 The presence on board of the Tribune cor respondent was reported to the captain, who summoned the stowaway before him and performed vigorous feat of naval ob- jurgation. The major explained and apolo- gized in his softest voice and sweetest man. ner. He really did not know what hewas doing when he went into the stateroom. He must have taken too much wine. Well, we cannot go back to Key West to put you ashore,' said the captain, "and I do not want to throw you overheard. You will have to stay on the ship" It turned out afterward that Handy was the only corre- spondent who witnessed the surrender of the Virginius. The Herald schooner did not reach the scene in time, and the Times man got lost in the mountains and turned back to Havana. The Virginius was taken to Key West, and on the return voyage Handy wrote a capital account of the affair and had it ready to put on the wire as soon as he got ashore. It filled an entire page in the Tribune next morning, and was the greatest newspaper beat of the year. The other New York papers did not have limo about the event and were obliged to stop their presses and make up an account from the Tribune.
 Mai Handy's exploit made great stir in newspaper circles in New York, and convinced Whitelaw Reid that he had se- cured treasure in the pale, slender, fair haired young man from Virginia. He gave him a good position the editorial staff of the paper, and the major found himself at once recognized among newspaper men as man of ability and distinction. At that time there was an intense rivalry between the heading papers of New York for special and exclusive news. The Tribune, Herald and Times were the chief competitors. The World was poor and not enterprising and the Sun had not attained the national im- portance it has since achieved. The Asso- ciated Press was run in a routine, woodeny way, and was not depended on for news of really great events. Maj Handy's Virgin ius exploit rightly regarded as one of the most brilliant achievements in the field of special correspondence In It's way it was as good as Archibald Forbes hundred mile ride in Zululand to reach a telegraph office after a fight D. " SMALLEY.